King Tom and the runaways : the story of what befell two boys in a Georgia swamp / by Louis Pendleton

Building the sleeping platform

KING TOM A.ND THE RTJISTAWAYS.
THE STORY OF "WHAT BEFELL TWO BOYS IN A GEORGIA SWAMP
BY
LOUIS P B 1ST D L E T O
NEW YOKE D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1890

COI'YRIGEIT, 1S90, - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

TO HIM
WHOSE PATRIOTIC WORK ANTJ WORDS BETIAIjF OF A PT3OPT/E STRUGGLING WITH A GIGANTIC PROBLEM
WOJY PRAISE FKOJI ALL FArK-MI~VD.EI> HIEST---- TO THAT BRIGHT STAR OF THE yEW SOUTH
THOSE LIGHT THOUGH LOST TO VIEW HAS NOT GONE OUT----
HENBY WOODFIX GRADY.

CONTEXTS.

I.--THE TKLL-TALK PITCCE OF GOLD

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.... 1

II.--JIM DISAPPKARS AND THE BOYS &o is SEARCH OF HIM 20

III.--ALT, NIGHT IN THE SWAMP

, . . . .37

IV.--THE RUNAWAY is CAPTURED AND PLANS AEJK PBOPOSKW

FOR HIS FcTirnK ....... 51

V.--MASTER AND SLAVE MAKE MERRY

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.60

VT.--"H>: WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN'T iOJN "-- ToM ACHIEVES

DISTINCTION TWICE IN A NIHT .

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.72

VII.-- "THLS BUYING AND SELLING " .

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.

.

.86

VIII.--LOST ......

... 98

IX.--A COMPROMISE ........ 118

X.----VKSTJS

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.125

XI.--ANOTHER NIGHT ON THK ISLAND

. . . .141

XII.--TOM CLIMBS THK TRKE, BUT ALEKKT FINDS THE KGGS . 150

XIII.--THE BRTDE OF THE OLD Boy .

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.102

XIV.--How TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM IN A SWAMP . 173

XV--DANGEROUS GROUND ....... 1SS

XVI.--A NOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE .

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.199

XVII. --THE END OF TRIP--THE RETREAT .... 21.3

XVIII.--LOOKING TOWARD THE BORDERS OF ETERNITY .

. 224

XIX.--WHAT THE MATTER WAS ..'.... 2S9

XX.--MOTHER TO TUB RESCUE ...... 255

XXI.--ADIEU

......... 269

93667

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Building the sleeping platfc

" Look yuh, 'oman ! " she I

up turreckly ! '' .

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.13

His clenched hands were thrust above the surface again and again .......... 40

" Oh, Mas1 Tommy, look-a-dcre ! " cried Venus

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. 144

Thc Race between the Bad Man and his Bride .

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.168

Trip and the Panther ........ 215

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
CHAPTER I.
THE TETjL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.
THE place "was shut up and almost empty at this season. In the dim light, however, one could see a lonely little pile of last year's cotton in one corner of the great room, and, filling another corner, an im mense heap of cotton seed. Opposite the door, now shut and barred, a largo square hole was cut in the wall, through which the soft ginned cotton was wont to pour and settle on the floor of the " lint-room," twenty feet below. The two white boys and the young negro now tumbling on the pile of cotton seed had effected au entrance to the lower room and nimbly climbed up by means of a fixed ladder to the upper--the " gin-house " proper.
The boys were Tom Carroll and Albert Morris, cousins ; the young negro was Jim, a slave belong ing to the Carroll estate--for it was in the year

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KING TOM AND TILE RUNAWAYS.

1855. Tom -was tall and strong for his age, "which was somewhere between thirteen and fourteen, and had handsome brown eyes and a swarthy skin. Albert, a fair-faced, slender boy of smaller stature, although a month or two older than his cousin, was greatly his inferior in physical strength. It was plain, however, from the direct, intelligent glance of his clear bine eye that his mind had been trained if his body had been neglected. The negro Jim. was "what would have then been, described as a well-grown "young buck" of nineteen or twenty, above the average of his race in intelligence and sagacity, and endowed with good-nature and cheer fulness to an astonishing degree.
" I'll bet you can't do that, Albert! " cried Tom, after running forward, leaping into the air, and turning a clean somersault before he struck the pile of cotton seed.
"I'll bet I'm not goin' to try," rejoined Albert, calmly retaining his recumbent position high up on the pile.
"Oh, come on and try it!" urged Tom, in a high key.
" No, thank you ; I don't care to break my neck."
-" I believe you are afraid!" Tom then ex-

~ THE TELL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

3

claimed, exasperated at the other's calmness. " j_ wouldn't lye such a coward! "
" Pin not a coward, Tom Carroll, and some of these days you'll find it out, too! " rejoined Albert, warmly.
Torn turned away in disgust. " "Well, Jim, let's see you try it," he said.
" All right, Mas' Tommy," and away Jim went, turning a bettor somersault than even his young master's.
"I'd rather watch a circus than be in it any day," Albert then remarked with a touch of sar casm, which -was, however, quite lost upon his cousin. In reality ho greatly admired Tom's ath letic proficiency, and "would gladly have matched him on his own ground; but he realized his in experience and the undeveloped condition of his muscles, and dreaded Tom's laughter, For Tom by no means studiously avoided hurting the feelings of others, and sometimes even taunted his city-bred cousin for his physical de ficiencies.
Jim and his young master having turned some half-dozen excellent somersaults apiece, the latter again called to Albert:
" Well, come and wrastle with me, then. You

4

KINO- TOM AND THE HUNA WA TS.

said you "wanted to learn how to box and wrastle. . . . Ain't you goin' to come ?"
" Don't say * ain't,' Tom," corrected Albert, as he got up deliberately.
" "Well, I reckon we ain't in scliool now ! " was
the indignant retort. "!Now, Mas' Albert, yon th'ow 'ini," said Jim,
encouragingly, but Albert did not look enthusi
astic. "Here's for the best two out of three," cried
Tom, and they toot their holds. They "were unevenly matched, and, as was only
to be expected, Albert went down before his cousin not merely twice, but all three times.
"Now for three more, and I'll give you all undcrhold," cried Tom.
Albert's breath came hard and ho was heartily sick of it, but he "was ashamed to back out "when there was such an oifer, and Trent in again man fully. And when they fell in the third bout the smaller boy was actually on top !
JTim received the issue with shouts of applaud ing laughter, falling upon the cotton seed and thrusting his legs about in the ecstasy of his pleas ure. Not that Albert was his favorite--only ho involuntarily took the side of the weaker. Tom

X THE TELL-TALE PIECE Off GOLD.

5

was childish enough to feel nettled because he had lost one fall out of six.
" I reckon so--with all nnderhold!" he ex claimed.
He then urged Albert into a sparring contest, but the boy was out of breath and was soon driven to the wall, narrowly escaping a dangerous fall through the square hole opening on the lintroom. Jim thereupon glibly informed them that lie had ouce fallen through that hole when the room below was full of lint, and was fished out half suffocated. " I tas'e' dat lint fer a munt," he added.
Having exercised to his heart's content, Tom threw himself down beside Albert on the cotton seed to rest, ordering the negro to dance for their amusement. Jim then proceeded to "knock the back-step" and ^ cut the double-shuffle " in very fine style, at the conclusion of which performance he was invited to " sprawl himself out " on the cotton seed near the two boys.
As soon as he could get his breath, the negro in troduced the subject of runaway slaves, which he well knew -would be interesting to Tom. For it was his business to amuse his young master during the hours of recreation; in other words, he was

6

KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

Tom's fool--not officially, of course, "but in actual fact that -was liis position, and never was fool in the olden time merrier or wittier in the eyes of his mas ter. Albert Morris, who was studiously inclined, had already begun to take an interest in Shake speare, and when he came out from, the city he im mediately labeled Jim's position--which no one had thought to do before--greatly to the delight of Tom, who became so interested that he inquired into the history and manners of the classic jester. But when Albert read him the delicious speeches of Touchstone from As You Like It, Torn nearly -went to sleep, and, much to his cousin's disgust, de clared that a " nigger fool" was " a heap funnier than them old-time fools."
Jim, however, had also another reason for intro ducing a subject which for two days past had been on his mind. He had stolen a gold coin from Mr. Ketchem, the overseer, he thought it not unlikely that he would be found out, and was discussing the question whether to suffer the punishment sure to follow in that case or to escape it by taking to the swamps. Punishment at the hands of a man whom he hated was not a pleasant thing to think of ; on the other hand, the idea of running away was by no means dissociated with anxieties. For one thing,

THE TELL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

7

he feared the coachwhip,"* which was said to harbor an especial grudge against runaway negroes.
" You-all ever year 'bout do nigger an' de coachwhip 1" -was what he now asked.
The boys said they had not, and eagerly de manded the story, -whereupon. Jim told it in this -wise:
" Dey tell me one time a nigger drop' 'e work an' run away, an' went a-bruisin' roun' in de swamp . tell 'e moso perish' ter clef fer sleep. He sneak roun' fuss dis-a way, den dat, huntin' a good place ter lay down, au' dreckly 'e sprawl 'esc'f out on a log. jBimeby wen 'e 'uz dead sleep an' sno'in' fnm away-back, yuh come ole man Coachwhip raekin* 'long thoo de grass. 33cy say 'e done had 'e eye on Mister Nigger an' 'uz a-iayin* fer 'im, an' wen e' see 'im sprawled oE on dat log so nice an' quiet, I reckon 'e must 'a been so glad 'e had ter laugh. Hit wa'n't no time, dey tell me, fo' dat sneakm* eoachwlup done slip up on dat log an' qnoil 'ese'f all roun' dat nigger, an', suh, soon's ever 'e had 'im

* A snake rarely found, and only in the lower South Atlantic States. It is very long, with a slender tail tapering to a mere thread ; it runs with great swiftness, and in combat twines about its antagonist, inflicting blows with its tail as from a whip. It is said to be inoffensive where man is concerned, but Georgia negroea . have their .own theories on this subject.

8

EIKQ- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

tied good 'e let inter beat' n' on 'im lak de ve'y mis chief ! Nigger -wake up an' tint 'e mawster got 'im tied an' a-whippin' 'im, an' 'e holler an1 beg : 4 Do, mawster ! ' Coacliwhip' tail come down--chertoow ! digger holler : * _Z><3, mawster !' Coachwhip* tail come down--c7ier-fwow / cheT-wow ! !Nigger squirm, nigger twis' ; coachwhip qnoil roun' 'im tighter mo' tighter. Digger beller : ' Do, mawster, for heaben' sake !' Coacliwhip' tail come down-- c?ier-wow / cher-wow ! cher-wow ! "
It is impossible to give an adequate idea of the expression thrown into this onomatopoetic descrip tion. The " cher-wow" was uttered in a longdrawn, sibilant tone, in almost exact imitation of the rapid stroke throug'h the air of a fine whalebone whip.
" Biraeby dat nigger mighty sick," Jim. contin ued, solemnly; "'e holler come mighty weak an' 'e bref come mighty faint, an' dreckly coachwhip run' Je tail up po' nigger' nose ter see if 'e breathm' yit. But 'e am' dead yit. So de coachwhip kcp' a-whip pin' 'im--kep' a-whippin', whippin', whippin'--run *e tail up nigger' nose--keep on whipping whippin', whippin'--tell bimeby, suh, dat nigger 'uz dead ea a do' nail."
Albert Morris^ who had listened to this recital

THE TELL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

9

with, incredulous smiles, now asked wlio had es

caped to tell the tale, if the negro had really been

whipped to death ?' But Jim, who did not appear

to see how damaging his inability to answer such a

question really was, remained perfectly serious.

" I think it's mean, for a nigger to run away

"when he's well treated like ours are," said Tom,

emphatically.

" You right, Mas' Tommy ! " rejoined Jim, with

great apparent heartiness, and mentally added:

" Mayhe you'll t'ink I^ui mean by dis time tcr-mor-

rer."

*

" "What good can it do to run away, anyhow ? " asked Albert. " They are always caught."
" But, yer see, fo' dey git caught dey have dey little frolic," explained Jim. " Sonic niggers des runs away fer devilment--des so dey kin run loose in de woods an' steal hogs an' chickens an' cotch fish an' eat berries, an' all sich ez dat. Den, ycr know, wen a nigger cotch a whippin.' 'e mighty ap' ter feel like gittin' out er de way."
" It's mighty little whippm' they ever get on our place," declared Tom. " Ma won't allow it if it can possibly be helped. Mr. Ketehem says she's so easy she's been the ruination of our niggers."
" Miss Mary mighty good," assented Jim, heart-

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KINa TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ily; "an' so was yo' pa fo' lie died, but dey tell me dem Adamses is powerful diffunt. You mighty right I'm glad dem Adamses don' own me."
" Oh, the Adamses ! " rejoined Tom, in disgust; "I wasn't talking about them--thoy are nobody. . . . That Bill Adams is the meanest white boy I ever saw," he added, after a moment. " I had a fight "with, him one day, 'way out in the woods, just before you came from Savannah, Albert. lie's nearly twice as big as I am, and he would have hurt me if Jim hadn't been there. Jim threw a lightwood knot under his heels while we were wrastlin', and he tripped up and hurt himself, and I fell on top, and---"
" Mas' Tommy th'owed him--dat great big fel ler !" declared Jim, with enthusiasm.
" He's had a grudge against me ever since," said Tom, smiling, too much pleased by Jim's Battery to think of rebuking him for such bare-faced exag geration.
The conversation was now interrupted by Jim, who suddenly got upon his feet, ran to the square hole, or door, leading to the lint-room, and scrambled down the fixed ladder with the greatest possible speed. The boys followed in wonder, and pres ently joined the negro among the tall green cotton

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THE TELL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

H

plants south of the ginning house, where he glibly informed them, in explanation of his strange be havior, that lie had seen " a great big snake" glid ing over the top of the pile of cotton seed. In. reality lie had heard what seemed to be approach ing footsteps, and, fearing it might be the overseer, had sought safer ground without a moment's delay. He felt certain that he was suspected, and was de termined not to be caught in a trap where his nim ble feet could perform no service.
A half an hour later the trio were to be found in the top of a large cherry tree at the farther side of the cotton field, whose luxuriant growing plants, in this first bloom of summer, gave 110 suggestion of the coming change which would gradually rob them of their freshness and turn the field to snow. The cherry tree stood in one of the corners of a zig zag rail fence, along which ran the public road, and from their position the boys were able to look down ' on the occasional passer-by while remaining them selves unobserved.
" They say a man got drunk on cherries once and fell out of the tree," remarked Tom, as he crammed his mouth with a handful of the fruit. " But I don't know whether it's so or not, people tell so many lies."

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KIN& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

" You right, Mas' Tommy," declared Jim; " hit's 'stonishin' de way people tell lies dese days ! "
Albert did not disguise the mirth excited in him by this speech, and Jim began to look uncom fortable ; but the attention of all was now attracted to a carriage on the road which was driven by a smart negro coachman and contained a lady and a little girl.
" That's Miss Varina Dandridge and Maddermerselle DuPont, her French governess from New Orleans," said Torn, after a moment. "I 'spect they are comin' to see ma ! "
The carriage rolled by, the boys meanwhile re marking with admiration upon the beauty of the little girl and straining their ears to listen as "Maddcrrnerselle " DuPont was heard to speak.
The vehicle had hardly disappeared when a stout, well-grown, negro girl of some sixteen years, wearing a homespun cotton frock, was seen coming down the road.
" Dass Dilsey," said Jim, grinning, " Wen she git under de tree, less we-all holler an' scare 'er."
The two boys "were nothing loath, and all kept very quiet as the young negress came toward them singing with much enthusiasm a very monotonous tune. When yet some distance away she suddenly

THE TELL-TALE PIEOE OF GOLD.

13

hushed her song- and literally leaped upon a delicate little pink-and-white fan lying in the road where it had evidently dropped from the passing carriage. The girl held it up and eyed it a moment, smiling and muttering rapturously, then, -with a stealthy glance up and down, the road, disposed of it in her pocket with astonishing dispatch and walked on, presently taking np her song.
But she had hardly taken a half-dozen steps ere she again hushed her song on perceiving a tall, gaunt cracker "woman, in a homespun frftek similar to her own, approaching from up the road.
" Dass ole Mis' Hardshell," said Jim. " K"ow you-all des watch 'em, I bet yer dey'll turn in an' 'buse one nudder turreckly. I wish dey'd fight."
As soon as the approaching white woman saw the negro girl, she straightened herself and as sumed a haughty air that was neither becoming nor natural. For her part, Dilsey uttered a disdainful laugh and " shuck" herself, as Jim put it--that is to say, shrugged in the ludicrous, extravagant Afri can style--none of which escaped the other's notice. It was evident that they would meet only a few steps beyond the tree, and it was equally evident that the cracker -woman's wrath waxed the greater and the young negress's impudent, contemptuous

14

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

air became the more marked in direct ratio as the space between them "was lessened. They were on the same side of the road, and both in the same narrow path leading along between the bed of the road proper and its border of flowing grass: one or the other mnst step into the sandy road or the dewy grass, else direful consequences in the way of a col lision would ensue. But straight on they came, neither moving an inch to the right or to the left.
" Dah taller-face' w'ite 'oinan crazy ef she reck'n I gwine gie de road ter po' buckra," * the boys overhead Dilsey remark as she passed under the tree.
"When they were about eight feet apart the cracker woman suddenly lifted a huge umbrella which she carried and disposed it across her breast, taking a fresh grip of the handle. By the time this was fairly done the space between them was obliterated, and the crash of collision, though not to be compared with that of two steamboats running on full time, was resounding enough to be heard distinctly at the top of the cherry tree.
Dilsey was the chief sufferer, for a moment later she found herself in the middle of the road smart-

* White people.

TEE TELI^TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

15

ing with pain at a point some three inches beneath her left arm -where the blood-thirsty umbrella had rudely gouged.
"Who you foolhV wid? I'll knock you down yuh dis mornin' !" she cried, pugnaciously. " I don.' 'low nobody lev joog me in de short ribs, let 'lone good-fcr-nut'n low-down, taller-face? buckra lak Jfou!"
She moved forward threateningly as she spoke, but the huge umbrella went up like a vulture and came down like a rock. The girl staggered be neath the blow.
"Look yuh, 'oman! " she bawled. "I'll ever3as'n'ly eat you up turreckly! " She caught up a stick and took a step forward, but the vigorouslywielded umbrella was still in the way, and its own er was shouting1 :
" Jcs' try it if you dare, an' if I don't split one nigger's head open h-yer this mornin' ! Jes' let me git my fingers on yo1 th'oat, you sassy huzzy! "
All this swashbuckler-talk meant little more than, that the effective umbrella would again come into violent contact with the young negress's kinky head if she exposed herself ; but Mrs. Hardshell's tragic aspect struck terror to Dilsey's heart, and, without further show of fight, she retreated to safer

16

KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

groun d, whereupon Iier enemy "wheeled about and. walked grandly away. Then Dilscy's tongue was loosed, and she forthwith hurled after the disap pearing white woman a tirade of Invective quite too forcible to look "well in print.
" ISTow less all holler," "whispered Jim, and, glad enough to givo vent to their suppressed, feelings, the three uttered a yell that almost shook the cherry tree.
Poor Dilsey's start amounted to a leap of nearly half a foot from the ground, and while she looked fearfully about her, doubtful which -way to run, Jim sung out in a thin, far-away voice:
" Oh, Dilsey Ann, "where my fan ? Oh, Dilsey Ann, you got my fan ! "
Dilsey's panic was complete. Tearing the fan out of her pocket and dropping it as if in fear that it would do her bodily injury, she frantically took to her heels, screaming with fright. The roar of laughter from the cherry tree only added to her bewilderraciit and terror, and she was soon out of eight.
" Dat nigger run--dat nigger flew--dat nigger tore 'crse'f in two! " cried Jim as soon as he conld control himself, then went off again into ecstasies of laughter.

THE TELL-TALE PIECE OF GOLD.

17

But Albert very soon sobered and asked, " Is she one of Aunt Mary's negroes, Torn ? "
" Yes; she helps Dinah, the cook." " Well, she's an impudent young hnssy. I don't care if Mrs. Hardshell is ( taller-face' po' buckra '; she's a middle-aged woman, and that sassy gal ought to have more respect for her. I'm sorry :(jbr those sort of white people," the boy added thoughtfully. " They have a hard time of it." " Jim," asked Tom, thoughtful in turn, " what makes you niggers an po" white people hate each other so for, anyhow ? " " "Well, you see, Mas' Tommy, day ain' got no lan' skacely, nor no niggers, ner no money, an' dey do de same work we niggers does ; so dey am' no better 'n we is, an' we let 'em know it. An' dat mek' em fightin' mad." " Yes, they are better than you, Jim, because they are 'white. You ought to know that," said Tom., with the air of one who will admit of no con tradiction. " And because they are free and can vote," add ed Albert. " You can't vote." Jim had no clear idea of "what voting really was, but he appeared to think that the argument was going against him, and said no more.

18

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

" Uncle John says the trouble is that ' slavery makes manual labor degrading,' " said .Albert, look ing; up the road, reflectively.
Neither Tom nor the negro quite saw the con nection, but Albert was saved the necessity of ex planation ; for at this moment a stern voice was heard from beneath the tree, ordering Jim to de scend. Startled, they all looked down and saw a short, thick-set man with iron-gray hair and beard and an intelligent though unrefined face. lie had the chubby fingers and dirty nails of the workingman, and was in other respects a representative of a class distinct from that of the two boys, who now hurriedly followed the trembling negro out of tlie tree. It was Mr. Ketchem, the overseer, and poor Jim knew that he was caught,
" Strip off your shirt, sir! " the overseer com manded. "I aim to find out who's got my five-dol lar gold piece."
""Who, me? I never tuck it," stammered Jim, but the front of his shirt was hardly more than un buttoned before the tell-tale piece of gold was dis covered, along with some dozen silver dimes, on a string tied round his neck.
The overseer was so angry that he seized on his property with a very rough hand, breaking the

THE TELLTALE PIECE OF a OLD.

19

string and scattering the punctured dimes on the ground. Then, while Tom. and Albert -were pick ing these up, he tied the negro's hands, and pres ently led him away, followed by the two boys.
On their way toward the house the overseer stopped to give some orders ; it was then that Tom exclaimed sadly and reproachfully:
/ " Well--Jim ! After all the money I've given yon, too !"
" JVIas' Tommy," answered Jim mournfully, tears in his eyes, " ef dat gole piece had 'a b'long ter you er yo' ma, nobody could 'a hired me ter so much ez tech it. But hit b'long5 ter Mas* Ketchcm, an* dass diffunt; hit 'uz his'n. an' so I--I dea tuck it."

CHAPTER II.
JIM DISAPPEARS AJSTD THE BOYS GO IN" SEARCH OF HIM.
THE negro's appealing eyes seemed to repeat the argument; it would have been wicked.--villainous --to steal from his friends, but who could blamo him for stealing from his arch-enemy, the overseer ? !Mr. Ketchem, the overseer, "was a, fair representa tive of his class, and really not wanting in human ity, but none the less was he cordially hated Ijy the negroes, old and young. Was he not a mere hire ling, with no lands or slaves of his own I ~No one has such reverence for place and power as the typ ical negro.
Tom did not pause to reflect that Jim's plea would have no -weight in a court of justice; the boy's affections were stirred, and, with the negro's parting prayer--"Mas7 Tommy, please don' let 'era whip me !"--ringing in his ears, he sought his mother and used all his persuasive powers to induce her to interfere.

JIM DISAPPEARS.

21

Mrs. Thomas Carroll liad been left a sorrowing 'widow before she was thirty-five., at -which time she was still in the prime of her youth and loveliness; but during the three succeeding years lines of care had rapidly marked her face, for she found the management of her husband's Georgia plantations, with the association of overseers however compet/ntj fruitful in heavy anxieties and responsibili ties. She was one of the old type of Southern ers who religiously believed in slavery as just and lawful, transmitted to us from, the Biblical patriarchs themselves ; the modern idea that the institution was harmful to the master as \vell as brutalizing to the slave she "would have regarded as the height of absurdity. Having said so much, we must add that she was truly a good woman, and liad the welfare of her subject negroes at heart.
"When Tom -wont to her in behalf of Jim, she listened patiently, 'then sent for the overseer. But when she fully understood the case, the boy's per suasions no longer carried weight, and the overseer was allowed to have his way. Jim was condemned to be whipped, and then sent to the plow for one week, as a punishment for his crime.
The judgment -was a surprise to many, for Mas ter Tom had been known to persuade his gentle

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KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

mother to interfere between the overseer's authority and accused negroes before. Besides, the boy was beginning to be looked upon as the coming master by the negroes, among -whom he was very popular; and this.with reason, for he "was not slow to assume authority and responsibility beyond his years when his mother failed to stand firmly with the overseer. During the later years of his life Tom's father, a man of strong force of character and executive abil ity, had acquired the sobriquet of " King Tom," and now he "was beginning to be looked upon as King Tom already, and exulted in it! The boy's character, so different from that of his cousin Al bert, an orphan, now living on his aunt's bounty, was easily developed in these surroundings. He was not conceited, but he was proud, aggressive, daring, heedless of the rights and feelings of oth ers, yet at the same time good-natured and gener ous in a high degree. Tom knew very little about princes, for he eschewed books almost entirely, hating study "with an intensity not to be cured by the solemn, learned tutor whose business it -was to give him the beginnings of an education ; he knew little enough about princes, but it may be doubted whether there was ever one born with a more imperious will of his own.

JIM DISAPPEARS.

23

The young negro Jim had never attracted any especial attention on the plantation until Tom took a fancy to him and he was promoted from the po sition of a field hand to that of an attendant on his young master during the honrs of recreation. It then came to light that he could not only sing songs of his own make and play on reed quills, but that he lyiew how to "pick " the banjo and dance with remarkable agility and originality--accomplishments viewed by Master Tom 'with great favor and admi ration. It must be added that lie was a quick-witted negro of a fertile imagination and with a truly re markable talent for lying---qualities fitting him so well for his position that he had acquired a strong hold on Tom's affections. Others had sung and danced for Master Tom. and followed him on the chase, only to be sent back to the field after a short time, being like more illustrious favorites, subject to their master's caprice ; but Jim's tenure of office promised to be lasting.
And now, in spite of all his cleverness, he was in disgrace and his position in jeopardy.
Inability to exercise self-compulsion, even when all best interests dictate it, appears to be a funda mental weakness in the negro character. Jim be lieved that if he went forward quietly and indue-

24:

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

triously in his work until his short sentence had been served out ho -would be restored to his former agreeable position ; but so much was he a creature of impulse and caprice, so prone was his mind to occupy itself witb the petty gratifications of the moment at the expense of all sober forethought, that before two days were gone he threw away all his chances of a speedy reinstallation merely for the sake of a few hours' run in the -woods.
Plowing along in. the heat of the afternoon sun, he hesrd the birds whistling in the adjacent woods, felt the cool air from the dim green deeps touch his sweating brow, and saw himself freely roaming there. "Who could say that on this particu lar day he might not distinguish himself by finding a cunningly-hidden partridge's nest, or perhaps by knocking over a wild turkey with a light wood knot, or even by surprising an otter in the creek and transfixing him "with a fishing spear! At any rate lie was sure of laving his body in the cool waters of the stream and of filling his stomach with black berries. .There might be many good things far ahead; but a 'week was an age, and who would wait when all this might be had now ?
So Jim left his plow standing in the middle of the field and ran off to the woods. When he turned

JIM DISAPPEARS.

25

up at nightfall !Mr. Ketehem did not wait for possi ble interference, but laid hands on him. forthwith and adi ninistered a sound thrashing. The negro then worked quietly a day or two longer, giving- no cause of complaint; but one morning he "was out and gone, and they could not track him, A gun belonging to the overseer -was also found to be miss/ ing. The case -was clear--Jim had flung his chances of reinstatement to the winds and become a runa way.
Tom was in the class room at the " big- house " (the planter's family dwelling) "when he heard this news, and was so excited by it that he rose to his feet and rushed out of the room in the midst of the tutor's lecture. A little negro, who thrust his head in at one of the windows and called to " Mas' Tommy" in a "whisper, was the bearer of the news. The boy did not go far, however, before he was captured and brought back by his observant mother.
" Tom has come back to apologize, professor," said JVIrs. Carroll, with a quiet smile, as they entered the class room.
Prof. Starling (he was only a tutor, of course, but everybody called him "professor"), a man of middle age, lean, grave, and spectacled, sat behind a table on which, were note-books, manuscript, and

26

KING TOM AND THE

heavy volumes. Ho rose as the lady of tlie house entered, and bowed as she retired ; he listened to Tom's halting apology with a preoccupied smile, and, motioning him to a seat beside .Albert, resumed his own.
" As I was saying, young gentlemen," he began, at once returning to his lecture, which appeared to be on the subject of the earliest literature--" as I was saying, each of the ancient nations had its na tional epic, or what answered to one, its great orig inal, I may say, indigenous sacred poem, embodying its mythology and the exploits of its early heroes. The Hindoos had the Vedic hymns ; the Chinese, the writings of Confucius ; the Persians, the ZendAvesta ; the Egyptians, the Book of the Dead ; the Greeks, the Iliad and Odyssey and Hesiod's Works and Days; the Romans, the Sybillinc Books and the _Jllneid, though "Virgil's epic, written in the scholarly age of Augustus, can hardly be classed with the other more ancient works."
" Oh, I wish he'd quit off now and have 'rithmetic," Tom here "whispered to his cousin.
" Hush," responded Albert. " It's interesting." " Turning to the forefathers of modern Europe, we find the same," the professor had continued. " In France and England the early Gauls and

JIM DISAPPEARS.

27

Britons had their epic in the shape of Drnid myths and legends, and at a somewhat later period in Britain we find the King Arthur heroics. The Scandinavians had the old sagas, afterward embodied in the Samundic Edda and the Edda of Snorro, while the Teutonic or early German tribes had the !N~ibelu.Tigen Lied. Let us now look at these a/little in detail."
u Pa said they used to shoot with bows and ar rows in them old times," spoke up the impatient Tom, determined on a digression from this mere catalogue of " big words," as he regarded it.
" Hey ?" ejaculated the professor absently. " Yes, yes ; they had no gunpowder as yet."
The tutor apparently belonged to that class of old-time pedagogues who "were better informed about the ancient world than about the modern, and who would have fitted reasonably well into the age of the medieval Schoolmen--those practical old fel lows who spent their days in discussing such impor tant questions as how many angels could be sup posed capable of crowding upon the point of a single needle.
Poor impatient Tom listened with ears that heard not, and, free at last, he hurriedly swallowed his dinner, seized his gun and rushed off to the

28

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,

woods. His plan was to fire a familiar signal at variotis points, hoping to entice Jim out of hiding; he felt sure that if he could once meet him face to face and reason with, him, lie conld persuade him to renounce his evil course. But, although he trudged determinedly through the woods during the whole afternoon and fired his gun repeatedly, the runa way failed to materialize. The boy could almost have cried, so keen was his disappointment and so great his unhappiness at the thought of losing Jim, lie felt a gathering in his throat and a pressure on his chest; the loneliness of the pine forests weighed upon him. When Jim was along, not even the swamps seemed lonely, for he beguiled the way with jests and laughter, anecdotes and tales, now playing a cheerful tune on his reed quills, now awakening faint and far echoes "with mellow-voiced utterances of his wild " hollo."
To add to Tom's misery, he met with a painful, though not serious, accident. Turning sadly home ward at sundown, he stepped into a hole unawares and sprained his ankle. He might have lain groan ing on tlie ground all night "but for the timely assistance of a passing cracker woman--the same one -whose encounter with the young negress Dilsey had been watched by the boys from the top of the

JIM DISAPPEARS.

29

cherry tree. This kind-hearted person took off his slice and rubbed the "wounded part with, some oil wliicli she carried in a small bottle, afterward assist ing him all the way homeward, although she thus "went more than two miles out o her course. Tom was so much touched by this kindness that he felt moved to make a confession.
" JVIrs. IJardshell," he said, " I saw Dilsey slam against you the other day ; I was "up in the cherry tree. And I thought it -was funny, and I laughed. JBut I'm sorry of it now."
" Oh, well, Tom, honey, I don't blame you," " .And wlien I get grown I'm goin' to make my niggers have more respect for you, too, Mrs. Hardshell." " Niggers will be niggers. I know some white folks ain't much better," remarked Mrs. Hardshell, philosophically. " I wish ther' wa'n't a nigger in the whole 'United States," she added earnestly. " Po' white people don't have no chance in this country." When they reached the plantation carriage-gate, in a burst of friendliness Tom invited her in to supper--although it was long past the ordinary hour for the meal--proposing to send her home later in a buggy; but she flatly refused, and bid-

30

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ding him good-by, trudged away all alone in the early night.
The runaway had been gone perhaps a month, ^vhen Tom and Albert went on a memorable fish ing excursion into a large swamp which covered miles of ground in the rear of the Carroll plan tation. Tom conceived the idea, that Jim was in hiding in this swamp, and no sooner had he done so than ho determined to search for him there, and, if possible, capture him and bring him home. Ho unbosomed himself to Albert and invited his co-operation, but the latter ob jected to so hazardous an undertaking, and only consented finally when Tom accused him of being afraid.
They kept their plan a secret, and one morning -went off quietly, carrying Tom's gun and fishingtackle for two. Their path led them through the neighborhood of the overseer's quarters, a small frame house with red brick chimneys and neglected surroundings. Here, as they -were passing through a clump of. fruit trees, a green apple suddenly flew through the air an d struck Albert between the shoulders.
Turning, they saw a fine-featured little girl about twelve years old seated in the nearest apple

JIM DISAPPEARS.

31

tree. Her calico dress "was torn and dirty, and a heavy, crinkling mass of neglected auburn hair fluttered about her head. This was Alice Millbank, the overseer's step-daughter. Instead of drawing back out of sight, she kept her scat -with perfect unconcern and prepared to throw another apple in awkward girlish fashion. The first one had hit its mark by accident; the second, as a matter of course, missed by five or six feet.
" Hello ! what you doin' up there ? " demanded Tom, in a by no means unfriendly way.
" Any of your business--say ? " Apparently Miss Millbank was accustomed to being attacked, and kept herself on the defensive.
" How can yon eat them green apples ? " Tom then inquired, with characteristic grammatical freedoni.
" "Well, I reckon I've got salt I" was the laconic rejoinder.
A moment later the girl threw another apple at Albert, exclaiming indignantly: " Oh, yes, Mr. Stuck-up, I know what you said about me. Dilsey said you said I was a tomboy. You think you are so smart I "
The boy listened to this accusation with a su perior smile, and replied: < Maybe I did say so, but

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KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

I didn't know Dilsey was around eavesdropping. But didn't I tell the truth 3 "
" He's perfectly disgustiri' ! " exclaimed the littlo maid by way of rejoinder, and threw another apple. " He ain't fit for nothin' but to try to talk like a granddaddy."
Both boys laughed heartily; then Albert coolly remarked : " You wouldn't catch Miss "Variiia Dandridge tip a tree that way ! "
" That siekcnm' little goose -- I reckon not ! She ain't got sense enough to learn how to climb up."
" She's a well-behaved little girl, and will make a nice young lady," declared Albert, warmly.
The little Millbank thereupon made a " face " at her enemy, and retorted : " Oh, all she's fit for is to try to talk gibberish with, that put-on-airs ZVliss TYenchcrab."
" What makes you call her * Frenchcrab ' ? " asked Tom, laughing.
"'Cause when she wiggles her shoulders and turns out her hands that way she makes me think of a crab goiii' backwards."
This description of Mile. DuPont's shrng made Albert laugh in spite of himself, but presently he was saying: ""Well, if you want to grow up to be a

JIM DISAPPEARS.

33

nice young lady, you'd better quit climbin* trees and cuttin' up this way."
" I don't want to be one !" cried the girl, defi antly, making another "face" at the smiling boy. " I'm perfectly sick of 'era ! " And then, as the hoys turned to move on, she threw her final apple.
33ut they had only taken a few steps when, her mood changing, she quickly let herself down out of the tree, and ran after them. " ./know where yonall are goin'," she then informed them, in a low ered, mysterious voice. " You're goin' to Ivurit for Jim--you needn't deny it ! "
Tom and Albert looked at each other almost in dismay. "Why, who told you that?" asked the former.
" jSTobody. I jus' 'k'ne^o it." " You must have overheard ns talking about it," said Albert, wonderingly. This -was obviously the case, but the little maid affected to consider such a supposition un.pard.onably insulting, and treated the boy to a look of deep scorn. " Don't you want to carry my mockm'-bird ?" she then asked Tom ; " so if you get lost you can write a letter and tell us where'bouts you are 2

34

KING TOM AND TUB RUNAWAYS.

You can tie it to Harry's foot and turn him loose, and he'll come right straight to rne," she added, shaking her head by way of emphasis. " And I could go right up to the house and tell yo' ma."
Tom at first seemed pleased at the idea, but Albert objected, declaring that he failed to see what good it would, do, and that it would be " a heap of trouble." Besides, if they were lost, how could they describe where they were ?
" Oh, I knew you -wouldn't want Harry!" ex claimed the girl, indignantly. " Well, I don't care i"
" If we do get lost and don't come home, you'll know we are in the swamp anyhow, and you can tell ma just the same," said Tom.
But the little girl had been cheated out of a darling plan, and was disposed to pout with great energy. " I hope you will get lost! " she declared, as they were going.
"It's a pity for her to run wild that way," re marked Albert, as they went forward.
" Yes; ma says so, too," rejoined Tom. "She says she's goin' to take her in hand. She's different from Mr. Ketchem. HVEa says she's got good blood in her. Her mother used to be somebody) but she got down po', and had to marry old Ketcuern."
Once out of the fields and beyond the strip of

JIM DISAPPEARS. '

35

open pine forest, the two boys were soon where the ground. \vas soft and covered with a wet, spongy growth, where rank underbrush, thick with the iierce bamboo briers, barred the way, where dusky night birds roused themselves and fled with shrieks to a safer distance, where moccasins were not hard to find, and where all was deep, dim, and dank amid a dense growth of towering trees. This was the swamp, much of which, was submerged in shallow water the year round, with an occasional deep open. pool, and here and there a small island or tussock which afforded a dry footing. It was the most ex tensive morass in all that region, and had never been fully explored.
Tom led on by a path with which he seemed familiar until they came upon a rude landing-place made of piled, unliewn logs. Here they entered a small bateau and made their way forward by dint of paddling, pushing, and pulling through the nar row spaces between the thickly standing trees. Sometimes they ran aground on a sunken log or got wedged between two stumps or two trees, and had hard "work to extricate themselves ; but Tom knew that others had gone over the same ground ahead of them, and he would not give up. The bateau had been put where they found it by the Carroll

36

KIN& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS..

negroes, and. was made use of by them for fishing in the more accessible lakes or pools of the swamp.
In about an hour they entered one of these open pools, on the surface of which, toward the farther side, the heads of three alligators were seen.
"Why, Tom, won't they--won't they fight us?" cried Albert, apprehensively. He had never "before seen an alligator outside of a museum.
"Don't get scared. That's nothing," said Tom, with an air o experience. " The niggers went in a dried-np place over behind the ridge summer before last and killed forty--big ones, too." lie stood up in the boat as he spoke, and, now taking aim, fired at the eyes of the nearest creature. Immediately all the alligators sunk out of sight and "were seen. no more. There was no possible way of proving it, but Tom said confidently : "I'll bet I wounded him.''
They now threw out their lines, and were not long in catching several fine perch ; but Tom soon became impatient and proposed to move on. He wanted to find something to shoot, but especially to find arid explore island after island, until Jim should be run to earth and captured.

CHAPTER III.
ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP.
PAI>D:LI;N~Q across the pool, they entered and fol lowed a narrow but clearly marked boat path lead ing northward for several hours, meanwhile discov ering no islands and finding nothing more worthy to shoot at than kingfishers and cranes. At two o'clock they halted to eat their lunch, after which Albert proposed that they turn back. But Torn would not consent to give up the search so soon, and pushed on, meanwhile listening and retorting to frequent remonstrances from Albert, who "was thoroughly tired out.
" Tom, I tell you it's time to turn back," the lat ter would insist. " We'll get lost in here if we don't mind, and "we'll have to stay here all night. It will take us till dark to get out now. I'm tired of it! "
Tom, who "was now doing nearly all the pulling and pushing, and was becoming more and more ex asperated, finally burst out with :

38

KINO- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

"Albert, I "wouldn't be the no-'count bookworm you are for a million dollars! "
" And I wouldn't be the rattle-brained numb skull you are for ten million ! "
Tlien the two boys glared at each other and said nothing for a long -while. Tom still persisted, however, in forcing the boat forward until they reached a point where further progress seemed im possible. Meanwhile the anger of each had gradu ally cooled, and now the question of turning back was amicably discussed.
It was about this time that, standing up in the boat in order to get a better view of their surround ings., Tom descried a nock of ducks swimming about in a little open pool sonio distance to his left. In an instant the gun was raised to liis shonlder and he was taking aim. Pie fired both barrels, and the shock -was such, that he came near losing his equilib rium and tumbling out of the boat.
And when, with great splashing and fluttering, the flock of ducks rose and frantically sought the safety of distance, two of them lay dead upon the water. Tom was in ecstasy; let him but secure his game, and ho -would consent to give up the search for Jim and start homeward. But a pro tracted and severe struggle resulted only in bring-

ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP.

39

ing the bateau within fifteen or twenty feet of the spot where the two ducks floated, and there, wedged in between two sturdy young trees, it stuck fast. Albert insisted that they ought to let the ducks go --they were not worth one tenth that trouble; he wanted to go home. But Tom could not be per suaded to relinquish his game ; and, deaf to all his cousin's warnings of the danger of alligators, moc casins, and what not, he presently pulled off his jacket and boots and swung himself over the boat's side into the water--caring- nothing- for the wetting.
"Oh! hello!" he shouted. "It's deeper than I thought--over my head. I'll have to swim."
It was swimming of a difficult, scrambling sort. Beside the thickly standing trees--of all sizes, from huge, towering cypresses to stripling swamp shoots --the water was crowded with sunken logs, dead branches of trees, and here and there -with a dense growth of flags.
" Look out! " cried Albert suddenly, as the swimmer, having battled manfully with these difficultieSj was now almost -within reach of the floating ducks--" look out! there comes a moccasin ! " But Tom in straining haste made one more forward reach and secured the nearest duck before he turned his head to call out, " "Where ? "

40

KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

A moccasin was iudeed coming straight in his direction--a long, black water moccasin--advancing over the water's surface with that hideously grace ful, curving motion characteristic of the serpent; but, on beholding the intruder, it altered its course and qnickly disappeared.
The boy had secured the other duck and was starting bravely back, when all at once he cried out and began to struggle desperately, as if to keep from sinking. And in less than a quarter of a min ute, still struggling frantically, he "went down. Albert looked on in horror. What should be done? The bateau could not be moved--he could not swim. In an agony of fear and indecision, he cast his eyes around; he caught up his fishing-pole--no, it was too short--would not rea.ch half-way.
Tom was under water, but still visible ; his head seemed to bo about a foot only beneath the surface, and Albert could see that he still struggled --indeed, his clenched hands -were thrust above the surface again and again. Albert thought an alli gator had seized him and was now crushing his lower limbs between its cruel jaws 1 The terrified boy was almost overcome at this thought; but he managed to raise a frantic shout for help.
"Whence could help come in that wilderness of

ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP,

41

water and trees ? They must have been only sec onds, but poor Albert thought many minntes had elapsed when his strained ear at last caught the hurried dip of a paddle, and his eyes presently fell upon a long, narrow dug-out, containing a sing-lo negro, which glided into the little open pool "where Tom Carroll -was drowning.
The negro's face was strangely familiar, bnt Al bert stared at him half vacantly, intent only on what he was doing, He saw his cousin pnlled out of the water, and with him a mass of swamp weed and mossy, rotting branches In which his feet were entangled; he heard the negro cry out, " Great Marstcr! hit's Mas' Tommy!" and saw the un conscious boy tenderly lifted and so placed in the bottom of the boat that the -water might run from his mouth ; he knew the negro worked his dug-out up alongside the bateau and bade him enter, and that they then went on by a winding way through the flooded swamp at a dangerous speed--for the dug-out sunk low under the weight of three and sev eral times dipped water--until they came to what seemed to be an island in the waste. But it was all like a vague dream afterward.
"When consciousness returned to him, Tom lay wrapped in a blanket on the ground before a roar-

42

.ffliVG TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ing fire and the taste of -whisky was in his mouth. Albert was close at hand, and there on the opposite side of the fire--the first object his eye rested, upon --was the negro. The boy looked weak and bewil dered, but his glance never swerved from the negro's face. Suddenly lie sat np, exclaiming :
" Jim ! . . . Aha ! it's you, Jim 3 I've caught yon, have I ? "We've found him, eh, Albert ? "
" Oh, look yuli, Mas' Tommy, yer ain* gwine tell on me now, is yer ? " pleaded the negro, with a curious smile in which one might trace humblenesSj cunning, fear, amusement--all these.
" Tell on yon ? I'm goin' to take you back home with me--that's "what I'll do, sir ! "
" Oh, Mas' Tommy, I wouldn' be t'inkin' 'bout dat now," said Jim, looking rather more uneasy.
"Yes, sir! you go right straight back!" an swered Tom, sharply. "I didn't know you could be so mean," he added, after a moment--"to steal that money and then run off this way! Why didn't you ask me for it if you wanted in ore money ? "
Jim was silent, a look of mournful repentance showing upon his face. He was no longer the sleek, well-fed, well-dressed fool of yore ; he had fallen off in fiesh, his clothes were greasy and dirty,

ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP.

43

and many fragments of leaves and twigs had taken settled lodgment in his kinky hair. But his cheer fulness had not departed; a smile soon broke over his face, and a moment later his familiar guffaw echoed through the swamp.
" S'pose'u I won' show you-all de way out er yuh, Mas' Tommy ?" he said. " You can' git out er dis yuh swamp widout'u I show yer de way. S'pose'n I won' do it--s'pose'u I keeps ycr-all in yuh 1 "
" You impudent rascal ! You jug' try that if you want to get a load of buckshot in you!" cried Tom, springing to his feet. lie looked around for his gun, but it was gone. " Where's my gun ? "
" I put dali gun w'ere nobody kin steal it/' ex plained Jim, with a significant smile.
"You scoundrel.'" Tom sprang forward, as if to strike the negro, but his cousin caught him and held him. back.
"Don't, Tom," said Albert; "don't do that after what he did."
" Don' git mad wid me, Mas' Tommy," pleaded Jim, with a look of affection. " I des joldn'. Oo'se I gwine show you-all out er yuh. But yer mus'n* ax me ter go wid yer up tor de plantation.

44:

KI*TG TOM AND THIS RUNAWAYS.

Mas' Tommy; I don' want ter hab Mas' Ketehem a-beat'n on mo. Don' tell on me, Mas' Tommy-- do---please ! "
Tom "was beginning to observe his surroundings. He now noticed his wet clothes, and it all flashed on him--the struggling swim after the ducks--the entangle i nen t--strang ul ation--darkness.
"Why, Albert, who pulled me out--? Why, how--how did we got here ? "
" Jim did it." "Jim!--Why, Jim, did you--? " The negro smiled modestly, acknowledging that he had been concerned in the rescue, and Albert -went on to explain. Tom Carroll was very much moved. lie looked from. Albert to Jim--began to speak, stammered, and stopped; it -was not easy to forget his anger all at once. He sat down absently on the blanket before the fire, and for a few mo ments said nothing. Then-- " Jim, I'll set you free when I'm twenty-one--if you want me to." " I -wish you 'uz twenty-one now, den, Mas' Tommy." " It's only a little over six years." Jim shook his head sagaciously: that "was a very long time.

ALL NIGST IN THE SWAMP.

45

" I tell yon what, Jim--If you'll go home with us, I'll talk to in a about doing it rig-lit now."
4 ' D tinner 'bout dat," said Jim, dubiously. *' Time I git np dere in dab. yard Mas' Ketehem grab holt er me an' beat me."
" I'd like to see him try it! " cried Tom. " You sha'n't tote a single lash, Jim--I promise you." But Jim still shook his head.
It was now nearly sundown, and a heavy twi light was rapidly settling in the swamp. Albert urged that they ought to be going at once, where upon Jim laughingly informed him that it was too late to find their way out of the swamp that night; they would he obliged to remain where they were until morning. Albert heard this with no little consternation, heartily wishing that he was safe at home reading his Virgil, but Tom---whose narrowescape from drowning seemed to have left him little the worse off--was nothing loath.
" Mebhy you-all '11 year de pant'er yell ternight, but of we keep a good fire gwine dey am' comin' gnigh us," said Jim, as he was showing them over the little island, near the center of which \vas his " house "--a mere rude pile of brushwood and logs. At its base on one side there was nn opening through -which he might crawl and so dis-

46

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

pose the pieces of wood as to close it after Mm. Tliis was the runaway's lair. Here he was at least secure from the attacks of wild animals.
"When they came back to the fire it was quite dark, and the swamp seemed a great black wilder ness wherein the darkness had settled in turbid, measureless pools.
" I glad you-all ynh ter-night, Mas' Tommy," said Jim, as he threw more wood on the fire. " I gits f-yeared in yah TLV a nights. I don' mind so much fer year de pant'er holler, -'caze I know dey can' git at me dcre in my house ; but I f~yeared er ghostes an' sperits an' de ole debil, you see me so. I f-yeared de Jacky-my-lantern '11 git at me down yu)i in de swamp dis-a way."
Tom laughed, but Jim remained serious. " The Jack-o'-lantern isn't anything but some kind of gas that catches afire and burns," said Al bert, referring to the accepted theory of the ignis j'at-wus of swampy regions. " You ought not to be afraid of that." But Jirn shook his head. " I yeard Tinker Scipio say dat de way de white folks 'spLiin dat t'ing," he remarked dryly, " but dat won' do for dis nigger. Tinker Scipio say dat de way wid white folks; dey don' b'lieve in nut'n. Dey try ter

ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP,

47

splaiiify eve'yting an' mek out lak hit ain' nut'n. Tinker Scipio say some er dese days dey'll try ter 'splairi 'way dc Old J3oy, an' rig-lit den doy gwine, ter git inter trouble."
<: Uncle Scipio doesn't know much," said Albert, irreverently, after joining Tom in a laugh. " He believes the sun. moves round the earth."
" I wouldn't be afraid if I saw a Jack-o'-lan tern," said Tom, stoutly, though, as he glanced over his shoulder, he shuddered slightly.
" Would'n' you run, Mas' Tommy 2 " " K"o."
" Den you'd be temptirr* cle dcbil, sho'," said Jim, "with solemn conviction. " "Who, me ? I'd niose break my neck gittiii' 'way fum clat neighbornood. Lis'n yuh, Mas' Tommy: linker Scipio say one time der 'nz a man wilt woiild'ii' run, like you say you would'n', and 'e set 'esc'f up ter prodjick wid a Jacky-my-lantern, but 'e never live ter try it agm. tinker Scipio say *c tried ter foiler dat t'ing an' see w'erc it gwine an' w'ere it come fum, an' dat Jacky-my-lantern tursicd in an' evcrlas'n'ly tuck atter him ! An' den de man got so scared ?e clapp' spurs ter 'e hawse an' des flew fum dere, but de Jacky-my-lantern right behiue 'im. Man kick cle spurs in an' rnek dat hawse fairly fly--terbook-

4:8

KIN& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ijty-~bookity-~boolity-~bookity -- laic 'e 'uz racin' for stakes. But all dat time Jacky-my-lantern right dere behine 'iro. Bimeby, wen dey 'uz des a-t earin' long dc "big open road gwino thoo de swamp, dat fool man pull' out ? e pistol an' shoot at de Jackymy-lantern, and den, suh, dat Jacky-my-lantern turned in an' overlas'n'ly burnt de man an' 'e hawse bofe clean up. Mebby you tink dis ain' mit'n but niggers' lies," concluded Jim, " but Tinker Scipio say hit's de trufe, an' I b'lioves it myse'f."
The boys attempted to convince the negro of the absurdity of this tale, but "without success.
" I know dass de way wid you "white folks," said Jim, " but we black folks is diffunt. "We "b'lieve dem sperits is dere--all kinds cr ones, too. An* people wut born "wid a caul kin sec 'em any time. Dis county is des chock full uv 'em. De mose er de time wen yer see 'em dcy look lak peo ple, but sometimes dey come lak rabbits an' cats an' dogs, an' Tinker Scipio say one time 'e yeard tell er one cornm' lak a deer. 'E say nobody 'nz able ter kill dat deer, an' cley went ter a ole knnrjun black man, an' 'e tole 'em to moul' a silver bullet an' try dat. An', suh, dc nex' time dey shoot at dat creetur, right dere in de open woods in broad open day hit vannish away ! "

ALL NIGHT IN THE SWAMP.

49

""What would you do, Jim, if you were to see a spirit?" asked Albert, smiling, a few minutes later.
" I reck'n. I'd break an' run," \vas the serious answer, "but Unker Scipio say yer ought ter mek out lak yer ain' scared an' go right on. Tell 'im 1 Howdy ' an' gie 'im de road--yer mus' gie ?im plenty room. linker Scipio say yer mus' be mighty particular not ter brush 'ginse 'im wutsomever you mer do." *
Meanwhile Jim had brought out a frying pan and made preparations for supper. Having scaled, some of the fishes and butchered Tom's hard-earned brace of ducks, he soon had a savory pile of browned fish and fowl upon a couple of large pal metto loaves which served as platters. Then mix ing some com meal, he fried a number of thin brown cakes. The hungry boys made a great stip-
* Suggests 1 ao thickly surrc

which reason they say that they always apologize to these unseen beings when about to throw anything.
And this in turn suggests the story of the Merchant and the Genie in the Arabian Nights talcs. After eating his lunch of bis cuits o,nd dates under the shade of a tree, the merchant began to amuse himself by throwing the dates stones, when suddenly a hor rible genie appeared, and in a terrible voice accused him of causing the death of his sou--one of the flying stones having struck an in visible genie in the eye and killed him forthwith.

50

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

per, and Tom soon after was nodding over the fire. His sleep was sound throughout the night; but Al bert, excited by the events of the day and the nov elty of their present situation, lay awake much of the time, listening1 to the snoring of the negro and occasional soun ds made by wild animals in the swamp, while gazing upward at the dark heavy foliage of the trees, through which only here and there a star looked down.
Once, far into the night, he awoke from a troubled sleep and saw Jim. approaching from his " house " with a gun in his hand and a strangelooking bundle under his arm. Albert was startled : what might not this negro propose to do! They were in his power j through them lie would be caught; might he not--? The boy's imagina tion conjured up all sorts of possible catastrophes. But the mysterious bundle proved to be only a tat tered quilt which the harmless negro carefully spread over his young master, and then with the gun mounted guard near at hand. But there was no more sleep for Albert, and so through, that length of black dreary hours he lay there and watched the negro nodding over the fire.

CHAPTEB IT.
THE UmS'A'WAY1 IS CAPTURED AND PLAKS AEE PEOPOSED FOE HIS FUTUBE.
BUT Albert did sleep after all, toward break of day, and when he awoke it was past eight o'clock in the morning, though the light which filtered down through the trees was hardly stronger than the usual light of dawn. A thick -white mist swam low in the swamp, and the few birds which conld be heard chirped in an indolent, sleepy way that was not inspiring. Albert yawned and turned over on his side. He then heard Tom speak:
" Now, Jim, I won't have any more foolin'. We are goin' home, and you've got to go with us."
Albert sat up and saw Jim cooking breakfast over the fire, while Tom stood near leaning on his gun, which appeared to have been restored to him.
" Just as soon as we have breakfast -we must start," added Tom.
" All rightj Mas' Tommy, des soon's we done

52

KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

eatin' breakfus'," agreed Jim, cheerfully. " An* 'member now, yer ain' gwine 'low ]Maa' ICetchem ter boat me when I git up dore on de place," he added.
" !N"o; I "won't lot him. touch you," promised Tom. A moment later he asked : " What mates you. want to be free, Jim. ? Are you tired of playin' ' fool' for me, as Albert calls it ? "
" No, Has' Tommy, 'tain't dat," replied the negro, with an affectionate glance. " I want ter be free, so I km hire out ter you an' save up mer wages tell I git enough to buy somebody wid."
Jim delivered this information -with downcast eyes and a shy, half- ashamed expression, then burst into his loud infectious guffaw, and the boys laughed with him.
" So you want to become a slave-holder, too, do you ? " cried Albert, and the negro's mirth appeared to wax more uncontrollable than ever.
" Jim, I'll give you a little nigger to wait on you--if that's -what you want," said Tom, gener ously.
" N~ow des lis'en at Mas' Tommy ! " cried Jim, exploding again. " No, Mas' Tommy--you mighty good, but dat ain't wut I want. I don' want no triflin' lil nigger trottin' after me--no, suh-ree ! "

TUB RUNAWAY IS CAPTURED.

53

" Well, wliat do you want, then ? 3 ' Hut Jim only laughed immoderately again, and soon had craftily changed the subject. Torn was a good deal puzzled. The breakfast was but a repe tition of the evening meal--fried duck, corn cake, and fish. All ate with vigorous appetite, then got into the dug-out and pulled away. They had not gone far when Albert called a halt. " Oh ! Mr. Ketchem's gun I " he exclaimed. u "We forgot that. Jim, did you take Mr. Ketchem's gun when you ran away 1" "Who, me? " cried Jim in great apparent aston ishment. " Wut gun dis ynh you talkiii' 'bout, Mas' Albert ? I ain' seen no gun." " Somebody took the overseer's gun the night you ran away," said Tom, "and we all thought you did it, Jim. I believe you did, too." " Aw, now, Mas' Tommy, yer joking" exclaimed Jim, bursting into an ecstatic laugh. " Oh, look yah I did somebody tek Mas' Ketchern's gun shonuf ? Wnt 'e gwine do now 3 " " Jim, if you've got that gun, it must be taken back to him, sir," commanded Tom, imperiously. " Laws-a-irmssy! Mas'1 Tommy, wnt you reck'n I'd tek clat gun fer?" cried Jim, this time without laughter, then offered willingly to swear to his inno-

54:

KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

cence, although be 1m cw that the gun was at that moment hanging wrapped in moss in the crotch of a tree on the island behind them.
This settled the matter for Tom, and they moved forward. The mist was still heavy, and the two boys were soon as bewildered as if they had been in a fog on the sea itself. But Jim never faltered, apparently being as sure of his direction as any bird or animal would have been,
When the fog lifted they were still deep in the swamp, and in~ what direction the island now lay no body "know--except Jim, who did not commit him self. Tom now took his gun and kept on the look out for ducks. Albert meanwhile busied himself watching the negro, and during the next hour it struck him that, instead of making straight for the outside, Jim chose a long, circuitous, and confusing route. J3ut he was not sure.
Great was the sensation on the Oarroll planta tion when Tom and Albert appeared with the runa way in their charge. The overseer ran forward with an exultant exclamation and caught the negro by the collar.
"I've got you now, you rascal! " he said. "You won't slip through my fingers agin. I've caught you now."

THE RUNAWAY IS CAPTURED.

55

" ]STo, you didn't--I caught him. Turn him loose," cried Tom.
"I'll turn him loose, Mr. Smarty, atter I give him fifty lashes, and not before. I'll tan his black hide for him this time."
Tom was furious ; had he not given the captive his word ?
" Mr. iKetchem," he cried, the blood mounting to his face, " I promised Jim he shouldn't catch a single lash, and if you don't turn him loose I'll knock you down I "
" An den "--as Jim afterward put it--" dey des 'buse one nudder an' stan' dere an' quawel an? quawel." And there is no telling where it would have ended had not Mrs. Carroll come out of the house and interfered. iFull of anxiety over the un accountable disappearance of Tom and Albert, she started up at the first sound. At her request the irate overseer at once let go his hold, whereupon the two boys and their captive were ordered into the house, and there Mrs. Carroll listened to the story in detail. The result was that Jim was shielded from K.etchern's whip, though he did not escape without a sharp rebuke from his mistress. He had saved Tom's life, and Mrs. Oarroll's heart was deeply stirred, but she did not forget that he

56

EINQ TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

was a runaway and must be made to reflect upon nis sins.
"While Tom was busy in the class room next morning, the negro was called in to stand again before his mistress.
" Tom has told me of what he said to yon about setting you free," began Mrs. Carroll, looking up from her embroidery, "and, after thinking it over, I am nnable to see how it could benefit you, Jim. The few free negroes are like lost sheep, and they liave a hard time."
" Yes'm, Miss Mary, I know dat," the negro re plied. " I year 'em say de free niggers ain' nigh ez well off. ez we is." Still Jim looked as though lie would like to risk the chances as a free man of color.
" There is something else I -wanted to talk about this morning," the mistress continued. " You know Tom is very much attached to you, Jim,"
" Ycs'm, Miss Mary ; Mas' Tommy mighty good ter me."
" And you saved his life, you know. So we all want to sec yon as contented as we can make you. I want to see you married and settled on the place. "Would you like to marry, Jim ?" Mrs. Carroll asked, gently.

THE RUNAWAY IS CAPTUR1SD.

57

The negro's eyes seemed suddenly to expand and leap in his head. " Yes'm, Miss Mary," he then replied bashfully, transferring his weight to his other foot and smiling.
" Well, then, I'll give an order for building you a house at once. . . . N"ow, -what girl here on the place would you like to marry ? "
Jim fumbled the old felt hat he held his hands and hesitated.
" I think Molly "would make you an excellent wife. She is steady and cleanly--and don't you think she Is good-looking ? "
" You right, Miss Mary," stammered Jim ; " she am' bad lookin', you see 'er so, but--but--I don' lak Molly, Miss Mary."
" Well, how about "Violet ? She is gay enough." " She too gay," said Jim, with a subdued guf faw. "I am' got much use for dese yuh high-fly ers myse'f." " Well, Eose, then," suggested Mrs. Carroll, smiling, " Don't you like her ? " Jim consulted his Kat in a smiling, bashful "way, and replied: " !N"o'b'ni ; Rose too love ter fight. She'd aggervate a man ter def." Mrs. Carroll laughed. "I'm afraid you arc hard to please," she said. " How about JDilscy? " She

58 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
mentioned the vigorous Dilsey, not "because she was a favorite, but because she had been told that the girl was fond of Jim.
" Shoo ! " exclaimed Jim, "with subdued laugh ter, " no Dilsey for me. She got too much lip; she too love ter quawel."
" Well, who is it, Jim ? " " I don' love nobody on de place, Hiss Mary," replied the negro, with downcast eyes. " Is it somebody off the place ! 5! " Yes'm, Miss Mary." " Oh, Jim! " exclaimed Mrs. Carroll, dismayed. " Tow, that is too bad. "Who is it ? " Jim dared not look up as he uttered the "word-- " Venus." " What Venus ?" " Venus wut b'long ter Gun'1 Darcy." Mrs. Carroll sat silent, thinking, Jim mean while shifting his weight from one foot to the other, fumbling his tat, and looking very uncom fortable. " Jim, are you sure you can't like any one else ? " " "Yes'm, Miss Mary"--and the mistress knew from the negro's manner that he sp " e the truth. " Well, then, I'll see if I can buy her. If I can, I will."

THE RUNAWAY IS CAPTURED.

59

Jim's face lighted "up in an instant. " Oh, will yer, slio-mrf, Miss Mary ? " lie exclaimed. " Youall mighty good ter me, Miss Mary; I hope de Lord '11 bless you."
There was a tremor in his voice "which seemed very odd, coming from. Jim ; but it "was none the less touching. Tears started in Mrs. Carroll's eyes.
" Yes; -I'll speak to Col. Darey as soon as I can."
" Ef you desll do dat, Miss Mary,1 ' said Jim, " I won' ax fer no freedom. Dass all I wanted wad freedom--des so I could buy Venus. Dass wut I 'uz talkin' '"bout wen I tole Mas' Tommy I want' ter buy ' somebody.'"
When the negro was gone, Mrs. Oarroll looked meditatively through the window and muttered: " And yet I have heard people speak of them as mere animals--"without souls."

CHAPTER ~V.
MASTER AND SLAVIC MAKE MERKY-
ALBEET "was fourteen years old a day or two later, and TVlrs. Carroll gave him a party. The little guests arrived at four o'clock in the afternoon--the misses in carriages witii their governesses, the mas ters chiefly on horseback--and were met on the piazza by one of the numerous domestics on duty and invited to enter. In the wide hallway another domestic relieved the masters of their hats, and still another led the misses np-stairs. The former were immediately ushered into the large parlor, and paid their respects to Mrs. Carroll, Prof. Starling, and the latter's wife, who stood to receive them in state ly fashion.
Having surrendered their hats to Aunt Hagar, who smoothed their hair and allowed them a peep in the glass, the pretty, white-clothed little girls, ranging in age from ten to fourteen, came down stairs and were taken into the parlor by Tom and

MASTER AND SLAVS MAKE MEHRY. 61
Albert and presented'to the hostess. The two bcrys felt well dressed in suits of white " duck " linen, and were mightily pleased to perform this duty of the occasion.
All the boys and girls belonging to families of social position for twelve miles around were present., including the dainty little "Variiia Danrlridge and the self-willed tomboy, Alice IMillbank, the latter looking as pretty and almost as conventional as the former in a white embroidered gown presented to her by Mrs. Carrol], who, it seemed, had begim to " take her in hand." The girl was demure and retir ing enough until the games were begun, when her uncivilized propensities were now and then so startlingly manifested that "Mrs. Carroll twice felt called upon to whisper a reminder in her ear.
" She's the prettiest one of 'cm all," whispered Tom, to his cousin, with enthusiasm.
" !N~o, she's not; Miss Varina is--" "Oh, she* s a little too perfec' for me," declared Tom, critically. "When they were all there, Mrs. Starling took her scat at the piano, and then the Virginia Heel was danced, led by the professor and Mrs. Carroll. Afterward followed a cotillion or two and a num ber of games, among them the venerable blind-

62

KING TOM ANI> THE .RUNAWAYS.

maii's-buff; and then, at half-past six, some of Di nah's best cake and delicious home-mado ices were brought in and served in delicate old china, and while the little people feasted, the ladies joined the professor in a glass of wine.
So ended the formal entertainment of the cult ured master, ere the ru de merry-making- of the semi-civilized alave had begun. Mrs. Oarroll had signified that an evening party in honor of .Al bert's birthday on the great play-ground down at the negro quarters would not be displeasing, and had donated a small barrel of sugar-cane sirup to ward the good cheer of the occasion. The negroes were nothing loath, and when Tom and Albert rose from the supper table at eight o'clock, the fun had already begun. Catching up their hats they started for the quarters in all haste. T he merry-makers were singing a peculiar and monoto nous dance-chant, and the boys could distinguish these words :

Cha'm dat rabbit--ah-ho-ho \ Cha'm dat rabbit--ali-lio-ho '

as they rung out on the still night-air. They had heard the same continuous strain all during sup per, and the single line here quoted must have

MASTER AND SLAVE MAKE MEZRY. G3
been repeated a thousand times. "WTiat could it mean ?
The boys wondered but did not inquire, for when they arrived the dance was over and other things engaged their attention. The play-ground was lighted by pine-knot fires and swarmed with negroes, old and yonng. Over one of the fires stood two or three large pots, and here were gath ered a number of old women who kept an eye on the cooking sirup. The two boys perched them selves on the fence unobserved and watched the proceedings. !N"ot far away some thirty or forty children -were playing a game resembling " tag- '* wliich necessitated the frequent recitation" of this curious rigmarole--evidently more Catholic than African in origin, and at one time found either partly or wholly in Latin :
One sot--two sot--six sot--sal ! Bobtail--domcrnicker--dll-dol-dal! Haylum--scaylum--rjrgi.fi Mary-- Sinctum--sanctum--buck!
I^ear the center of the play-ground was a swarm, of young negroes ranging in age from fifteen to twenty, among whom Jim and Dilsey could be dis tinguished. The boys watched these with special interest as they sung, danced, and played their

64 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
games. Some one started the famous " Juba" song, and a Half-dozen hands immediately began to " pat" and a hundred feet to dance.
" Oil, git out de "way ! lemmc 'lone ! Chillun, I'm 'loose!" shouted Jim, as lie entered with con tagious enthusiasm into the dance.
""What fun they have!" cried Tom, excited. " They're goin' to have a Leap mo' fun than we did at the house. I feel almost like juinpin' in an' playin' with 'em," he added.
6 ' Humph! I can smell 'em all I want to now," rejoined Albert, in disgust, and Tom's ardor began to cool. " I've read somewhere," the former added, with a change, of tone, " that the negroes of Africa complain of an offensive odor about white people, too. Prof. Starling said it "was on account of race antipathy--or something of that sort.'*
However, the boys presently agreed to shift their position. The crowd of negro children had drifted nearer to them, while continuing their game, employing now a new and still more inex plicable rigmarole as follows : " Ono-a-manewry-- dickory - seben--halibo - crackory--ten or elebcn-- pee-po--mus' be done--twiggle--twaggle--twentyone !" and were filling the air with such uproarious noise that nothing else could be heard. Watching

MASTER AND SLAVE MAKE MERRY. 65
for an opportunity, Tom and Albert made their way through the scrambling and yelling little imps without a serious collision, and took their stand near the fire where the sirup was cooking. Here the dancers were in plain view, and the boys could catch the mixture of sense and nonsense in their song, which ran thus :
Juba dis an' Juba dat-- Juba kill' de yaller cat. Juba up an' Juba down-- Juba shoot an' miss de groim',
Juba !--Juba \
Hoe-cake good an' 'lasses sweet-- Juba -want de 'possum meat. Black gal putty--black gal nice-- Juba love de pease an' rice,
Juba !--Juba I
Juba he a greedy man--Eat 'c meat an' lick 'e han'-- lack c' mouf an' lick 'e han' Gentlemen! de stingy man I
Juba !--Juba !
Jxiba he one cunnin1 coon-- Pick e' cotton mighty soon-- Pick e' cotton by de moon-- Sole 'it fas' an' sole it soon,
Juba I--Juba 1
Dis yuh Juba went ter town-- Drink 'e dram an' git knock' down.

66

KIN& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

J\iba rear and Jiiba tear-- Plecccman coteh 'im by do year,
juba !--Juba I
T man--yer see 'im so-- Oh dat Juba--he a show,
Juba !--Juba I
After the completion of this eoiig, tlie crowd paused only to catch breath, then joined hands, and, dancing around in a circle, sang to a pleasing air the following:

Rock candy, candy gal--rock candy, candy gal-- Rock candy, candy gal--see lady rock candy !

When the above had been repeated several times, the girl H>ilsey and a great, strapping young negro called Josli were chosen and took their posi tion within the circle. This done, all dropped hands and began to "pat" and sing:

Face dat lady fum Ealtinio'--face dat lady fum Baltimo'-- Face dat lady fum Baltimo'--sec lady rock candy !

It was not yet clear what "was to be done to the lady from Baltimore, -when that factitious entity in the person of Dilsey broke wildly from the ring and ran across the playground, hotly pursued by the negro Josh.
" Gro it! Dass light--ketch 'or t" cried Jim.

MASTER AND 8LAVJS MAKE MERRY. 67
Josh -went with a will, and the chase became exciting. Tiound and round, this way, that way, about the playground they ran--the negro slowly gaining., though the girl led him a fearful race. At length the distance between them was covered, and, iri the midst of a swaying crowd of screaming young women, he laid hands on the prize.
" Turn me loose !" cried Dilsey, furiously, " Turn me loose, I tell yer ! "
As she was his "candy," Albert wondered if he were going to cat her, but he only hugged her with the grip of a bear, then let her go ; whereupon she flounced away in high-and-rnighty scorn, loudly re lieving her mind with remarks on the general de pravity of " good-fer-iiut'n cornfiel' niggers."
" She 'uz fishin' fer Jim," remarked one of the bystanders. " Dat wut de matter."
The game recommenced, and while Tom con tinued to watch it with unabated interest, Albert's attention presently became fixed on the group about the fire near which they stood. Here were gath ered a number of women and white-headed Uncle Scipio. the oldest black man on the place, to whom old King Tom had given the surname of Afrieanus, in order to distinguish him from a younger negro bearing the same name. They had noticed the ap-

68

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

proaeh of the two boys, but thought they were in tent on the games, and accordingly spoke with great freedom.
It was the name "Hardshell," mentioned in a loud, aggrieved tone by the girl I3ilsey (who had now joined the group at the fire), which attracted Albert's attention.
" I met dan low-down, po' buekra 'oman, Mis' Hardshell, on de road agin dis mawnin'," Dilsey was saying. " She knowd better 'n ter run aginse me dis time- . . . Dah white 'oman. '11 aggervate me tell I hurt 'or, yer year me ! "
" Talkin' 'bout dem po' buckra allun put me in mind er de ole po' buckra 'oman an' de piece er meat skin," remarked Undo Scipio, with a chuckle; and, upon urgent request, told the following story, which Albert remembered with amusement for many a day:
" I year 'em say one time der 'uz a ole po' buckra man an' a 'oman wut had 'bout twenty-five chillun, an' dey 'uz so po' dat all dey had fer coffee 'uz parch' sweet-'taters, an.' dey had ter drink it "widout sweetenin'. Dey had ter do widoiit sirup, let 'lone sugar; an' ez for meat, dey 'uz mighty lucky cf dey seen a piece once in six months. Hit went roun' de country high an' low dat dey 'uz so

MASTER AND SLAVE MAKE MERRY. 69
po' dey aiii' able ter git meat tor eat, and binieby yuh one day de ole man got "win' uv it, an' 'e went home an' say; 'ILook yuh, ole 'oman, dis won' do-- dis -won' bergin ter do.'
" Den de ole 'ornan ax 'im in de name or good ness wut de matter now ?
"An' den de ole man tole er: ''Hit's gwine de roun's er dis settlement dat we-all so po' we can' git meat ter cat, an' sup'n got tor be done. Dis -won.' do. "We won' be respected by niggers, let 'lone white folks, ef we don' put a stop ter sich talk ez dat.'
"Ole 'oman say: 'All rig-lit. You des lef dat ter me; I'll fix dat.' An'., sun, she tuck a ole piece er meat-skin off de slielf an' hung it up 'side de chimney. Den she say : ' Nex' time you see anybody corairi' you sen' dem chillun in yah ter me.'
" An' do ole man call up de chillun an' tole 'em nex' time dey see anybody comin' dey mus' run an' come tell 'im right straight. An' sho-nuf one day yuh do chilhm come runnin'--' Pappy, somebody comin'; somebody eomiu' doi^n de road, pappy!' Den ole ole man riz an' order 'em all ter run in ter dey mammy--an' would you b'lieve it, suh \---dat ole white 'oman tuck down dat piece er meat-skin an'

70

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

grease dem chilluii' fingers an' all roun' dey mouf-- grease eve'y las' one uv 'em des dat-a way!
" All dat time de ole man gone out an' ax de strangers ef dey won' 'light, but dey say no, dey ve'y sorry, but dey got ter hurry on. So wen dey all otit ter de gate talkin' dat-a way, yuh come de chillun a-troopin'!
" DC ole man ? low 'em ter come np right close, den 'e turn roun' on 'em an' mek out lak 'e 'uz mad. 'E holler at 'em an' say : ' Wat you doiii* out yuh dis-a "way, you nasty lil rascals ? Go back in dat house' right straight an' wash yo'se'ves ! Eat de meat tell yer git it all over yerself!'
" An'," concluded Uncle Scipio, as soon as there was a lull in the laughing shrieks of the women, " dcm people 'uz fooled good-fashion an' went 'long ter town an' tole eve'ybody hit wa'n't so 'bout dem. po' buckra got no meat ter eat--hit wuz'n nothin' but niggers' lies. Dey got plenty meat--dej' got BO much dem chilhm eat it all times er day an' go roun' wid dey mouf greasy."
The women now got npon their feet, declaring that the candy was sufficiently cooked, and pretty soon had it dished and " pulled." Tom and Albert had had refreshment at six and supper at eight, but, as they -were boys with boys' appetites, they were

MASTER AND SLAVE MAKE MERRY. 71
quite ready to partake thereof when, at half-past ton, a plate of molasses candy was politely put be fore them.
Before they had eaten their fill, however, they were interrupted by a commotion at the farther side of the play-ground growing out of a dispute be tween the strapping Josh and a Coast negro from the Carroll rice plantations. High words wore fol lowed by blows, and, as there were present several of these low-country negroes who were not slow to back up their comrade, a serious row immediately ensued. The home blacks rallied around Josh, and in an instant the knives and razors of the oppos ing sides flashed in the firelight.

CHAPTER VI.
" HE "WAS AFKAID BUT WOULDN'T BtHN."----TOM ACHIEVES DISTINCTION TWICE IN A NIGnT,,
WOMEN and cliildren shrieked and scattered, and not a few men .sought safer ground, rudely jostling Tom and Albert in their hurry. This was far from being to Albert's taste, and, as the fence was not far away, he covered the distance with all speed, perching himself out of harm's way on the top rail where a full view of the swaying crowd could be gained. ISTot so Tom : angry at the inter ruption and determined if possible to quell the dis turbance, he stood his ground even after the fight swayed over in his direction, shouting inquiries and commands until he was hoarse. He might as well have shouted to' the wind.
However, after about two minutes (it seemed longer than a quarter of an honr) those participating in the tnelee^ as if from a common impulse, drifted suddenly apart, and a breathing spell followed. It

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN^T
was then seen that five badly cut negroes lay groan ing upon the ground, that the faces of more than a dozen others were streaming with blood, and that three of the Coast blacks stood with their backs to the fence, defying the whole play-ground. One of them held a pistol, and it was perhaps the sight of this that brought the fight to a halt. The two others flourished razors, and all three were engaged in pouring out a torrent of abuse in the most bar barous English possibly ever uttered. Comparative quiet had hardly reigned when the ringleader fired a shot at random and furiously dared any one to 1 approach, whereupon the crowd rolled back like a great wave, leaving a wide space clear in front of the three.
" You-na come-a bodder me--you-na! * I shoot urn--I cut-inn--I kill-rim f" shouted the outlaw at bay. '" You-na come 'long--I mekky um squall for true!"
~No one moved until Torn elbowed his way through the crowd, demanding to be told the cause of the trouble. " "Who are those niggers 3" he asked.
" Rice-nel' niggers," was the response. " De
* " You just come and bother me--you'."

74

KIN'0- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ringleader -- dat 'n wid de pistol -- name' Mon day."
" You Monday! " shouted Tom, stepping fear lessly into the open space, " ptit up that pistol and behave yourself, sir ! ... If you don't, you'll tote five hundred lashes before morning ! "
Far from obeying1, the negro, after a stare of surprise, began to mutter half-audible threats in a sort of smothered fury.
" Come back, young mawster," called old Scipio Africanus, anxiously. " Don' fool -wid dem niggers --dey got whisky in 'em."
But Tom moved farther yet, and again com manded the three rioters to lay down their arms. This time there -was a response.
" Buckra boy better gwey f'm yuh," cried Mon day, threateningly. ** Buckra boy bettor gwey f'm yuh an' lef -we 'lone ! " *
By this time Albert had quitted his perch and made his way through the crowd. He now ran for ward and caught hold of his cousin, just as Jim moved to do the same thing.
" Tom, don't you do it! " he cried. " They'll shoot you."

* White boy had better go away from here and let us alone.

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOTTLDN"T HUtf." 75
" Don't you prodjick wid dat nigger, Mas' Tomray," cried Jim. " Dat nigger' eye look wicked."
Tom struggled to free himself. " Turn me loose f " he commanded.
Jim saw fire in the hoy's eye arid let go., but Al bert stubbornly held on, urging Tom to abandon his foolhardy plan. Seeing that he was determined not to give up, Jim addressed himself to the rioters :
" Look yuh, Monday, you ricc-nel' niggers bet ter do wut Mas' Tommy tell you. Dis yuh's Mas1 Tommy Carroll, yo' young mawster, anj you fixin7 ter git yo' hide tanned fer you in de mornin'."
" Donh-keh"x" wut 'e name, bet'ner hodder me ! " was the defiant answer, " Como a-boddin me, I gwan mekky um squall."
Meanwhile Tom -was occupied with Albert, who insisted until angry words passed between them.
"You are afraid!" cried Tom, contemptuously. " That's what's the matter with you."
" I don't care if I am afraid, " retorted Albert, disdaining denial. " I don't want to be shot by a drunken nigger.'7
" Well, I'm not afraid if you are, and I'm goin'--"

76

KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

" I know you are not afraid," Interrupted the other with a shining-, half-scornful look. " If you were, you'd run."
" Why don't yo-u, run, then ? " " I s7ia?'n?t run" declared Albert, with flashing eyes, though his face was very pale. Tom paused to look at his cousin in astonish ment for a moment, then freed himself by a sudden jerk and moved forward. Albert followed not three feet behind, a little to the left, and Jim brought up the rear. Jim thought his young mas ter very foolish, but he did not intend to stand idly by and see him shot down. As they thns ap proached, the three negroes spoke rapidly to each other in their barbarous English, nervously moving their arms and legs like cats about to spring. " You Monday ! " shouted Jim, fearing the crisis was at hand, " ef you shoot Mas' Tommy, I'll everlas'n'ly eat you up, you year me ! " The hand "which held the pistol moved warningly, and Jim dodged quickly behind the two white boys. 11 You shoot if you daref " cried Tom. Then, to the boy's complete surprise, the negro actually raised his "weapon and took aim. Albert turned sick and closed his eyes. Tom was astound-

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN^T RUN" 7?
ed--he had thought the negro would not dare to shoot--and halted in a panic such as he had never before experienced. Nevertheless, ho still retained presence of mind enough not to remove his stern glance from the rioter's face.
How that intense stillness would have been broken had not the overseer and a half-dozen negroes--all armed--just then rushed upon the ground we niay only conjecture. Ere Tom quite realized what had happened, Monday's arm had been lowered, the pistol had been whipped out of sight? and the three negroes, laying hold upon the top rail, bounded over the fence "with the mmbleuess of monkeys, and darted away in the night.
An immediate pursuit was ordered. It was likely enough that the three pugnacious rice-field savages would turn up in the morning, anxious for peace, but the overseer declared that they mnst be caught and made an example of; they must be locked up for the night, and the next morning tried and punished according to plantation law--that is, be adjudged guilty by the overseer and given a certain number of lashes by the driver, "which was the only "way of preserving order and subordination. For it appeared that the three runaways had taken

78

KINO- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

the initiative and were chiefly to blame for the row.
Accordingly the dogs -were called up and started, and Mr. lietchem went off in a hurry, accompanied by his armed force.
" Me an' JDainoii gwine, too," whispered Jim to Tom ; " but we gwine split some light'ood fust, so ef we don' cotch a nigger., we kin cotch a 'possum anyhow."
The two boys were then cordially invited to ac company them and agreed to do so, though Albert was inclined to hesitate, the hour being already late.
"We'll go get our guns while you cut the lightwood," Tom proposed, and they separated.
Every one had now retired, arid the boys found all dark and still at the house. Slipping in quietly, they put on heavy boots, got their guns, and tip toed out again. The playground at the quarters was deserted when they returned, all the negroes except those accompanying the overseer having re tired to their cabins. The boys found Jim and ]Damon awaiting them, each supplied with a bundle of rich pine and an axe, which, together with a clog or two, -was all they required in the -way of an oritfit.

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN'T HUN.''1 79
" Damon, you loot a lieap better," said Tom, as the torchlight flashed into the negro's face.
* Yes, Mas',. Tommy," was the response, with a low laugh. "Mammy Nanny done quit puttin' bad mouf on me now."
Damoii was the plantation "blacksmith, a wellbuilt negro who formerly had been in robust health, but some -weeks previous to this time apparently be gan to go into a decline and loudly claimed that he had been bewitched by one Mammy Nanny, a very old iiegress who was looked upon as a trick-doctor or conjuror. Damon had found in his bed one morning a bloody human figure cut out of a corn stalk which had a small nail driven through its breast, and from that hour his health began to fail. lie could neither be laughed nor reasoned out of his childish conviction, arid finally Mrs. Carroll threatened tbat if Mammy Nanny did not undo her evil work she would be sent down to the rice plan tations or permanently lured out. The effect was almost magical, and within a few days T)amou had very nearly regained what he had lost.
Prof. Starling became very much interested in the case, reading up tlio authorities on the various species of African witchcraft, as the boys knew, but he could not make up his mind whether this were a

80

KIN& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

specimen of Voodooism, Myalism; or the art of the Obeah.*
All sounds made by the dogs of the pursuing party had now died aways and neither Jim nor Damon felt quite sure in what direction they had gone. As soon as they gained the woods their own dogs dashed away with delighted yelps, and presently started what appeared to lie an independent trail.
It was an exciting experience for Albert whose city life had offered no parallel. He had come out from Savannah to live on his aunt's plantation only a few months before and had never yet gone on a 'possum hunt, much less on a chase after a runaway negro. The flaring torches, the laughing negroes, the dark, murmuring tree-tops above, the impene trable gloom around--all impressed him. Often he felt \veary, and sometimes he shuddered at the thought of being left behind in those vast dark woods, but nevertheless felt glad that he was there.
They had hardly gone a mile when a chorus of sudden, sharp barks from the dogs announced that game of some sort had been " treed." Arrived on

* " The devil teacheth how to make pictti by roasting thereof the persons that they be; continually melted or dried away by conti James's Dcemonology, Book IT, Chap, v.

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN^T RUNS'1 81
the spot, they found the dogs under a slender cot ton-wood, yelping and leaping upward 'with savage eagerness. Nothing could "be seen in the tree, but Jim. was not long- in "shining the eyes" of the game, an operation which consisted simply in hold ing the torch behind him and walking around the tree until his exultant exclamation signified that a pair of small, glistening eyes had been discov ered. Tom. was eager to shoot, but Damon begged him to forbear and leave the game to be taken alive.
The axes were then vigorously plied on either side of the tree, the dogs meanwhile dancing and "whining, and looking expectantly from the work beneath toward the game above, and the two ne groes each gayly wagering that the tree was bound to fall on liis side. The sly Damon. won by making speeches calculated, to convulse Jim. with, laughter, so getting in a few licks ahead. The tree soon top pled, cracked, and fell, saluted by a rousing yell from the winning man, and hardly had it touched the earth before the dogs "were in its branches. A few moments of growling, scuffling, and tearing of leaves, and the dogs reappeared with two opossums, each apparently stone dead. The hairless, rat-like tails were then tied together and the cunning dis-

32

.KINa TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

seinblers were swung across a stick borne between the two negroes.
" My mouf fairly water ter look at dem fat 'pos sum," declared Jim, with enthusiasm. " Less we go on an' cotch some moV
Midnight found the party in a swampy bottom where the ground was wet and spongy, often boggy, beneath their feet, where trailing bamboo briers barred the 'way, where the branching tree-tops thickly interlaced, and "where the damp, still air was heavy with swamp odors. It was here that the dogs started a trail which at once appeared to throw them into a state of great excitement. After a short run they halted abruptly, with brist ling hair, in front of a thicket of black- gums, snuffing the air with every appearance of extreme caution. The smallest one, indeed, ran whining back to meet the advancing party -with its flags lowered--that is to say, with its tail between its hind legs.
" Sick Jmi, Jack! sick 'im, Trip ! " urged the negroes as they came up. But the dogs -were very reluctant to advance, and had hardly pressed forward ten feet when au ugly growl from the thicket again stopped them.
" Dat soun' lak a pant'er," whispered Jim with

"HJ3 WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN^T HUN." 83
quickening breath, arid every heart began to beat violently.
" S'poso'n you gimme yo' gun, Mas' Albert," proposed Damon in a low voice, and Albert sur rendered it "willingly. He was trembling in every limb and w.cll knew tliat liis aim would, be wild.
13y this time Jim had " shined" the growling creature's eyes, and Damon. called to Tom :
" Now, Mas' Tommy, res' yo' gun 'cross my shoulder an' gie it ter 'im," stooping half a foot as ho spoke. "Aim. right 'twixt 'e eyes, an' ef you don' settle 'c hash, den I will."
Tom made hasto to do as was suggested, but trembled so violently that he could hardly take aim.
el I'm goin' to miss," ho whispered, in distress. " Steady ! " encouraged Damon softly. " Don' be scared." The next moment the intense stillness was broken by the gun's loud report, and a dozen buck shot poured into the thicket. It was immediately evident that the animal had been hit. There was a loud, rasping scream, a scratching and tearing in the bush, and a moment later the beast leaped an as tonishing distance, -wildly clawing the air, and fell almost at their feet, -where a quick blow from Jim's

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KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

axe put an end to its struggles. It was then, seen that it "was not a panther at all, but only a wildcat, though, a largo one, measuring nearly three feet in length. Tom bent over it in rapture, passing his hand over the hair, which was of a brownish-gray color mottled -with black, and declaring that the hide should hang from his gun-rack forever more.
The negroes entered heartily into his enthusiasm, praising his courage and his aim. with all the ex travagance of expression characteristic of the race, and as they were returning homeward, with cat, opossums, and all, the boy became no little puffed up.
" That's my second big shot," he repeated sev eral times. " My first was a deer. Albert, did I. ever tell you about that time I killed that deer? "
" Yes--about fifty times," replied Albert, who was not only very tired and anxious to get home, but inclined to be a little envious of his cousin, now covered with so much glory.
As they came out of the swamp three shots "were fired somewhere on the plantation as a signal that the rioters had been caught. Tom and the two negroes now felt -willing to retire to their respective homes, the night's work being completed.
Long before his cousin was awake next morning, Tom proudly led his mother out to look at the cat,

"HE WAS AFRAID BUT WOULDN^T JJZ72T." 85
which lay in the back yard, meanwhile describing the row at the quarters and the hunt which fol lowed it. Mrs. Carroll looked at the wildcat with smiling interest, and said her boy would make a great hunter in time, but she became very grave when she heard, the story of the row.
" And Albert was afraid, ma," said Tom, wonderingly ; " he was afraid, but he wouldn?t run"
if' Albert was right, Tom,, and you were wrong," said Mrs. Carroll, not reproachfully, but with em phasis. " It was not your business to put a stop to such a disturbance--it was the overseer's. It was reckless--foolish--to attempt it at your age, and you must never do such a thing again."

CHAPTER VII.
" THIS BUTISTG AJS.D SELLING."
COT.. DATCCY was an iron-gray veteran of the Mexican "War who would have been decidedly hand some but for the purple seam which marked a saber cut across one side of his face. As lie "was a wid ower and still under fifty, the Oarroll negroes were fond of speculating on the probable length of time to elapse before he could screw up his courage to tlie point of popping the question to their charming mistress ; for he must, of course, be in love with her. "What conceivable specimen of a man could live near her and not be ? They thought it would be a fine thing for the two largest estates in the county to be thus united, but almost without exception they hoped that the lady "would say nay ; they knew by the cut of the colonel's firm jaw that the reins of government, now agreeably loose, "would inevitably be tightened should he come into power on the Carroll plantation.

*'T&fS BUYING- AND SELLING."

87

On an appointed day the colonel put on a spot less suit of white linen., drove over with little "Ma rina Dandridge, Ids niece, and at three o'clock in the afternoon sat down with the family to dinner--the old-fashioned plantation dinner, with everything ex cept the dessert crowded on the table at once, the number of dishes being truly remarkable and the quantity being four times the necessity. Dinah had done her best, and hor best was a high rate of excel lence indeed. The table had to be made larger than usual in order to hold the dishes, and the two whiteaproned young negro men who waited were there fore something more than impressive pieces of fur niture. In this classification more properly be longed the two f!y-"brushers, half-grown negro girls as black as. ink, who never changed either their posi tions or the stony expressions of their faces, and -wielded their peacock feathers with stately regular ity, 'while greedily drinking in every word that was said preparatory to reporting the whole (with -won derfully ingenious elaborations and embellishments of their own) to the credulous women at the quar ters.
No man liked a fine dinner in good company better than Col. Darey, and he could have kept his seat for three hours with perfect comfort and enjoy-

88

KINO TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

ment. talking uninterruptedly and entertainingly, now with Mrs. Carroll about the last ball in Savan nah or the latest popular book, and now with Prof. Starling (but still including the hostess) about plan tation affairs or the merits of the several candidates in the coining fall election. "While Tom made merry with the visiting Miss Dandridge and the lit tle Millbank, who was also among the younglings at the foot of the table, serious-minded Albert listened with all his ears to this conversation among his elders.
After dinner Prof. Starling took the guest off to his study to smoke and take brandy and water or whatever the butler might be ordered to serve, the little people meanwhile adjourning to the parlor. The latter were still there when Mrs. Carroll passed the door something more than an hour later on her way to join the gentlemen, who were now on the piazza.
An accidental reference to the coats-of-arms, whicli looked so showy and handsome on the re spective panels of the Carroll and Darcy carriages, had brought forward among the younglings the sub ject of heraldry, about which Tom knew very little but had decided views--views which greatly amused his mother while she lingered a few moments near

" THIS BUYING- AND SELLING."

89

tlie door. Albert toot part in the discussion, show ing1 some real knowledge acquired through T*rof. Starling, but liis cousin's remarks "were the more original. Tom declared that he did not like the griffin which formed the crest of the Carroll arms ; it was so ugly--the nondescript beast, in fact, ap peared to be " half lion, half dog, and half chicken." He liked the Darcy wyvern better, fierce as it was. He wondered that, when the king granted it hun dreds of years ago, his ancestoi's did not ask for or select a more agreeable animal--a real lion, for in stance, or a horse, or a stag, or even an ox ; where upon Albert inquired if he wouldn't like a cow or a kitten still better.
" An cag-le would be the best crest in America," remarked Tom gravely, disdaining to reply to his cousin.
Prof. Starling's feet were as high as his head-- i. e., on the banisters--"when a lady's footfall -was heard. Quickly abandoning that comfortable if un gainly position, he -was not behind Col. JDarcy in facing Mrs. Carroll upon his feet. The latter held a magazine and a pearl paper-knife in his hand.
" I was looking over this number of "Blackwood, and we were discussing l Tittlebat Titmouse/ " he said. " I suppose you have read it ? "

90

KINO- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

" Oh, yes." "When little Varina began to play merry airs on the piano a short -while later and Albert moved his scat to one of the windows opening- on the piazza, Prof. Starling had disappeared and Urs. Carroll was asking : " Did "Varina tell you I wanted to talk bus iness ? " " She did, madam." " "Well, colonel, it is only that I want to purchase one of your negroes." " Oho ! " laughed Col. Darcy. " Have the neces sities of the situation dissipated your airy theories about exaggerated humanity and--and all that ? " " Indeed, no," she answered, smiling,, though quite serious. " This is a special case."
" The cases arc 'most always ' special,' aren't they ? "
" Ton misunderstand me. I have no earthly nse for the girl I wish to buy ; we have moro ne groes here now than we can find employment for-- they increase and grow up so fast. I only want her because there is a boy on the place who is anxious to marry her."
Colonel Darcy's smiling glance here suddenly resolved itself into one of extreme gravity.

"THIS BUYING- AND SELLING."

91

" Tom is very much attached to him," Mrs. Carroll continued, " and I want to see him con tented. . . . No ; I still feel just as I have long felt about this buying and selling-. Only one ne gro has gone from this place since my marriage, and that was only because nothing could be done with him."
" Under the circumstances, I shall be glad to oblige you. at any price, ]Mrs. Carroll," said Colonel Darcy in quite another tone. " "What girl is it ? "
*' Her name is Venus." "Ah--Venus? Let me see," muttered the col onel, doubtfully. " There "was a "Venus sold a few days ago--and I don't think there's another." " Sold / ... Oli dear, dear ! " Albert's interest was captivated, and he listened intently despite the merry-making at the piano. " Let me see," continued the colonel, talcing a small account book from his breast pocket and run ning his eye through certain pages of it. " I have all the names here. . . . Yes ; she's gone. There's only one Venus. I am very sorry," he added, see ing how disappointed Mrs. Carroll was. " "Where is she to go ? " " Up the country. The agent took charge of them this morning, and they move to-morrow--

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KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

Venus, her mother, and. three others. J liated to see them go, but I had to raiso some money."
" But couldn't I -write to her owner and manage to get her somehow ? "
et I'll give yon the address, and perhaps you can strike a bargain--though I can't tell. I'll do all I can to help you."
" Poor Jim ! " murmured Mrs. Carroll. " It is really too bad--after I promised to buy her, too."
" I fancy he won't suffer," the colonel rejoined, lightly. " He'll not fret--not as long as there are dozens of others to choose from,"
" I don't agree with you about that," said Mrs. Carroll. Her voice was very soft, but there was a ring in it which told him that she meant a re buke.
" Well, you know, I am not a man of senti ment," he answered, " especially where it comes to negroes. They are of a barbarous race, and, accord ing to Murigo Park, have known nothing but slav ery for ages (that is 01 ir negroes; not all Africans were slaves, of course), and they can not be ex pected to have the feelings of a civilized -white man."
" They may not have the same feelings in every way," !Mrs. Carroll replied, thoughtfully, " but they

" THIS BUYING AND SELLING."

93

are human and have feeling. "We must not for get that."
" Of course they are not mere animals," rejoined the colonel, " and every decent man believes in treating them as kindly as possible."
" That is why I am so opposed to buying and selling," Mrs. Carroll continued, earnestly. " It so often brings about the complete separation of those attached to each other. And when a large estate is broken up and sold, no one ever buys the whole lot, and even members of the same family may be scat tered to the four winds."
Colonel Darcy looked very intently at the pa per-knife in his hand for a moment or two before he said : " Yes ; that is true, and to be regretted. But I see no way out of it. The thing is inevita ble."
Both were now silent as the remedy which some had proposed occurred to them--the manumission of the slave. A terrible remedy it seemed to them --a remedy worse than the disease ; for to their minds it meant not merely loss of -wealth, but social anarchy. It was useless to talk of standing the world on its head; such a subject should be put aside as idle.
" Have you read that book by Harriet Stowe

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KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

that is making such a noise ?" Mrs. Carroll asked presently.
' Uncle Tom's Cabin ' ? Not I, and I don't in tend to."
" Every one seems to think it is such a dread ful book, l>tit I can't find anybody who has Tectd it."
" Gaston Loo has read it, and was sentimental enough to be stirred up by it."
" Indeed ! What does he say ? " " He even goes so far as to say that in many ways it is a work of genius. However, he says that almost from the first page the Southern reader un derstands that the writer was not acquainted with the South otherwise than from hearsay. All the ne groes, he says, are white people, and Northern white people at that. He thinks it is the aim of the book that gives it sncli remarkable force. Lee always was sentimental." " Well, I'm going to order it," said Mrs. Carroll, after a moment, "with something of the air of one making an alarming confession. " Take my advice, and don't waste your time," said the colonel, apparently very serious. " But "why not read it from mere curiosity ? I think -we all ought to read it, so as to know really

" THIS BUYING- AND SELLING."

95

what is in it. Suppose I send it to you when I have finished--"
" ISTo, thank you. None of your hysterical aboli tionist ravings for me."
"It must be more than that," said Mrs. Oarroll, after a thoughtful moment, "or it wouldn't make such a noise in Europe. I read a review of it writ ten by Mme. G-eoi'.g'e Sand, and she--oh, she thinks it is a wonderful book ! "
But Colonel Darcy did not appear to be deeply impressed by what Mmo. George Sand thought, and very soon substituted, another for a subject which bored him.

Before supper that evening Jim was sent for. As he came in to stand before his mistress his eyes leaped forward to her face, then dropped quickly to the floor. There was no hope in that face.
"Jim, I tried, but I couldn't get her/' -were the sorrowfully spoken -words which fell upon his ear. " She has already been sold."
" Dey done sole 'er ?" repeated Jim. He was very quiet, showing no trace of deep regret; only was there a roving wistfulness about his eyes which to Mrs. Carroll seemed deeply pathetic, " You know -who got 'er, Miss Mary? " he asked.

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SING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

" A planter up the country named "Wilton. I am going to -write to him to-morrow and see if I can't get her from Mm. But you had better not bo too hopeful; I may not be able to do it. She goes to-morrow, and it's nearly two hundred miles."
_A_s she uttered " to-morrow " Mrs. Oarroll saw a light leap up in the negro's eyes, which otherwise now "wore an apathetic expression. To-morrow-- she was then not gone already !
" Jim, I have done what I could, and I will still do all I can."
" Yes'in. Miss Mary ; you mighty good ter me. 1 '
" Don't be downhearted. If I can't get her, then it will be all for tho best. You'll soon cease to think about her and take a fancy to some girl here on the place."
Jim was in the habit oi good-naturedly assenting to everything said by a superior, no matter what his own feelings or opinions -were; but on this point he found it difficult to conform to custom.
" Don't you think you -will 3" asked Mrs. Carroll, as he hesitated.
But Jim only shifted his weight to the opposite foot and fumbled nervously with his old hat. " I don' lak none dem tother gals, Miss Mary, an' I don'

"THIS BUYING AND SELLIW&."

97

reck'n I'll be ap' ter study 'bout 'em," ho said, finally.
" "Well, I liopo so, anyhow. . . . And, Jim, there mustn't be any more running away now."
" Wilt good it gwine do me ter run away, Miss Mary ? " asked the negro, laughing.
" I am glad you are so sensible. It can only make matters worse in every way."
" Yes'm ; I know dat." " You may go now." "Whence does this race get its wonderful cheer fulness under every ill-fortune ? There were tears in Mrs. Carroll's eyes, but Jim walked away from the house whistling.

CHAPTER VIII.
BEFORE noon on the next day it developed that Jim had again run away, leaving no trace behind him, and two days later the news came that "Venus, also, on the morning of her proposed removal, could nowhere be found. It was at once clear enough that she had been stolen away by Jim, and that the two were in hiding together. The island in the swamp was thought of as their probable place of refuge, and the overseer organized a searching party "without delay. Tom was wildly desirous to go. but his mother resolutely refused to permit it, and the party "went "without him. They were gone all day and until late at night, doubtless beating a large part of the swamp pretty thoroughly. They discovered an island, but -whether it was the same island or not was not quite clear, although Ketchem's description tallied very closely with Tom's. However that might be, they found no trace of Jim or his stolen bride.

LOST.

99

The overseer returned worn out and disgusted, declaring that they had gone on a -wild-goose chase. If the runaways had taken to the swamp at all, it must surely be some other swamp ; he, however, now believed that they were concealed in some re mote negro cabin where they were bound to be dis covered. And so the search stopped. Every one expected to hear of their capture -within a few days, for a runaway negro, handicapped by the presence of his wife, could hardly hope to go far or hide long ; but the days followed fast after each other, and then the weeks, and still the runaways -were at large. There were many conjectures--perhaps they had been swallowed up in a bog, perhaps they had met their death by drowning, perhaps they were still at large in the wild recesses of some remote swamp, perhaps they were on the " underground railway " ; but no---this was too far south of Mason's and Dixon's line. There were many conjectures, but noth ing further was done.
The summer waned. The cotton plants burst their bolls and the great fields became white and beautiful in the sun. The soft staple -was rapidly gathered, ginned, pressed, and sent to market in hard, compact bales; then the sugar-cane was cut and hauled with great labor to the mill where the

100 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
grinding continued till the crop was finally disposed of. Tlie black smoke whirled away from the tall chimney of the sugar house, and day and night the air was full of the odor of boiling cane juice. The figs and pomegranates had ripened long ago. and now the oranges yellowed in the ant mini suiishine, making of the orchard a very goldcn-appled garden of the IXesperides. Then, came December, and the short Southern winter, with its light frosts and crisp, cool days, was at hand.
At lirst almost inconsolable, Tom gradually be came more reconciled at the loss of his fool, though there "were times all through the winter when he thought of him and regretted his absence as much as ever. One day iit the height of the sugar-boiling sea son, the two boys were seated half-way up the side of a great pile of crushed cane--the accumulation of what had passed through the jaws of the mill since the beginning--where they could watch the process of grinding arid boiling, listen to the shouts of the hands, and stuff themselves with sugar-cane until it would seem they were nearly ready to burst. For the average vigorous, native Southern boy knows how to peel and consume stalk after stalk of the juicy cane "without serious discomfort, mean-while furnish ing a spectacle positively alarming to a foreigner.

LOST.

101

"While thus occupied, their attention was at tracted to certain of the negroes engaged in hauling the crop up from the field. As two of them were idling and gossiping behind the lull of crushed cane, the boys could hear them laugh and now and then catch snatches of their conversation in spite of the noise of tho sugar mill. All at once there "was a loud laugh from one of them, followed by the re
mark ; " J Im am' no fool, yer see 'im so. He say dey
all rig]it down in dere." Tom dropped his stalk of cane, closed his knife
with a click, bounded upward to the top of the pile, and pitched downward in the direction of the aston
ished negroes. " What was that ? " he cagci-ly demanded. " Se
bastian, what was that yon said about Jim? " a 'Bont Jim, Mas' Tommy ? " inquired Sebastian,
with great apparent surprise, while the face of the other negro took on a -wooden expressioia. " '13out
wut Jim 3" " About Jim / yon know." " We wuz'n talkin' 'bout Jim." " You did ! Y"ou said he said he was all right--" " Oh, dat wut you talkin' 'bout. Dat 'uz Gun'1
Darcy's Jim ; dat wuz'n yo' Jim."

102 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
Tom returned to Albert, deeply disappointed. "I'd give five hundred dollars--if I had it--to have Jim back," he said.
"Well, Tom, I think you are getting old enough to stop playing with negroes so much," was Albert's dignified rejoinder.
" Well, I don't care ; it's fun," Tom replied, shortly.
Nevertheless, his cousin's remark, several times repeated, began to take effect. Tom thought less and less about Jim after that, visited the quarters but seldom, and took more interest in his studies and his musty old tutor. He also began to find enjoyment in reading stories. His mother had read The Talisman, and several other novels of a similar type, aloud to him, but it was not until Albert in troduced him to Cooper and Captain Marryat that Tom took a real interest in literature of any sort. As indicated, Albert had a certain precocious fond ness for Shakespeare, but his delight in the stories of Cooper and Marryat was far more keen and ab sorbing. Many a night that -winter the boys read these authors, and others of a much lower standard, to an alarmingly late hour, even after having con sumed all their afternoon leisure in the same pur suit.

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The results began to show in both. Albert was too old for Ms years, and now and then -when he reflected upon some of the things that he and Tom did that -winter and spring he pronounced them silly, and felt rather ashamed of them; but he was a boy, nevertheless, and when one day Tom pro posed that they go into one of the barns and wearto blood brotherhood, he consented. Albert heart ily admired the "boldness and steadiness of nerve displayed by Tom as he cut into his arm, but found it extremely difficult to follow his example, using his own penknife -with much hesitation and dread. But he succeeded in making a little wound at last, whereupon the two boys solemnly tasted each other's blood and made a vow of life-long friend ship. The vow was then put into more formal dic tion by the elder boy and written in blood on a a piece of old sheepskin parchment which they had found in the garret at the house. Tom's wound was made use of as ink bottle, Albert's being rather too shallow to be dipped into -with much profit.
U.ansacking the place until they found two rusty old hunting-knives., they sharpened them on the grindstone and wheedled old shoemaker Anak into making them leather belts and sheaths. Then, -with their guns on their shoulders and their knives

104 SING TOM. AND THE RUNAWAYS.
in their belts, they strode off to the woods, regret ting only that they were not provided, with a couple of revolvers and a pair of moccasins apiece. They had earnestly consulted with Anak about tlie moc casins, promising him. additional plugs of tobacco and other good things if lie would lay aside his reg ular work and fashion for them this nondescript article. J>ut the old negro turned a deaf ear to their persuasions.
" Shoo ! Go 'way wid yer ! I done was'e too much time on you. boys a'ready," he declared. " I got ter mek too many shoes for yo' ma's niggers ter "be foolin' yuh wid you, tryiii' tor mek sup'n am' none uv us ever sot eyes on."
So tlie boys were forced to abandon this cher ished idea. ^Nevertheless, they were happy. The woods once gained, they endeavored -with anxious care to copy the stereotyped manners of pirates and Indian Imnters, stepping stealthily and speaking only in "whispers until they got a shot, whereupon they would shriek, " Die, villain!" with infinite gusto, whether the bird, the rabbit, or the squirrel " bit the dust " or not. Albert had a better mem ory than Tom for the gaudy and stilted phraseology of pirate kings, and in this particular acquitted himself more successfully than did his cousin.

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Seized with the frenzy of war, they sometimes charged shouting upon the pine trees, calling them " forked-tongued redskins " and stabbing them cruelly with their " daggers " ; or they would make a similar onslaught on the stubble of last year's corn field, apostrophizing the same as " iron-heeled inva ders," " redcoats," and " Tories." But this was sport a little too youthful, for Albert particularly, who usually smiled within himself after\vard and said ho " just did it because Tom wanted to." It recalled the days "when he was as yet too small, to have much, sense, during which happy period he earnestly at tempted to catch birds by the famed charm of put ting salt on their tails and to walk to the place where the sun. rose in order to get the fabled Tbag of gold which awaited him there.
During this fever the boys did at least one thing that was sensible--they for on girt out a pair of ra piers and a couple of foils, which had been the property of old King Tom in his youth, and coaxed Prof. Starling to give them lessons in fencing.
Late in the spring--toward the end. of May, per haps--Tom proposed (and Albert agreed) to go on a grand hunting expedition in the swamp. It was nearly a year since the first memorable expedition which resulted in the capture of runaway Jim, and

106 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,
the recollection of that exploit now fired Tom's im agination, begetting the desire to do and dare still greater things. Jim, indeed, might not be there to capture a second, time, but--who could say that they might not run to earth a real Indian, and de molish--no, make him prisoner! It "was not so very many years since a few Indians "were to be found in swamp-strongholds in the State; there might be one or two living on some island even yet. Albert promptly discouraged this hope as being too visionary, but agreed that they would shoot alligators for Tories, the highly colored Icingfisher in lieu of the rcdman, and wildcats for " traitors."
They went about their preparations "with all the mysterious secrecy becoming first-class pirates and Indian hunters. By the judicious employment of a few plugs of good tobacco and a few silver climes, they secured tho efficient services of Isam, the car penter, who made them a neat little bateau, a good deal smaller than the old one in which they had run aground, and the aid of two field hands who stealthily conveyed the same to the edge of the swamp by night, good-naturedly allowing them selves to be blindfolded going and returning, the boys meanwhile contriving to make it appear that

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the boat was being carried southeast, "while the real direction was west.
The bateau being so small, they concluded to carry only one gun, a hatchet, fishing-tackle for two, a horn of powder, a pouch of shot, a box of caps, their "daggers," an old umbrella (which -was to be the " main topsail"), a flask of homemade scuppernong wine which they called " grog," and a small bag containing as many of Dinah's best biscuits sandwiched with ham and butter as they could hope to eat in two days. Dinah wanted to put the sand wiches in a lunch basket, but, upon consultation, the boys decided that, as pirates always seemed to keep their sea-biscuit in bags, only a bag would suffice. Mrs. Carroll, accompanied by the tutor, his wife, and two servants, was gone on a shopping expedi tion to Savannah at the time, and the boys got "off without being questioned.
Making their way to the swamp by a round about route, with great labor they dragged the boat from where it had been deposited and launched it. Once afloat, they drew in long breaths of relief and were completely happy. The new boat made its way among the standing trees, dead stumps, float ing logs, and rank underbrush, more successfully than the old one had done, and they soon reached

108 KING TOM AND THIS RUNAWAYS,
the little open sheet of water where Tom liad shot at the alligators the previous summer1,.
There were no alligators to shoot at to-day; but they let down their lines, and, during an hour or two, caught some fine perch and two of that ex cellent fish called trout in tlie South and black baas in the !N~orth. Gloving forward., an. hour later, they paddled out into a second open pool, twice as large as the former, and hero Tom found the coveted op portunity o:f shooting at a good-sized alligator ere the ngly thing sunk out of sight.
At noon they alighted on a narrow tussock of land oil which short, sickly grass and a few low bushes wore growing. Hero, after carefully beating the bush with sticks in order to frighten of? all dozing moccasins, they sat down to their lunch..
" Bring forth the sea-biscuit, thou varlet, for thy master "would eat," cried Albert gayly, as he sat down.
"Fetch me the grog, thou dog of a Christian, for I would, wet my whistle," retorted Tom, i n "what he attempted to make " stentorian tones." Then, changing his manner: "Dost thou hunger, my brother ? "
" Yea, verily; I do that. The walls of my

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stomach, bend Inward and snarl at each other, i' faith, like dogs expecting a bone."
"Do give 'em a bone, then." " Hark' didst hear that ?" cried Albert, sud denly. " Where awny 2 " demanded Tom. " To leeward--right over there," laughed Al bert. " I reckon It was a son-serpent--I mean a moccasin---pitching into the water. The aroused snake glides hissing from its lair/' he added, with theatrical solemnity. They then fell to, and Dinah's sea-biscuits rap idly disappeared. When they re-embarked Tom. proposed that they go In search of Jim's island, and the bateau was headed in the direction which he " bet" was the right one. Mad he not stayed all night there and come away in broad day 3 Tom wore a very knowing air, insisting that ho could " go right to it" when Albert doubted ; but after qthree hours of hard paddling and pulling over sunken logs, through bushes arid brambles, niitl between, crowd ing cypress knees and the trunks of standing trees, the island was as far away as ever apparently. It was now past four o'clock in the afternoon, and the comedy had lasted quite long enough for Albert.

110 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" Tom, I'm tired out. Let's go home," lie said. " Pirates don't nover get tired/' said Tom, in rebuke, careless of his two negatives. " "Well, I'm not a pirate, yon know," replied Al bert, yawning. ""Well, Albert! I didn't think you were goin' to give right up ! " cried Tom, in hot indignation. " What makes you so chick en -hearted ?" " Yo-ii, are the chicken ; you are always trying to crow," Albert retorted, with, a flash of the eye. Then they glared at each other in silence. " It's time to go," Albert insisted, a little later. t It's going to take us till after dark to get out of here now, and if we don't mind we'll get lost." " I hope we i&bll get lost, so you'll have a good scare," declared Tom, contemptuously. " Arid _Z~hope so, too--so you'll be sorry for all this," cried Albert, -with passion. Then they were both silent for a long time, meanwhile slowly moving forward. But at last Tom stopped paddling and said : " I reckon we'll have to go. It's no use try in' to do anything when you are along." Making a wide circuit, he headed the bateau in the opposite direction, then stopped and looked about him anxiously. He had lost his bearings.

LOST.

Ill

" I'll be "whipped if I know which way to go," lie said, in alarm.
Albert made no answering observation. " I tell you I don't know which way to go ! " re peated Tom, in a burst of wrath. Bat Albert looked off into the swamp and did not open his mouth. Tom threw down the paddle and sat his seat in silence some five 3ninut.es, a prey to mingled anger and apprehension. This, then, was to be the end of their great expedition ; after a quarrel which they would regret in an hour, they were to get themselves lost! Finally Tom took np tlxe paddle, and they moved forward. Albert caught hold of the trees and stumps as they passed, assisting mate rially in urging the bateau forward, but refused to speak a word. Thus they moved back and forth, right and left, straining their eyes to recognize some familiar landmark. The sun sank lower and lower, and soon those bosky deeps began to grow dim and dusky in the premature twilight. .A heavy lump rose and swelled in the throats of both boys, until they were afraid to speak lest their voices should falter. Afc last they ran the boat into what appeared to be a good opening, bixt was not, grounding it upon two

312 KING- TOM AJTI> THE RUNAWAYS.
sunken, logs and squeezing it "between two cypress knees at the same moment. And there they stuck fast, every effort to extricate themselves proving fruitless.
" It's no use to try ; -we'll have to stay here all night," said Tom, whose physical exertions appeared to have partially disposed of tlie lump in his throat.
13ut Albert, who still nursed his wound, made no rejoiudev, and tlie intense stillness of tlie swamp seemed to speak witli a thousand voices. The boys sat and looked at each other 5i* the thickening dusk. Tom. remembered their vow of blood-brotherhood.
" Albert," he said at last, and there was the sound of tears in his voice, "you have your wish-- we are lost and I am sorry for what I said."
"I was madder than you, Tom," said Albert, after a moment, completely won. " I "would not have spoken all night if you--if you had not first."

CHAPTER IX.
A COMPROMISE.
"WITH heavy hearts the boys now opened the "bag of lunch and endeavored to eat--never mentioning " sea-biscuit " once.
" I think we can get loose as soon as day breaks, and then we'll have all day to-morrow to find our way out," said Tom hopefully, but the sound of his voice "was less cheerful than his -words. Ho seemed to struggle with unshed tears.
"I'm not afraid to stay hero all night," said Albert, with effort, adding with a shudder, " if only the snakes don't crawl into the boat."
Their attention was now attracted to flocks of doves which began to gather in several tall sweetgum trees not far away, their soft coo, joined to the ligh t flutter of their -wings, falling as gratefully upon the ears of the heartsick boys as low, soothing music.
" I'll bet they roost there every night," said Albert, cheerfully.

" I "wouldn't shoot at 'em and scare ' em away for anything," rejoined Tom.
But as the darkness thickened tlie doves became quiet, and from some tall trees in an opposite quar ter the boys noted an occasional hoarse croak and the husky flap of heavy "wings ; and once there was a succession of sounds suggesting the skurryiug of. rats in an empty garret, followed by the noisy fall of several pieces of bark into the water.
il They must be owls or buzzards," Albert sug gested in a lowered voice.
It soon grew so dark that the surrounding groups of trees and underbrush "were mere blurred outlines in a sea of blackness, and the boys "became more and more depressed, listening to the sighing of the wind in heavy-hearted silence, until at last each dismal cry of an owl perched in a tree some distance away seemed to add to the burden which, like a very Old Man of the Sea, "weighed ceaselessly upon their bo soms and could not be shaken off.
But anon a few pale stars glimmered in. the patches of sky overhead, gradually growing bright er, and, as the boys gazed upward, seeming to come nearer in a friendly,, protecting way.
" Let's say our prayers, Albert," -whispered Tom after a long silence.

A. COMPROMISE.

115

" I've already said mine two or three times-- to myself," -was the other's answer. But he was quite willing--the ice being broken--and, kneel ing down in the boat, they repeated aloud the old nursery prayer " JN~ow I lay me down to sleep," after which they felt safer and more com fortable. Bodily discomfort remained, indeed, but a certain mental serenity replaced the troubled approlicnsion of the preceding state. In a vague, inexplicable way, the boys felt that the crowding terrors which had seemed to menace them from the black depths of the swamp had now been dis persed.
In one direction from the place where they rest ed the swamp was partially clear of underbrush for a long distance. A short while later, as Albert's glance swept that quarter, he suddenly whispered : "Oh, Torn, look yonder!"
Far away they saw what appeared to be a ball of fire several inches in diameter slowly flitting hith er and thither, disappearing and reappearing in a strange, unaccountable way.
" It must be the Jack-o'-lantern," "whispered Tom, in awe. Then a moment later, " You remember Jim's tale, Albert ? "
" Tes ; but of course it wasn't true. . . . That

116 KINO- TOMAN'1) THE RUNAWAYS.
light may bo on an island where somebody is camp ing out."
They then stoutly discussed--in whispers--that gaseous compound supposed to be capable of sponta neous inflammation under given conditions, in re gard to which their tutor had instructed them, and they, in turn, had instructed Jim the year before; but every now and then, as they looked toward the strange, moving light, they were conscious of a slight creeping of the flesh or a stiffening of the hair.
All at once the light went out and appeared no more, and shortly afterward they heard a sound like that of a wailing baby, faint and far away.
" Tom do you hear that ?" asked Albert, nerv ously. Such a sound in sucli a place was so strange, so unaccountable, that the boy doubted whether he could trust his ears.
" I "wonder if it's a panther," whispered Tom after a moment or two. "They say panthers cry like children sometimes and fool people/'
The cry soon ceased, and the swamp was again steeped in heavy silence, broken only by an occa sional fluttering and cooing among the doves, or a more noisy demonstration from the larger birds.
JSTot long afterward the boys had another fright.

A COMPROMISE.

H7

They had grown quiet and were leaning their heads upon their hands in a dejected way, when all at once Albert stood erect and sprang upon his seat, calling upon Tom to do like-wise.
" There's a moccasin in the boat! " he cried ; " I heard it crawling."
Then they stood quaking upon their scats until Tom bethought him of a match in one of his pockets and lost no time in striking it, -whereupon, to their intense relief, the moccasin was seen to have been but a creature of the imagination.
Their nerves had suffered a shock, and they -were very miserable for some time after that--particularly Albert, the more imaginative of the two; but even. in their blackest moments a glance upward at the stars seemed to bring a gleam of hope and a sense of protection which, though vague, -was comfort ing for the time, while the fluttering and cooing of the doves often soothed and cheered them--as though the innocence and peace enveloping these gentle creatures had radiated even to them and touched them like a balm.
" I'll never shoot at a dove again as long as I live," Tom whispered once.
After the midnight hour had passed the boys talked little, and finally no word was spoken except

118 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
when Albert now and then asked, " Tom, arc you awake 1 " For a long time the answer was always a prompt affirmative, but at last no reply came at all and Tom slept with his head upon his knees.
Then, in sleepless helplessness, Albert watched alone till the night wore away. The morning broke reluctantly in that leafy wilderness. The stars paled and disappeared, and the patches of sky overhead became touched with gold and purple here and there, but it was long ere the darkness of the swamp even resolved itself into a gray twilight, and the sun "was high in the sky before Albert could see the objects about him in the true light of day.
!N"ot until then did he call Tom. After eating the last remaining of Dinah's biscuits, the boys began their attempts to extricate the boat. Taking off their shoes and rolling up their trousers, they located tho sunken logs with the paddle and stepped out upon, them in water half-way up to their knees. They then made every effort to lift the bateau and shove it off. This -would have been easy enough under ordinary circumstances, but the sides of the boat were jammed between the two cypress knees, and they were unable to move it an inch, do -what they might.
Their next move was to chip into the cypress

A COMPROMISE.

H9

knees with, the hatchet, hoping to widen the space into which the bateau was wedged, and so set it free. But as the parts in the most need of being trimmed down were under water, and as the danger of cut ting into and damaging the boat was constant, they soon abandoned this plan as impracticable.
Then, intermittently, throughout the morning, they shouted for help, meanwhile gazing despairingly into each other's faces, with little exchange of words. They remembered how Albert had shouted that other time and how Jim had come to the rescue, but their hopes of a similar solution of the difficulty ebbed lower and lower as the morning wore away.
At last, toward midday, they heard, an answering halloo, and a little while later a negro was seen ap proaching from that quarter which 'was comparative ly free of underbrush, paddling a long dng-out and making much better speed than the boys did in their bateau. Arriving within a hundred and fifty yards, the negro suddenly put down his paddle and stood up.
It was Jim. Jim \ Could it be that Jim was to rescue them a
second time ! " Why, hello, Jim, is that you ? " cried Tom, as
tonished and delighted. " Dass me, Mas' Tommy," shouted Jim in reply,

120 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
with the happiest of grins. " How yer come on .Mas' Tommy? Howdy, ifas' Albert ? "
The negro was a little stouter than, when they saw him last--nearly a year before--but in other respects, except that he was strikingly ragged and dirty, it -was the same Jim. Tom was so glad to see his fool again and to be eased of his load of anxiety about their helpless position that for the moment he forgot that he was the master and Jim the runaway slave.
" Why, Jim., where on earth did you come from ? " he asked.
Ci I come fnm de islan', Mas' Tommy." " That same island ? " " De same olo islan'." " Are you living there all by yourself ? " asked Albert. " Who, me ? No-Biih-ree t " exclaimed Jim, and his familiar guffaw echoed through the swamp. "I livin' dere wid Venus an' de baby." " What ! " Tom. arid Albert looked at each other in amazement, and Jim was seized with an ecstacy of low, chuckling laughter. " Oh, Jim, was the baby born down in here f " asked Albert, horrified. Here the negro was seized with a still more un-

A COMPROMISE.

1QI

controllable fit of delighted laughter," but finally in formed them that the baby had come into the world at the cabin of one Abram, Jim's uncle, on the Carroll plantation. "Venus had been transported thither by night, returning in like manner.
" Whore "were you and Venus when IVIr. Ketchcm, came in here that day ? " asked Tom.
" Tlidin' under de shucks in a corn crib lip on de
place," was the langhing reply. The story of the night might have gone on
further, but Albert had something else on his mind. " How far is the island, Jim ? " he asked. " 'Tain' fur. Dos 'bout a quawter iiv a mile." " Didn't you walk about with a torch in your
hand last nig! it ? " Jim looked puzzled, but said he believed he had
done so " late in de night, 'bout bed-time." " Then that was what we saw last night, Torn,"
said Albert, looking relieved, " and it was the baby that cried that way."
" Look yuh, Mas' Tommy, is yon-all been in yuh all night 3 " asked Jim, in astonishment. " Oh-y ! I know you-all J uzs scared."
"I wasn't afraid a bit," declared Torn, boastingly.
Being less "weak in this direction, Albert recol-

122 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
lected their feelings during the night, and said nothing.
" I yeard yon-all hollin' soon dis niornin'," said Jim, " but co'se I never knowcd hit 'nz you-all, an' BO I kcp' waitin' 'tell I conldn' stan' it 110 longer. I 'uz f-yeared ef I come ter dem people wut 'uz holliii' dey'd know me an' go up on de place an' tell on me."
Tom awoke, as it "were, at this significant speech, and his manner changed. "' Jim," lie cried in a voice of command, "what are you foolin' there for ? "Why don't yon cornc on. ? "
" I 'uz dcs a-studyiii' 'bout de fix wc-all in, Mas' Tommy," the negro replied, with a subdued laugh, making no movement to obey. " JSTow yuh we-all is. Dere's you-all want ter git out er yuh an' go home, an' yuh's me ready ter holp yer-all out, but ain1 ready ter go wid yer an' don' want ter git tole on nudder, 'caze I want ter stay yuh wid ~\renus an' do baby, l^ow, how we gwine ter fix dat ? Dass wut I want'er know. . . . Look yuh, Mas' Tommy," Jim concluded in his most persuasive yoice, " yer ain' gwine tell on me atter I show you-all out er yuh, now is yer ? "
" Tell on you--humph ! I'm goin' to take you home with me jus' like I did before," was Tom's

A COMPROMISE.

123

emphatic reply, whereupon, the negro "went off into such a fit of ecstatic laughter that Albert laughed a little himself, although he knew the situation was very serious.
u Dass des wut I knowd Mas' Tommy 'uz gwine ter say," exclaimed Jim, with admiration, apparently addressing a large tree near him, after "which he laughed again.
A few words more passed between the two boats, and then, the negro still making no move ment toward obeying after a second and a third command, Tom flow into a passion and seized liis gun. But before he cotild raise it to his shoulder Jim. dropped out of sight in the bottom of the dug-out.
Tom stormed and threatened in fine style for ten minutes, but there "was 110 answer. Finally, the negro shouted from below the sides of his rude boat :
" Mas' Tommy, ef you'll des promus not ter pint dat gun at me no mo', I'll come tek yon-all ter de islan', an' den we kin talk 'bout gwine lip ter de place."
But Tom indignantly refused to make any such promise, and the status (/"uo continued for a half an hour longer--or until Albert noted that the dug-

124 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
out was slowly edging away, by what means of pro pulsion It was not clear.
"Look there!" lie cried. '"He's going away and leaving us, and then what '11 we do ? "
" Let him go !" cried Tom, in helpless anger. " I'll get this boat loose and follow him mighty quick ! And then I'll show him a thing or two."
I3ut Albert earnestly protested: they couldn't do that, and what was the use of snch talk ? It was better to take what one could get, rather than go without entirely. "Why not make the promise ? There were ways of capturing Jim which did not involve the use of a gun, and the future was before them in "which to mature plans. Albert wound up his argument "with the following, which was as ef fective as any peroration could be :
" Do you "want to stay here another night ? 2 don't, I can tell you ! "
Tom's anger finally cooled, and he allowed him self to be persuaded. The slowly creeping dug-out was then hailed and the promise given, whereupon the smiling negro reassumed the perpendicular, seized the paddle, and rapidly approached.

CHAPTER X.
THE island was hardly more than a low bank of sand and mud some three hundred yards in length by two hundred in breadth, but it was grown up thickly in places with sweet-gums and swamp pop lars, and contained several tall pines. In Jim's clearing where the sun could touch the ground a rich grass had begun to take root. Here also was a Spring, but it was little better than none at all, the water being almost as warm as new milk, and tast ing of rotten vegetable matter. Taken altogether, the place 'was much more habitable than formerly, however. Besides other improvements, a log-cabin now replaced the former rude pile of brushwood, and was furnished with almost everything a negro slave would consider indispensable--which was not a great deal certainly.
When Jim landed, in company with the boys, a young negro woman was seen standing in front of

126 KINO TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,
the cabin, -with a "vigorous baby in her arms and a dog at her side.
" Dass "Venus," said Jim proudly. And "when they had arrived within a few feet of her---" Dis Has' Tommy an' Mas' Albert, Venus. Dey been in do swamp all night."
Venus dropped a courtesy and said "Howdy?" very bashfully, meanwhile devouring every detail of the boys' clothing. Albert at first pronounced her half-witted, because she laughed--or, as he said, " snickered "--in an admiring, delighted way at every speech, that -was uttered. But -whatever might be her mental deficiencies, he observed that she was an "unusually comely young 11 egress, and thought it jio wonder that Jim. should have pre ferred her to IDilsey.
An adjunct to the family, already referred to but deserving of further mention, was Trip, a large, un gainly cur of the despised yellow color, but possess ing*--as the boys afterward discovered--bravery, devotion, and sagacity in a marked degree.
" Yer better git de geii'l'men sump'n t' eat, fer you nier know dey horngry," suggested Jim at once, whereupon Venus deposited her l>aby in a safe place and " flew round."
In less than half an hour she spread before them

J127
on the grass a bountiful meal consisting of baked corn bread, greasy fried wheat bread, and broiled fish. The boys were very tired and sleepy as well as hungry, and after they had eaten their fill, they lay back on. the grass almost without a word and lost themselves in sleep. L
Jim then began to discuss the situation with his wife.
" Look yulij "Venus, me an' you in a bad fix," he remarked, gravely. " Mas' Tommy say I got ter go home wid 'im. JKow dass do ve'y debil, yer year me ! "
For once "Venus dicl not laugh as she asked : " "Wut yes* gwine do, Jim ? "
" J)ass mo'n I know." " W en. deisi biickra boys "wake up," remarked Venus, glancing toward the two sleeping lads, " be too late ter gifc out er de swamp ter-day -- be inose night." " Yere ; dass so," assented Jim, looking1 relieved, "An' den--den soon in de morn in' I kin slip off an' go nshin' 'fo' dey git up. But," he added more doubtfully, " won I git back in de evenin' Mas' Tommy '11 be in ad cz a hornet an' we be bliste ter hab trouble." lie, however, appeared to think that this might be tried, trusting to the chances of pacifying Mas*

128 JZINa TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
Tommy. It would give him more time to think and decide what had better be done.
" I'd be mighty willin* tor go," Jim declared, " ef Miss Mary could buy you, fer I'm tired er dis yuh swamp--I'm plum' put out wid it."
"Me, too," said Venus, in disgust. "We ain' had do fever yit," she added, "but linker Scipio say we blifcte ter ketcli it of we stay yuk; 'e say hit never fail."
" But den, yer know, Miss jMary couldn' buy you," continued Jim, "an7 soon's ever you show yerse'f cley'll haf ter tek you an' sen' yon on ter yer owner up de country. TJnkcr Scipio say Miss Mary done all she could, but she couldn' strike a bargain wid yo' owner. Look ter me like he ought 'er be willin' ter sell you now," Jim added, laughing, "fer all de good 'e git out cr you."
The sun -was nearly down when the boys awoke and a deep twilight had already gathered in the swamp. The situation coming back to his mind, Tom sprang to his feet and looked about for the ne groes.
" Jim ! " he called, and was promptly answered. " What are you doin' ?" he asked sharply, as the negro came out of the cabin. "We ought to have started two hours ago."

VENUS.

129

" Too late now, Mas' Tommy," said. Jim, grin. ning. " Yon slep' too long."
Tom was furious. " "Winy didn't you wake me up, sir ! " ILQ demanded.
" Aw, now, Has' Tommy," replied Jim, witlt a persuasive smile, " you-all 'uz so th-cd an' wo' out I des hated ter call ycr. . . . Hit am' gwinc hurt yon an' lias' Albert ter stay yiili all night," lie continued, " an' den. we kin. start home soon, in de morniir. I kin go git dat bateau fcr you an' Mas' Albert to go in, an' me an' Venus kin go in my dug-out."
Apparently it was all arranged, and everything was to be done quietly, with no need of force. Tom was disarmed. (( All right/"' he said, "we'll go first thing in the morning. And I don't intend to have any foolin? about it, either," he added, with a sharp glance.
" I am' gwine fool ycr, if as' Tommy," vowed Jim, with reckless good-nature.
"If you'll go peaceably," said Torn, "I promise to keep ilr. Kctchem off and to get ma to try again to buy "Vonus."
Jim. declared that this was all he could desire, and the subject was dropped. A fire was now built outside of the cabin, and the deep twilight was at

130 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
once converted into night--or that was the appear ance. A chimney of dried mud and sticks had been "built against the cabin, but in fair weather Venus preferred the open air for cooking, and she now be gan to prepare the evening meal at the fire outside. She brought out a rude table and a couple of chairs -with raw cowhide bottoms--all of Jim's manufact ure--and when the supper was ready, the boys were invited to sit down and eat, Venus standing and waiting on them and Jim sitting on the ground by the fire and entertaining them meanwhile.
While the negroes were eating, the two boys strolled about -within the circle of the firelight and chatted -with Jim ; and then later they all gathered about the fire, Tom and Albert occupying the two chairs by urgent request, Jim reclining on the ground, and Venus seated near him on a blanket, her feet and limbs thrust straight out In front of her after that fashion of the negro which no "white man can. imitate without torture.
"Jim, I don't see how you and "Venus can stand it day in and day out down here in the swarnp," said Albert soon after supper. "It must be mighty lone some and monotonous."
In reply the negro said, in substance, and with. more of a smiling- than a serious air, that it was

dreary and monotonous to an extent impossible to be conceived of by any one -who had not experi enced it; but it was more to be desired than life up on the plantation without Venus. " An' ef you-all 'uz me, you'd t'ink so, too," said Jim.
This speech, though delivered with smiles and occasional gusts of laughter, touched the boys more than if it had been a solemn, carefully-worded appeal. The put-yourself-in-his-place idea entered their minds for the first time, with the result of somewhat of a mental shock. They actually found themselves sympathizing1 with these lawless run away slaves t
" And don't you. and Venus ever go out \ " asked Tom, after a deep silence.
" Yere ; we goes out in de night sometimes," an swered Jim, guardedly. He might liave added that there -was never a quilting or candy-pulling or dance up at the quarters which they did not attend-- .going at a late hour and returning to the swamp at daybreak.
"Ircck'n you-all t'ink me an' Venus set yuh an' mope all cle time," continued Jim, cheerfully, "but dat ain' so. We fine plenty ter do in de day-time an' wen night come we hab heap er talk an* gwine on. We tells tales."

132 KING- TOM AND THJK RUNAWAYS,
" Tell us some of them now," requested Tom. But Albert's tendency to ask inconvenient ques tions had long ago made Jim averse to exhibiting his talents in the boy's presenco, and he now unblusliingly protested that there was not a tale in ex istence which he could recall. Venus declared that her memory also 'was a blank, and the prospect of enter tain in ent looked discouraging. " Albert, you tell a story then," said Tom, and Jim heartily seconded his request. " Tell about the Trojan "war," suggested Tom, and quoted from, his "Virgil with an air of great learning, " Arma virumque 6Wi," which was about all the Latin that bad as yet lodged in his memory. Albert thought the selection ill-suited to his au dience, but told the story, and many were the exclamations from Jim and "Venus as they learned that a ten-years' war had once been fought for the possession of a single beautiful and faithless woman. " Dat waw 'bout dat 'oman," remarked Jim, later, " put me in mind, cr dat tale "Verms tell 'bout two inens wut fout over a 'oman an' nair one didn.' git J er." Being called upon, Venus bung her head and bashfully declared that she couldn't " toll no tale,"

VENUS.

. 133

but finally yielded to strong persuasion, and told the story with, no little spirit as follows:
""Wel], I year' 'em say one time der'uz a 'oman, an' dah 'oman 'uz contrary an' all time doin? cuyiis. She 'uz a likely-lookin' 'oman, you see 'or so, an' de inens come runniu' at' 'er in droves. She want 'er have all de mcns flyin' roun' ?er she kin git, but all de same she 'low she ain5 gwine ma'y none uv 'em. She a cuyus 'oman. Bimeby a 111 man an' big man come 'long. Dey wisit an' dey talk an' dey eo'ted, an', mind yer, she ain' been toll 'em no. De big mail 'e rid 'er out belun' two spankin' fine mule, an' de 111 man 'e tuck 'n' khycd 'er ter town tor see do show.
Si Big man writ 'er a love letter an' say : ' My love for you shill ever flow lak water down de tater row/ Ul man writ 'or a love letter an' say : ' Hoses red an' vi'lets blue--sugar's sweet an' so is you.' Dass de way dey done, but dey nebber happen ter go ter dah house cle same time an' nebber know dey 'uz atter de same 'oman. Hit "went on dis-a way tell 'fo' long she don promus ter ma'y bofe dem mcns an' don' aim ter have nair one. She a 'ceitful 'oman. Well, bimeby, one day dem mcns meet in town an' Lave dey dram, an' de big man 'v-yite de lil man ter come ter 'e weddin'. Den de lil man 'v-yite de big

134: JT/.ZTO TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,
man ter come ter '<? weddiii', an' de big man laugh an' say 'e vc'y glad--dass so nice--bofo uv 'em gwine ter git ma'iod. But, lo, an' behole, wen dey ax 'boat de lady, come ter fine out hit de same 'oman !
"Dein mcus 'na mad--don' talk !" said "Venus, solemnly. " An' I let ycr know dey cust fum away-back. >ey tjuawel an' cuiawel, an' couldn' mek up dey mind w'ieh kin have 'cr, an' bimeby dey 'low dey gwine ter kill ? er an' bo done wid it. Dat de -way dey aim ter settle it. So dey put dey head tergedder an' fix dey plans, an* bimeby yuli one day come de big man an' ax dali 'oman ter meet 'im late dah evenin' down by do swamp under a big oak tree. She ax 'im wut for, an' 'e say : 'I got sup'ii fer yer.' Don she say : ' In de name er goodness, wut is it ? * Den 'e say 'e mtis'n' tell 'or--she inns' come fine out for 'erse'f ; but 'e hint rotm' an mek out lak 'o got a bag er gole be'ied down dere in de swamp. Dah 'oman 'uz f-yeared ter go, but she so cuyus 'bout "wilt dah sup'n. is she dcs couldn' ho'p 'erse'f.
" I year 'em say she tuck 'n' pouii' \ip some red pepper dat day an' pnt it in a bag, an' soon dah evenin' she put out fer de swamp. "Wen she git dere an' fine do tree, lo an' behole, nobody 'uz dere-

VENUS.

} 135

Dab. 'oman sorter s'picion sup'n, an' she come too soon a-purpose. She "wait roun*--nobody come. Birneby slic 'gin ter git scared an' say ter 'erse'f she dnnner but wut sho feel bettor ef she crawl up dah tree ; and she ain' mo'n done it 'fo' yuh come de big man wid a spade an' de lil man "wid a shovel.
"An', snh," continued "Venus, impressively, " dey whirl right in an' dug a grave. Yes-suli-ree, dey everlas'n'ly dug a grave, an.' all dat time dali 'oman set up dcre in dah tree gnigh 'bout scared ter def. She "watch' 'em diggin' dah grave an' des moan an' moan tor 'erse'f. All dat time a buzzard 'uz iiyin1 rouu' 'way up yonder watclrin' wut g"\vine on. Mens dig, 'oman cry, buzzard sail roun'--an'," went on Venus, in monotonous, measured tones :

"De win' did blow, de trees did rock-- Dali 'oman she moan Tip 'n dah tree-top.

" She "better be scared. She know mighty well dey 'uz fixin' ter be'y 'er in dah grave. Mens dig, 'oman moan, buzzard circle roun'. Dreckly dah 'oman git so scared she dunner wut sho doin' ; she look at dali buzzard skimrniii' roun' so free, an' she say : ' Oh, wut in de name er goodness, I gwine do ? Dem meris fixin1 ter kill me. How I gwine git away fum yuh widout dey cotcli me ? Oh, laws-a-

136 KING TOM ANJ> THE RV3TAWAYS.
mussey ! wut kin I do ? Oh-y ! oh-y ! oh-y ! wut kin I do ? I wish dah buzzard, 'ud loan me 'e wing.' But dah buzzard dcs circle roun' an' watch wut gwine on wid bofe 'o eye; 'c t'inkin' 'bout de time won 'e gwine scratch dah 'oman up out'n dah hole an' use 'e toofies on 5 er."
Jim was so overcome with delight at this en gaging- picture, that he fell over on his back and elevated his feet, while quaking with subdued laughter. Meanwhile "Venus went on with her measured refrain :
"I)o win' did blow, de trees did rock-- Dali 'oman she moan up 'n dah tree-top.
" Bimeby de mens git done diggiri' de grave, an' den dey wait roun* for de 'oman. Wen she don' come dey 'gin ter s'picicm sup'n, an' dreekly doy look up an' see 7er in dah tree. Den de big- man say: * Ami-hauli! * you up dere, is yer?' an' don dey study how dey gwino git 'er down. Lil man say dey ought 'er cut down de tree, an.' den all dey'll have ter do is ter fling de 'oman right in dah hole an' kiver her up--but wen dey come ter fine out dey ain.' formag 'long no axe. Den dem mens g-ot mad an' sot inter cussin', an' order dah 'oman

VENUS.

13?i

ter come down out'n dah tree. iBut sire up '11' 'low slic ain' gwine ter do it--she see 'e.m bofe in. de bad place fust. Den dcy tell 'er ef she don' met 'as'e an* come down out 'n dah tree, dey coinin' up at' 'er; an' she answer 'cm back an' tole 'em she lak ter see 'em do it. She say: 'Yon niggers better not fool wid me ynh dis eveniii'--I'll everlas'n'ly put yo' eyes out!' An', suh, she shuck de bag er pepper, an' fuss t'lng ycr know dem niens 'gnu ter sneeze.
" Dat sorter scare 'em back, an' dem mcns dunner wat in de worl' ter do. Attcr wile dey 'gin ter 'spute 'bout wich un mus' go up de tree an' fetch dah sassy 'oman down fum dere. Big man say lil man ought 'er do it, 'kaze 'o little an' kin slip up dat tree fo' yer know it--no trouble fer ^irn to go up an? fling dah sassy 'oman down fum dere. XAl man say de big man ought 'or do it, kaze 'e so big--ef 'e fall, limb cotch 'im--'c too big ter pass twix' dem limb, an' so 'e ncenter be scared er broakin' 'is neck. Dis mek de big man fightin' mad ter year folks callin.' Jim sic>h a whopper ex all dafc, an 7 'e up 7n tell de lil man 'e 'uz a liar ! Lil man 'low 'e won' stan* dat--(dass de same cz de fuss lick, an' 'e don' tele dat fum nobody)--Te tell de big man 'e got ter tek dat back.

138 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" Big man bristle up an' 'e say: f Ef you tek me for a slouch, you er mightily mistooken. You foolin' wid de wrong nigger. I don' aim ter cat my "words for de bes' man in de State er Georgey, let 'lone fer sich a litly-bitsy no-'count chap lak you.'
" Lal man so mad 'e look lak 'e mose gwine crazy. 'E say : 'Ef you don' tek dat back right straight, I'll everlas'ii'ly wipe up de ycth wid yer!'
" But de big man say 'e be put in a mortar an' poun' up tcr pepper 'fo' 'e tek dat back, an' den dey had it.
" Lil man fotch dc big man a lick on de nose wut gnigh 'bout ruint *im. Oh people, do blood des spurted ! Big man got strenk moso same cz a elephant, an' 'e hit some monst'us licks, but 'e so clumsy an' de lil man so spry, 'e dodge 'em ever* pop. Well, suh, dey fout an' fout all roun' dah hole dey dug, tell fuss t'ing yer know big man slip up an' tumble in back'ards wid de lil man on top 'itn. "Den yer better b'licvc dah 'oman fairly flung 'ers'f down out'n dah tree. !But stidder takiu' ter 'cr heels right straight, she run ter de hole an' look in--an' derc 'uz de lil man des a-beatin' on dah big man, an' de big man 'uz squirrnin' roun' in de bot tom cr dah hole wuss'n one er dese yuh shotcs wen 'e git cotch in de crack er de fence. Oh, my good-

VENUS.

\ 139

ness, dah 'oman laugh ! She laugh mosc fit ter kill 'erse'f, an' den she tuck out dah bag cr pepper, an'
she say : " ; Anh-hanh ! So you er do mens wut aim ter
fling me in dull hole an' be'y me, is yer? I'll larn you how you kin have do ensho'ance ter prodjiek wid me dat-a "way !' An', suh, she iiung a -whole bag cr pepper in dcin men's eye, an' den grab up de shovel an' start ningiii' dirt in on 'em.
" Co'se wen dem mens gifc dah dose er pepper an' feel de dirt fallin' on 'em dcy quit fightin' ail' jump up out er dah hole mighty quick, an' den de 'oman. turn' roun' an' new fum dere. She dcs skooted 1 An' dem mens tuck at' 'er an' run 'cr down in de swamp. But doy could n' cotch dah 'oman nohow, let 'lone wid dey eye mose bu'nt out -wid red pep per so dey couldn' skacely tell de diHuncc twix' a bunch cr wire-grass an' a hurricane-root. Dah 'oman. lef 'em 'way behin', but dey uz so mad dey des kep' a-runiiin' an' hollin': ' ~\V"'ere is she ? w'ere is she ? ' tell dey run in a bog an' got all tangcrly up in bamboo briers."
" And how did it turn out ? Did they ever catch her ?" asked Albert, as "Venus closed her mouth, with the air o one whose task is done.
" Dass all wut I year 'em say 'bout dah 'oman,"

140 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
she replied, with a satisfied air. Evidently, the point "was the tcrrriblc complications arising from having- too many strings to the bow, not the subse quent history of the faithless fair.
It was now late, and the question of accommo dations for the two boys during the night presented itself. Jim retired and gravely discussed the mat ter with Venus. Of course white and black could not sleep in tho same cabin, and what, then, was to be done I For his part, Jim declared that he would willingly sleep by the fire outside, but this would be hard lines for Vcuus and the baby. On the other hand, he could not bring himself to suggest to the young masters that they sleep on the ground in the open air as long as there was a roof within reach,
Albert chanced to overhear a part of this anx ious consultation and immediately conferred with Tom, ISTeither of the boys could have been induced to spend the night under a negro's roof in any case, and they settled the question at once by calling Jim and telling him that they intended to sleep outside by the fire.

CHAPTER XI.
AJSTOTJIEK; NIGHT OH Tins ISLAND.
" WHEK ye purpose to go 011 your disportes in fishyiigc, ye will not desyro greatly e many persons with you, which might let yon of your game," wrote Xzaak "Walton some two hundred years ago. It would appear that similar -wisdom from a less ancient source had been instilled into Jim; for when,, on hearing early the next morning1 that the negro had gone fishing. Torn demanded to be informed why he had not been called up and invited to go, Venus re plied :
" Jim don' lak so many wid 'im wen 'e gwine fi.sh.in' ; 'e git pestercd-wid so mueli fuss an' gwiiie on an' can' fish good."
She added that the provisions had run very low and it was necessary to catch fish for breakfast. Jim had been gone nearly three hours, and she was expecting his return at any moment. Such being the case. Tom felt that he had no just cause for anger, and soon subsided.

142 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
13ut the time dragged on till mid-morning and Jim did not appear. Then the breakfast, till now delayed, was prepared and spread before the hungry boys. Seeing how limited the meal was in quantity, Albert anxiously inquired of Venus whether she had kept anything in reserve for herself, and being answered in the affirmative, the two "boys ate up everything to the last crumb and rose from the table still unsatisfied.
The supply of provisions was, indeed, nearly ex hausted, but there still remained enough for one bountiful meal at the least. The scanty breakfast "was a strategem of Jim's contriving, and a clever and forceful one it was. To Tom and Albert it was now perfectly clear that the early fishing ex cursion had been dictated, by necessity; tlie extra ordinary delay on the road was a point for future explanation.
The remainder of the morning was consumed by the boys in making a survey of their surroundings. They found that Jim had selected the very best spot on the island for his dwelling, the lower portion being marshy and sloping gradually down into the stagnant -waters of the swamp. The sweet-gum trees once recognized, they lost no time in securing each a choice mouthful of the oozing hardened sap,

ANOTHER NIGHT ON THE ISLAND. ^43
which soon made them forget that their breakfast had been insufficient.
The gall-berry bush chiefly formed the under brush of the island, but there -were places where tangled growths of bamboo briers, gray sedge, and swamp weeds barred the way. His clothing becom ing involved between two of the thorny vines first named, Albert tripped and fell, and before he freed himself blood trickled from two long scratches on his left leg., His fall upon the vine, which ran away through the sedge and weeds, startled from cover a small black snake and a large bird. The former ran across the path and disappeared, and the latter, vaulting precipitately on. high, sailed away in the swamp. Tom thought it was a wild turkey, but could not make sure. They also dis covered a clump of palmetto fans and determined that if they should have to eat another scanty meal before leaving the island they -would remember their find.
As they turned to retrace their steps, the boys -were startled by loud screams and the excited bark ing of the dog Trip, and hurrying on to the clear ing, they beheld "Venus dancing about and uttering cries of anguish, her eyes fixed on her baby, -which sat upon the ground a few feet away. At first the

TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
boys thought tl.ie woman had lost her wits, but a second glance revealed a large moccasin, quietly resting1 in coil about three fecfc in front of the in fant. It was not the black water moccasin but the copper-colored land reptile of the same name, which is in appearance a good deal like the rattlesnake. The baby gazed upon the intruder in smiling uncon cern, and the snake in turn seemed to bestow glances of mild curiosity upon the baby, though" there was ever that baleful, glitter in its eyes, and every now and then its slender forked tongue was thrust out and "withdrawn again quickly, suggesting something shadowy, threatening, hellish.
'' Oh, Mas' Tommy, look-a-dcrc ! " cried "VenuSj in terror. She appeared to be afraid to draw near er, either from concern for her own safety or from fear les.t the snake, if startled by her approach, should strike at the child.
Tom paused only to take in the situation, then ran forward to lift the baby out of the range of its dangerous neighbor. As it observed his approach, tho snake became excited, widening its coil with a quivering motion horrible to look upon and darting its tongue forth angrily, and, j;ist as Tom snatched the baby up, it struck, missing the boy's right foot by only two or three inches. The next moment

ANOTHER NIGHT ON THE ISLAND. , 145
"Venus was hugging her offspring to her bosom and calling down blessings upon its rescuer.
The boys then procured sticks, but they "were hardly long enough for perfect safety, and Venus cried to them in alarm :
"Don' hit at 'im wid dem sticks--'e'll bite yer! Chunk at ''im wid light'ood knots. Chunk at 'im wid a light'ood knot, Has* Tommy."
But the boys did not heed, and the snake was soon successfully disposed of without the aid of "h'ght'ood knots." Being questioned, Venus stated that this was the only snake she had seen during her sojourn, on the island. In their own minds the boys at once pronounced this incredible, but when she added that neither had she ventured out of the clearing during all that time, a,nd that whenever Jim "went away and left her alone she remained in the cabin with the door barred until his return, they concluded that she might he telling the truth, after all.
Jim had not returned by two o'clock, and, as it did not appear that Venus had anything to give them to cat, the boys "were forced to go down to the clump of palmetto fans and stay their stomachs with the soft juicy root of the tender young shoots. Some two hours later the belated fisherman an-
10

146 KING- TOM AND THE HV^~A WAYS.
noimeed his approach from afar, -whooping' and singing as he made his "way through the swamp.
"The dug-out had hardly touched the island be fore XOITX began to administer a tongue-lashing, lout Jim lied so cunningly and persuasively, pretending that he had lost his way and had "been all this time finding it, that good humor 'was soon restored. ITc brought fish enough for two messes, and "by the time half of them had been cooked and eaten, it was late in. the afternoon--too late to make the tortuous journey to the outer world before nightfall. Tom realized, this with rising anger, but Jim adroitly shook all the blame from his shoulders, cheerfully promising to start for the plantation " bright and early" in the morning. So Tom bot tled up his wrath, saving it for exercise in case of any possible duplicity on the morrow.
As they gathered around the fire that night, the recital of the rescue of the baby seemed to have a tonic-like effect upon Jim's imagination and set him to spinning siiake-mirabilia without number. He told of once having lifted up an old rotting board and discovered a snake which was in the act of swallowing another of equal size; of once having knocked a " j'int-snake" to pieces, scattered the parts far and wide, and watched until, through some

ANOTHER NIG-UT ON THE ISLAN,D. 147
inexplicable power, those parts gravitated toward a common center, where they joined, themselves and became once more a whole snake; of once havingscon a "king snake" run many times in a circle around a rattlesnake, "which latter became so giddy from "squirmin* roun* 'mongst 'e quoils," in order ever to keep an eye upon the former, that it soon was a prey to its relentless enemy--the king snake wrapping its tail about the giddy rattler's neck and tightening it until suffocation was the result; and finally of once, when walking in the woods after nightfall, having seen a black snake as big as a pine log run across the path.
The negro solemnly affirmed, the truth, of all these stories, and then climaxed them "with the fol lowing :
" One time I 'uz gwine long 'twixt de swamp an' de ole llightowcr fiel' an' come 'cross one er dem horn snakes. I never stop ter look, but I year folks say dat snake got a sharp horn on 'e tail. I broke an' run, I tell yer, an' dat snake tuck atter me. ATI', snh, would yer h'Keve it, dat horn snake grab 'e tail in 'e inouf an' roll atter me pine-blank lak wen you see chillun rollin' barrel hoops roun' do yard. Shoo! I "went hollin' thoo clem woods wuss 'n ef de ve'y olc devil had 'a been atter me. "Well,,

148 EIZTCl TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
still, wen dat snake 'uz mighty gnigh cocht up wid mo an.' 'uz dcs fixin' ter fling loose an' lain me wid dat horn, I dodge' 'hind a tree, an' 'fo' de snake kin draw back, lo, an' behole, 'e done popped 'e horn, in dat tree, an' derc it wuz--hard an' fas' ! Yon niighty right dis nigger didn' stop ter as' no ques tions, but evcrlas'n'ly raised do dus' glttin' 'way fum dat place.
"An', sub," couelrided Jim, "dat tree 'uz pizencd; cve'y single leaf on dat tree turned yaller 'fo' sundown. I yeard folks sesso, an' I went clere an' seen it niyse'f."
a Jim, you are the biggest liar that ever "was! " laugliGd Albert. " Uncle Seipio says it's a wonder you don't drop dead in your tracks."
" linker Scipio better mind 'e own business," replied Jim, in an injured tone. In reality, the negro had heard each one of these stories told and vouched for as facts, and he felt deeply abused when he reflected that bis only lapse from, the truth was in fathering them and. making himself the hero of them all !
Before the boys fell asleep around the fire that night Albert was called upon and told a story. Tom wanted to hear something from Cooper or Captain Marry at, but Albert chose the legend of

ANOTHER NIGHT ON THE ISLAND. \ 149
the ICalidonian Boar-Hunt as being more likely to capture Jim's attention, telling- how the g-igantic wild boar had destroyed all the crops in Greece for successive seasons, until the heroes banded together under Meleager and slew the monster.
*lim listened to this narration "with absorbed in terest and heavy gravity, but at its close he sud denly fell over on his back and laughed and kicked, until everybody was laughing with him and the swamp echoed with the noise.
" Look yuh, Mas' Albert," he cried at last, sit ting up, " you all time 'cushi' me er lyiu' wen I tell tales--now wut you got ter say fer dat tale ? Oh, look yult ! look ynu! dat tale won' do." And he lost himself in laughter again.
" I's seen some mighty ugly-lookin' wile hogs down in de swamp in my time," ho added, " an' I be boun1 air one nv 'cm could root up a whole pertater patch in less 'n a week; but sich a wile hog ez dat 'n er yone wut kin eat up eve'yt'ing- in de whole country--oh, shoo ! dat -won' begin ter do ! "
Albert tried to explain the difference between a Greek myth and an impossible snake story told as fact, but Jim refused to see it, and appeared to think that he was "even wid Mas' Albert" at last.

CHAPTER XII.
TOM CLIMBS TKTS TliBE, BUT ALBERT TINDS TUB EGGS.
!N"oTHijNTG could appease Tom's anger next morn ing when lie awoke and found that JIrn had again disappeared. In vain did Venus protest that ho had only gone in. search, of pro-visions, taking his dog -with him; that as soon, as the boys were asleep the preceding night, he had entered his boat, torch in hand, and made his -way out of the swamp. Venus declared that it was necessary to do this frequently; and he always returned early in the day, it "being manifestly unsafe for him to linger outside of the swamp after daylight. She expected him to re turn by ten o'clock at the very latest.
This time what she claimed was in great part true, but Tom retorted with anger:
" I don't believe a -word of it . . . Jus' wait till Jim comes back--.Pit show 'im ! Pie needn't think he can fool with me this way and keep us down here as long as he -wants to."

TOM: CLIMBS THE TREE,

151

<"E ain' tryin' ter do dat," Venus declared, earn estly.
"I had intended to do everything I could to buy you," Tom continued, " and I was goin? to stand be tween Jim and Mr. Ketchem, but now since he is such a mean, sneakin' rascal I have a great mind not to say a word. Mr, Kotchem '11 make him dance 1"
" Ef you-all '11 des buy me, Mas' Tommy, me an' Jirn '11 bo mighty willin' ter go," said Venus. " J3ass all wut mel-c Jim hang back ; *e f-yeared youall '11 haf ter son me up de country."
" "Well, didn't I ell him I felt sure we could buy you now ? " demanded Tom impatiently.
Venus did not argue the point. " Jim tole me ter ax you fer de loan er yo' gun," she said, meekly. " He say 'e mont git a chance at a turkey, an' 'e tuck it 'long."
" Humph ! he's mighty smart! " exclaimed the boy, indignantly. " Tal&e my gun and then tell you to ask for it! "
Tom walked away in disgust, and, calling Albert, the two strolled aimlessly about., discussing the situ ation.
Ten o'clock, eleven, twelve, one o'clock came, and as yet no sign of Jim. The remainder of tlio

152 KING TOM AN.D THE RUNAWAYS.
fish bad been eaten for breakfast, so the boys now ^vent down to the lower end of the island and agaiu attacked the clump of fan-palm ettoes, bringing some of the palatable root for Venus when, they returned. Then, after chewing sweet-gum until their jaws ached, they lay down on the grass in the clearing ; and. when Venus came out of the- cabin an hour later they were asleep,
The young negress held in her apron eight little sweet potatoes--in very truth, the last scrap in the way of provisions that remained. Putting them into the hot ashes, she kept an eye on them as tney roasted \ and meanwhile the boys slept on.
" I dunncr wnt kin. ail Jim," said "Venus, think ing aloud, as was her wont. " Wuss de reason *e don' come ?"
When the potatoes were well roasted, she raked them out of the fire, dusted off the ashes, and put them into her lap. Then she selected the largest one, broke it open, cooled it with her breath., and ate greedily, meanwhile casting watchful glances in the direction of the sleeping boys. A few moments later she had selected the next in size and was eating that with soft, ecstatic ejacula tions.
" Laws-a-mussy, dese tater good ! " she mur-

TOM CLIMBS THE TREE.

'153

inured. a I b'lievc I'd rutlier eat dun ter do anyt'ing in dis whole worl' !" She then selected a third.
a Look yuh, people, dis won' do," she muttered a few moments later, having picked up a fourth and put it down again. " Dis "won' begin ter do. I inus'u' eat all desc 'tatcrs up an' leave none fer dcm buckra boys. S'pose'n Jim don' git back fer two tree days ? . . . I dunner wut dey mout do ter Jim ef I ?uz ter let dcm boys starve down ytih in do swamp."
The young- woman's conscience, such as it was, was aroused. She suddenly put the five remaining potatoes on the ground and rose to her feet, glanc ing toward the sleeping boys. But a moment after her eyes became glued upon the potatoes again and fairly glistened.
" Dis won' begin ter do," she repeated, and the words "were hardly out of her mouth when she stooped down with outstretched hand.
Four having been eaten, there were now only four left. "Venus saw that she must make an ex traordinary effort, or she was lost. She knew that she would certainly eat up the last potato if left to herself, and she took a heroic resolution. It cost her a very severe struggle^ but she finally turned

154 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

her bade on the potatoes, and., "walking Imrriedly

Into the grass, stepped on Albert's foot.

" 'Souse me, Mas' .Albert," she exclaimed, as the

boy started up. " .Did I step 011 yo' foot ? I 'uz

cles walkin' 'long- ynh thoo dis grass an' wuzn'

takin' notice. I clidii' step over ycr," she added,

with particular emphasis. To step over- any one's

extremities was to prohibit one from growing any

inoro forever thereafter--according to Venus.

Tom now awoke and sat up, and the -young

woman announced to the delighted boys that there

were two roasted potatoes apiece for them. " I

done eat my two," she added.

" What if Jim were not to come back for two or

three days?" speculated Albert, as he rapidly de

molished a potato, skin and all. "We'd almost

starve, wouldn't we ? "

" I "would n' mind, of only my milk hole out,"

said Venus, wistfully.

Her milk! Tom did not heed, but Albert did,

feeling all at once as if he had no right to the food

he was eating.

" Tom," lie spoke up, after a moment's thought,

" let's give her another potato---on account of the

baby, you know--and then we can divide the other

one between us."

l

TOM CLIM_P>$ THE TREE.

\ 155

Tom was ravenously hungry, but he -was never theless generous enough to agree at once. "Venus's conscience smote her, but her mouth watered at sight of tlie potato which they offered, and she was unable to refuse it.
It "was a hungry, unhappy party that gathered around the fire that night. There was no tale-tell ing and no laughter, ^eiius was all tears and sighs, and if the boys had doubted her story up to'this time, they did so no longer. With her baby pressed to her bosom, the woman did nothing but rock her body back and forth, now sobbing quietly, now looking dolefully into the fire.
" Suinp'n de matter, er Jim would, 'a been yuh 'long 'fo5 now," she said twice or thrice. " I^cy must 'a got at 'im wid do dogs an' run 'im way oil yawnder some'r's."
Such a possibility, now when their safety--their life, perhaps--depended on his return, quickened the boys to very sober and unusual thoughts.
!N"obody slept well that night, and Tom and Albert were stirring before the fog lifted next morning. When real daylight had at last reached them by infiltration through the tree-tops, the two started on another tour of investigation, first having furnished themselves with a mouthful of sweet-gum

156 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
in lieu of breakfast. Tom had heard a cow-bell ear ly that morning, and he thought ho had also heard a faint lowing ; the presumption therefore was that a few head of cattle were grazing in the edge of the swamp, and if they could be heard to low, they could not be very far away. Oiic-o roach those cattle, and after a certain amount of "wandering on their trail, the boys felt that they would bo sure to gain the outer world.
They carefully examined the prospect all along that side of the island facing the direction whence the sound had seemed to come, but as the trees and underbrush obstructed the view almost at once, it was impossible to obtain any definite idea of how far the water might extend, Tom waded in at sev eral points and sounded the depth with a long polo. At almost every point the downward slope was gradual, and one could -wade out ten or fifteen feet before the water rose above the knee. The slope continued without interruption, however, and the boys soon realized that, if they attempted to wade out of the swamp, the island would be left hardly forty feet behind before it would be necessary to swim. They shuddered at the bare thought of such a course, recollecting Tom's swimming experiment of the previous summer. If the chances were in

TOM CLIMBS THE TREE.

157

favor of extricating their bateau from its present position, it would be bettor to attempt to swim, the known distance which, separated it from them. 'Upon reflection, they decided rather to suffer hun ger and await Jim's return a while longer.
In the mean time they would make strenuous efforts to obtain food. The day before there had been several opportunities for a shot at eatable birds, but the gnu was gone and they were helpless. How ever, tiiey might try the surrounding waters for fish, and they now determined to do so. "Venus eageHy supplied them with Jim's fishing-tackle, and the boys consumed several hours in. wading out and easting their lines in. deep water at all the most in viting points. I3ut their exertions were not rewarded with even a nibble. The open pools wherein" some thing of a current was perceptible were plentifully stocked, but these stagnant waters, full of slimy weeds and decaying vegetation, appeared to be utterly bar ren of all fishes other than the tiny top-minnow and the ugly tadpole.
"Weary and discouraged, the boys set out their lines and returned to dry land. After an hour's rest they felt some return of confidence and, procuring stout sticks, beat the bush all over the island, hoping to start ancl knock down a rabbit. But their efforts

158
iu tills direction were equally "barren of result, only a
black snake or two and a few wary little swamp birds being frightened from cover.
* : I wish wo had Miss Alice's mocking-bird," said Albert, as they leaned upon their sticks and looked about listlessly. " We could write a let ter and tell 'em to come and help ns out of this fix."
" She said we ought to take Harry," rejoined Tom, with admiration, recollecting the little IMillbank's shrewd proposal when they were on their way to the swamp the previous summer.
" I'm afraid, we'd eat Mm before we turned him loose," mused Albert.
" Oh, look yonder ! " cried Tom, suddenly. " Tb.ore's a great big nest up in that sweet-gum tree. Hay be its a "wild turkey's nest, and--and the eggs will be good to eat! "
" Do wild turkeys build nests in trees 1" asked Albert.
Tom did not pause to reply. Running to the tree, he slipped off his shoes and climbed rapidly to the top, only to find that the nest was old, dilapi dated, and empty.
A tall long-leaf pine grew so close to the trunk of the sweet-gum that Tom -was able to reach out

TOM OLIMBS THE TREE.

159

to it and clasp his arms around it, whicli "would have been impossible at its base.
" Albert," Ho shouted, " I believe I'll climb up this pine tree--it's small enough. May be I can see out of the swamp."
Albert cautioned him to be careful, and Tom began, the ascent. It waa necessary to era TV! np fifty or sixty feet before gaining a limb on which, to rest, ana he found it to be a toilsome struggle. Wlic'u lie at length reached the lowest limb, lie felt weary and almost out of breath ; but it was now comparatively easy to go on, and lie soon com pleted the ascent. Looking about him then, he saw one sea of tree tops as far as the eye could reach.
" Hello, Albert! Are yon down there ? " he shouted proudly.
" Yes. Can you see anything 1" " Ifothmg but trees." For a few moments only Torn -watched the ma jestic sweep of the wind over the green sea of leaves which seemed to stretch onward till it met the very sky, then slowly began the descent. As the boy looked downward at his cousin far below, his empty stomach suddenly failed him and his Lead began to swim. Taking an extra grip of the

160 -ZTZLy@ TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
limb upon which Ills hands rested, ho faintly called to Albert, describing his condition.
" Fold your arms round the trunk and shut your eyes arid hold tight!" shouted Albert, with much presence of mind,
l^ol lowing this suggestion, Tom was sufficiently recovered five minutes later to again begin the de scent, every inch of which was anxiously watched by Albert from below.
Returning to the clearing exhausted and more than ever discouraged, they found Venus still in tears and her baby "wailing; the whole world seemed mournful. The boys lay down on the grass and endeavored to forget their miseries in sleep, but the soft sweet dews of slumber fall but scantily where a stomach is empty and gnaws. KevertheIcss, they were now too listless to get up, and lay upon the grass in almost unbroken silence all the afternoon.
" Tom," spoke up Albert at last, toward even ing, " do you remember when I fell on the bamboo briers the other day and scared up that turkey ? Well, I've been thinking may be it was a turkey hen, and that her nest is there some where. I'm going to see "
The "boy got up and started toward the place at

TOM CLIMBS THE TREE.

161

a run, such was liis eagerness. Stick in hand, he stepped in among the briers and sedge and began tlie search, his imagination running before him and discovering -nest after nest overflowing with, eggs. Five minutes passed, but no real eggs had been found. The boy trembled with hope and dread; disappointment now would equal the black est of calamities. A hard lump rose in his throat, sickening mists clouded his eyes, the agouy of dread grew"; but he went on searching. At last he ceased to care -with such great vehemence--there were no eggs, why hunt them ? And then, "when almost in the act of dropping his stick and sinking down to rest, he turned over a wisp of grass which screened a turkey's nest containing seven beautiful eggs 1
The boy's nerves seemed to leap as he stooped to snatch up his find. A few moments later he rushed into the clearing, with the eggs in his hat, shout ing :
" I've got 'em ! I've got cm t "
12

CHAPTEK XIIL
THE ERITJE OF THE OLD EOT.
I VENTUKE to say tliat no nest of turkey eggs ever caused, such, rejoicing since "the world began. The "boys actually forgot the pangs of hunger in their delight, and waited for tlie eggs to be cooked without even counting the minutes. As for Venus, tier tears dried up in an instant, and the way she if flew round" was inspiring to look upon. The eg-gs -were boiled hard and then placed before the proud owner, who sat by on the grass.
"There are two apiece and one over," said Albert, looking from Tom to the young woman. Then, after a moment : " "Well, I think we ought to give "Venus the odd one on account of the baby."
"Dass des de -way wid Mas' Albert," cried Venus, with a low, delighted laugh, looking at the boy devotedly.
"Yes--on account of the baby," agreed Tom. Venus's conscience smote her again as she re-

THE SRI&B OF THE OLD SOT.

163

called How the potatoes had been divided, and she felt moved to make this apologetic speech:
"Yon-all mus'ii' t'ink I'm greedy. I wouldn' 'low it cf hit wuz'n' fer cle "baby."
A. lunch of two boiled turkey eggs was far from sufficient to satisfy an appetite which had sharpened itself during thirty hours, but even so little was enough to still the fiercer pangs of hunger and bring a degree of comfort. They now began to speculate in regai-d to Jim's return more hopefully than at any time during that day. So comforting was the food, indeed, that after partaking of it, they conversed cheerfully while sitting around the fire, Albert even consenting' to toll a tale to enlighten the hour.
He chose the story of the periloiis Argonautic expedition, which was suggested by thoughts of their own perilous expedition into the swamp. He described how the Greek heroes, led by Jason, on board the ship Argo had made their way through -wonderful and wild adventure to the far country of Kolkis ; liow Jason, through the avts of the beauti ful enchantress IMedca, there wrested the longed-for golden fleece from the custody of the dragon; how Medea loved the leader of the heroes and followed him, aiding his escape from Kolkis; how, when

164. KING- TOM AND TII12 RUNAWAYS.
they "were pursued by sea, she cut up her little brother and scattered his parts upon the waves, in
order to delay her father, the king-, who would feel constrained to gather them up and give them sepulture; how the Greeks made good their escape, and Jason arrived with Medea at Corinth; how he afterward married the daughter of the king of that city, and how the deserted Kolldan witch sent an enchanted garment which took lire as soon as the bride put it on, consuming both her and her father, "who attempted to save her; and, finally, liow jMedea murdered her own children in a jealous rage and disappeared in a brazen chariot drawn by winged dragons.
This mystic ancient fable, which, whatever may bo its hidden meaning, in its literal contains enough blood and thunder for half a dozen dime novels, was listened to by Venus with starting eyes and absorbed attention. She did not laugh incredulously as Jim. had done at the close of the recital of the Ivalidonian boar hunt story ; she looked outraged,
" Oh-;;/! " she exclaimed; "dass de wuss 'oman I ever yeard tell on in all my born days ! Ef I'd 'a been dat Jason I'd 'a tuck dah 'oman an' tied 'er 'cross a pine log an1 gie ? er five hund'ed lashes 'fo' I quit! "

THE &RIDM OF TUE OLD BOY.

}65

Albert and Tom burst into a laugh, but "Venus went on emphatically : " Yes-suh-ree, I would dat! Cuttin' np dah chile dat-a way, an' den killin' 'er own chilluTi, let 'lone bumin' up dah 'omau--slioo! , . . Did dey cotch 'er an' liang 'or ? " she asked, in conclusion, and Albert smilingly answered in substance that the authorities did not state.
" Some womens in. dis worl' is de "ve'y debil, yer see Jcm so," continued Venus, presently. " Js"ow dero's dah J oman I '112 tellin* yer 'boot t'other night, an' I yeard linker Scipio tellin' bout a yuther one pine-blanlc lak 'er--de ve'y spit an image uv 'er. She got cotch up wid, I tell yer I "
Torn demanded to know the particulars forth with, and Venus related the story as follows:
" Well, Tinker Scipio say one time der 'nz a .mighty proud, stuck-up, cuyus 'oman wut useter be powerful partie'lar, an' none or de mans could n' please 'er. >cy come clere an' co'ted 'er an' co'ted 'er an' co'ted 'or, an' she mek out ter all uv 'em lak she love 'em, an' den don' do nut'n but laugh at 'em 'hind dey back. "Well, bitneby wen she done had all de mens cnttin' an' shootin' one 'nudder an' des Idryein' on * sinful 'bout 'er, one day yuh come

166 KING TOM AND TITS RUNAWAYS.
a man writ 'low 'e aim ter hab dah 'oman or bust a trace. An', sub, (ley say de 'oman wuz n' able ter tell dah man no. She 'lowed 'fo' 'e know it 'e gwine ter git kicked, but, sub, fo' she knowed it she done pronrus ter ma'y. She promus tor ma'y, an' dab. man hole 'er ter de mark an' wouldn' let 'cr back out. So bimeby (ley 'gin ter rush roun' at dab 'oman' house, an* wash de winders an, sweep yard an' cook big cookin', an' den dere one day dey got ma'ied, an' wen night come off dey drove wid fine hawses an' ca'idge an' all sorts er big ter-do. An' writ yer reck'n? linker Scipio say wen dab 'oman come ter fine out nex' mawniu', lo an.' l>eholo! she 'uz in de Bad Place, an' she done gone an.' ma'ied de Bad Man--de ve'y old debil 'cse'f 1"
" How did it look down there ? " asked Albert, with a seriousness that was threatened by a dangerous twinkle of the eye.
JBut "Venns's recollection on this interesting point appeared to be clouded. She only knew the fact-- which she clung to--that the unhappy woman had found herself in the Bad Place with the Old Boy for a husbaud, and with the difficult problem before her of discovering how to get out again.
"I dunner zackly 'bout dafc," 6aid "Venus, doubt fully. "But I rock'n dor must 'a been plenty er

THE BRIDE OF THE OLD BOY.

167

fire an' brimstone an' all dat, an' I reck'n dak 'oman must 'a seen do debil flingm' de sinners in de lire. I year 'em say 'e picks 'em up on de een' er a pitch fork aii' des flings 'cm in de fire."
She then proceeded: " linker Seipio say de Bad Man mek dali 'oman wait on 'irn an' order 'er romV dea lak skc mout 'a been a dog ; an1 let 'lone dat, 'e turn in an' evcrlas'n'ly wo' 'er out wid a sizable stick w'enever 5 e feel lak it. Ail' do 'oman des cry an' cry a.n' holler--' Ok-y ! oh-y ! oli-y ! wut I gwine do ? How in de name er goodness I gwiue git out er dis yuk place 2' An' bimeby a ole 'omau '112; down dere tuck pity on 'er an' tole 'er ef she put a bag er rice in one year an' a eggshell in tother, she kin git 'way f tini dat place-- debil won' be able ter cotch -'er.'? "A bag of rice ? " exclaimed Tom. " She couldn't put an eggshell in her ear, much less a bag of rice." " "Well dass \vut Tinker Seipio say/' replied "Venus, calmly saddliig the responsibility upon her authority. " 'E say de ole 'omau. tole 'er ef she mine ^bout wut ske doin' an, keep dem t'ings in "er years an' run all dat day an' all dat night, tiine day break nex' mawnin? de debil kaf ter turn back an' can' run 'er no longer. But ef she let clem t'ings fall out'n 'er yeras, debil cotck 'er sko 's do worl.

168 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" An', suh de 'oman done des dat-a way. She got 'er fixin's ready an' watcht 'er chance, an' bimeby one day sho wont runnin' wuss'n I duuner wat. But do Bad Man got -win' ttv it mighty quick an' rush roun' an' hitcht up 'e hawses an' start on de 'oman' track des a-t'arin'. Laws-a-mnssy! don dey had it! Tip de hill, down de valley, yah dey como! Bad Man whip up 'e hawses toll do blood fairly fly, but 'o couldn' cotch dah 'oman; time 'o git ter de top er one hill yawnder dah 'oman on top er tether hill kickin' up do dust at 'im! An' de ole dobil *ux so mad 'e cust lak fury an' boat dem hawses tell hit Jua a shame. 33es dat-a way doy kep' a-gwine on ; up de hill, down de valley, yuh dey come!
" Bimeby, '"way in de night come up a big storm."--and in describing how the wind blew, how the rain poured, the lightning flashed, and the thun der roared, "Venus introduced a measured, oft-rc(peated refrain, something like this :
" Win' "blow, rain po'-- 'Oman holler, debil foller ! Win' blow, rain po1-- 'Oman holler, dcbil foller !
" An', suh, bimeby late in de night de 'oman fergit an' let dah bag er rice fall out, an' den !Bad .Man mose cotch er fo' she know it. Hit so dark

THE BRIDTZ OF THE OLD BOY.

169

she could n* see wey do bag gone, an' she crawl all rou'n' on clc groun' huntin.' fcr it, an' cry in' and cryin', she so scared. An' all .dat time Bad Man t'arin' roun' dat neighborhood huntin' fer er, an' little mo* an' e'd 'a run right over 'er. But atter w'ile de 'oman foun' do bag an' went on rumrm 3 same as ever. Den dey had it nip an' tuck tell day cracked, an' den de olc debil hat ter turn roun' an' go back. An', suli, dey say wen dah 'oraan see 'e could n' come no f udder, she des holler an' langh. She say: * Oh, yes, yoil's dafc devil wut aim ter cotch me, is yer ? Yon foolin' wid de wrong 'oman dis time. You better teek atter some sappy-headed nigger ef you want ter cotch somebody dis mawnm*. An' she des laugh fit ter kill 'erse'f. An' do ole debil 'uz so wicked-mad 'c des oust--'e des stood dere an' oust dah 'oman black an' blue."
46 And what then ?" asked Albert, smiling. " Das all I year tinker Scipio say," replied "Ve nus simply. " Do' oman got loose from de ole debil, an' dass all." It was now late, and the pangs of hunger -were again being felt. "Venus spoke of Jim, and pres ently burst into tears. So the evening, although. begun cheerfully, ended dolefully. The boys slept somewhat better that night, but

170 KING- TOM. AND THE RUNAWAYS.
about three o'clock Albert "was awakened by a pe culiar noise and started up in fright. A cold wave coursed from the boy's heels to his head, stiffening his hair, as it dawned on him that a wild animal of some sort had bounded across the fire-lighted space and disappeared snarling into the bush.
" Tom! Tom!" lie called excitedly, and as his cousin started up, he explained, what had hap pened.
Tom involuntarily caught up Jim's axe lying near before he -was quite awake,
" I believe it's a panther," whispered Albert. They now observed an agitation in the bush some twenty-five feet in their front, and., aa over whelming panic suddenly seizing upon them, with out moi'e ado the boys fled to the cabin-door and beat upon it with their hands. " Open the door ! open the door !" they cried, casting terrified, glances over their shoulders. It seemed to them that they must have been calling an hour when the awakened "Venus at last removed the bar, opeued the door some three inches, and peeped out. " Wut de matter wid you-all ? " she demanded, sleepily. " There's a panther out here ! "

THE BRIDE OF THE OLD BOY.

1.71

" TVell, git in quick an' lemmc sliut de do'! " Venus stood back, enlarging the opening. Put the boys had already begun to recover from their great scare, find, as the close, bad air from tlie inte rior saluted their nostrils, they hesitated. A. mo ment later Tom sat down on the threshold. " iSToj I reckon we "won't come in right now," said he , " but you must leave the door open so we can jump in If that thing comes at us." He had already faced about, grasping the axe firmly. Such a proposal frightened Venus almost out of her wits and she protested vehemently, hut both boys "were now seated on the threshold, and the door could not be shut. Forced to submit, the frightened n egress took refuge within, where she probably covered herself up, Lead and cars. For two hours Tom and Albert sat bolt upright and watched, expecting an attack and discussing the situation in -whispers. It was agreed that if at tacked Tom -would rise and strike a blow, while Albert got within and stood ready to slam the door to as soon as the wielder of the axe had backed into the interior. But they "were not again startled by so much as a shaking leaf, and when light began to break in tlio sky overhead they forgot to be vigi lant, and shortly afterward fell asleep where they

172
sat. So Venus found them -when she arose at about eight o'clock in the morning.
A good, while later, when all had acquired confi dence, Tom took the axe and Albert the hatchet, and together they beat the bush all over the island. But no panther, -wild cat, raccoon, or even a rabbit, did they encounter.
"I wonder how it got here and got away again," said Albert, at last. " It must have swum a long ways. . . . It's very funny--unless--unless I-- dreamed It."
Torn's face lighted np and he burst out laugh ing. a How many panthers did you ever see, Al bert ?" he asked, teasingly. ''Don't you think it might have been a wood rat ? " And again : " Did you notice whether your 'panther' cut a pigeonwing and bowed to yon or not 1"
Albert took the joke good-hmnorcdly enough, although his physical ills tended to make him irrita ble, and Tom did not hesitate to make all the sport out of it that was possible.

CHAPTER XIV,
HOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFOBM IK A SWAMP.
THE boys now set to work and built a carefully devised pen near the turkey's empty nest, hoping to secure the bird itself. They also made two smaller traps out of shingles split by Jim and set them in retired spots, baiting them with, a few grains of meal supplied by Venus. This was "with the idea of catching sonic of the little brown and red swamp birds which flitted -warily about the island.
Tom meanwhile did not forget to make an occa sional bantering reference to Albert's imaginary panther. But the joke became flat an hour latei", when the unmistakably fresh tracks of a wild ani mal were discovered in the sand at the lower end of the island--tracks which could not possibly have been made by a squirrel,, as they were several times too large. An examination showed that they led down to the water's edge -within a foot or two of a pine log which extended out into the swamp. Se-

174 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
curing a long pole, Tom sprang upon the log and walked guardedly out to the end of it, momentarily expecting it to sink. But it appeared to have a solid foundation, and when lie came to the point where the tree's branching top had begun, he saw that such of the limbs as remained were driven into the nmd at the bottom, thus causing the log to maintain its position on the "water's surface. This led to the discovery that the water "was less than three feet deep at this point, and, by making use of his pole as a feeler, Tom ascertained that it be came slightly shallower toward the north.
" I'll bet there's another island out yonder some where," he declared; "and that's where that thing came from. I reckon it had to swim "before it got on the end of this log, but 'way out yonder it could get along by wading, I think."
" I don't think wild cats and such things "would like to wade," said Albert. "They'd rather jump from limb to limb, and travel around that way. The trees are plenty thick enough."
" I've a great mind to wade out yonder and see how deep it is," said Tom. " May be we could find our way to another island, and then--then may be clean out of the swamp."
He came ashore, and they walked about discuss

SOW TO BUILD A. SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 175
ing the matter. A few minutes later they appreached the traps, and, to their unspeakable clelight, found that one of them had cauglit three littie swamp birds. These were taken ont in all haste and turned over to "Venus, who "wrung oE their necks and quickly prepared and cooked them. One of the birds made little more than a couple of mouthful s, but even so little was comforting and hope-giving.
The plan of wading in search of another island was now mentioned to "Verms, both boys speaking strongly in favor of it, but she looked frightened at the bare suggestion, and begged them not to go away and leave her all alone. In reply, they assured her that it would be better to leave her alone for one, two, or even three days, than for them all to starve to gether--a destiny which stared them bluntly in the face, as things now stood ; if they succeeded in find ing their "way out, they would at once get men and boats and come to her rescue.
"While thus arguing the point, the boys were all at once electrified by the arrival of Trip. How the dog had reached the island, or even from what di rection, -was matter for conjecture only; all they knew was that Trip suddenly burst through tlie gall-berry brush and stood before them.

176 KIN~G TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" Trip, which way did you come from, sir ? " cried Tom, excitedly. "Whore's Jim ?"
But poor fagged-out Trip could not tell cither his own or Jim's story, and after wagging bis tail and snuffing- and gazing at Torn, now at his face, now at his feet, in a very friendly way, lay down and panted, with tongue lolling out. The boys were now sure that there was a way out of the swamp, and felt greatly encouraged. iSTot so ^Ve nus. At first sight of the clog she burst into sobs, declaring that Jim was dead -- his faithful dog would not have left him. while lie was still alive. "While Albert tried to comfort her, Toin ran down to the spot "where the log rested on the water, and there, sure enough, were Trip's wet tracks along its full length ; the direction "whence he had come was clear.
The boys were now more than ever determined to try the experiment, and forthwith began to do what little they could by way of preparation. They decided to carry their butcher knives, a box of matches, a long slender pole each; that Albert should strap a blanket on his back, and Tom a bun dle of rich light wood sticks on his, and that each should take liis turn carrying Jim's axe. It was about eleven o'clock in the morning -when they "were ready to start.

HOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 1YY
Seeing that her final entreaties were to be un heeded, Venus at tlie last moment ran weeping into the cabin, and barred the door behind her. The boys reiterated their pledge of returning to rescue her? called out words of farewell, and moved away. Walking out on the log and whistling to the dog to follow, they cautiously let themselves down into the water, shuddering as it rose above their waists. The bottom was unfortunately boggy, and at every step their feet sank some six or eight inches into the mud, requiring an effort to withdraw them. Added to this was the inconvenience occasioned by the fallen trees and brush lying in the water, over which they stumbled, and in which they now and then "became entangled--all of which necessarilymade progress very slow. Their difficulties and dis comforts were increased by the great number of moccasins and their dread of coming to close quar ters with them. One of these reptiles, startled "by their approach, would slide off almost every log or tussock and disappear. The dog accompanied them willingly, now swimming and scrambling, now springing upon a floating log and trotting forward thereon after a vigorous shake of his dripping body, which sometimes sent the water flying into the boys' faces.

178
"We mustn't forget to "blaze the trees," said Al bert, after they had consumed, a quarter of an hour in traveling some fifty yards. " "\Ve may not find any island, and it "won't do to get lost."
At this suggestion Tom raised the axo and chopped into a pine near liim, leaving a white spot on the brown, surface which would readily catch the eye. This precaution was taken, at short intervals throughout their toilsome march.
After an hour's hard struggle the island had been left only some two hundred and fifty yards behind, though now completely lost to view. The boys by this time were already sorely fatigued, and wore obliged to rest on a log some time before mak ing a now start. They, however, felt encouraged by the fact that the water had become a good deal shallower and more free from obstructions, the latter being due to the decrease in density of the larger growth. !N~evertlieless, slimy weeds and flags, grasses and swamp fungi of many kinds, still crowded the water, and travel was still necessarily slow and laborious.
A little farther on the water rapidly became more shallow, until it -was often less than knee deep. They now made good progress, comparatively speak ing, and in the course of an hour or two the island

HOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 179
was left a long distance behind. Though, much thinner, the vegetation was still dense enough to obstruct the view, and their eyes were free to roatn only the wide expanse overhead. Thus was their attention attracted to the flight of thousands of birds--marsh-hens, cranes, herons, buzzards, wild ducks, and many others. Once a flock of wild geese passed over them, flying so low that they could see the movement of their wings, mark the curve of their long necks, and hear their peculiar cry with striking distinctness.
The dog Trip usually preceded them, swimming or wading as the case might be, and the boys wisely allowed him to load the way. Toward the mid dle of the afternoon -while they were thus going steadily forward, they observed that Trip suddenlystopped and uttered two or three short, muffled barks, while looking intently through the brush on his right.
Arriving on the spot, they saw a deep, open pool or lagoon, covering about half an aero, which ap peared to be literally alive with alligators of all sizes, from little things less than two feet long to great rough-hided beasts fully fifteen feet in length. They were swimming about and circling among each other with great apparent enjoyment and good-

180 KING TO3f AND THE RUNAWAYS.
fellowship. Recovering from, their astonishment, the boys stood and counted more than fifty.
" Oh, don't I wish I had my gun ! " cried Tom.
a That's an alligator nursery, certain ! " declared Albert. " That must be -whore they breed."
Regardless of Albert's " You better look out! " Tom pushed forward and examined them more narrowly. Those that were nearest saw him, but did not appear to be disturbed. Even after he poked one of them with his long stick, there was neither a show of fight nor anger. They seemed to be as tame as domestic animals.
" There's the musk!" cried Albert suddeizly, with an exclamation indicating that his olfactorynerves were offended. " Let's get away from here ! "
Oppressed by the peculiar, slightly sickening odor, they made haste lo place themselves beyond range. An hour later, when the sun was just disap pearing behind the forest wall, the boys still stag gered forward, though weary almost to desperation.
" Oil, mo! what are we going to do ? " exclaimed Tom, in a discouraged tone, halting and looking about him. " The swamp may go on this way for ten miles."

JJOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 181
" It will be dark in an hour, and we bad better not try to go any further," said Albert.
" "Why, "wo can't stop here in all this mud and water!"
" "We'll have to do it. ... "We can build some thing to sleep on. I remember hearing grandfather te!3 about building a sleeping-platform once down in a swampy place on W ilmington Island."
Tom caught at the idea at once, and their plans were soon made. A few minutes' search brought them to a spot where four pine saplings, some six inches in diameter, grew at the corners of what was very nearly a rectangle of about six by eight feet. Disposing of the inclosed underbrush., they pro ceeded to cut down these four saplings, -with the aim. of leaving- in each case a stump about three and a half feet high. They were sadly fagged out, but all this was done within a quarter of an hour, so persistent were their efforts. Trimming the tops of the four saplings and cutting off the lower part of the trunks, they then had what were merely four long, stout poles. With great labor a hollow, or fork, was made in the top of each stump, so that a cross piece could rest thereon without danger of roll ing. The four poles "were now laid from stump to stump, tlius forming the supports, or sills, for the

162 KIN'S- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
proposed platform. It now only remained for them to cut down some fifteen oi' twenty small saplings, trini them, and lay tliem across the supports, and the platform "would be complete.
This, however, was no small task under the cir cumstances, and long before it had been accom plished Albert felt as if a single further effort on his part would bring about physical collapse, and Tom's condition was little better. What woiild have been a trifling matter to strong, well-fed boys in open ground was almost literally a herculean undertaking to them, half starved as they "were and surrounded by such difficulties. But, by resting occasionally and being ciirefal to work deliberately, they "were enabled to complete the platform a few minutes before nightfall.
" There's our bedstead," said Tom, surveying the result of their labors, " now for our bedding ! "
He pointed to two water-oaks a short distance away, which were heavily hung with Spanish moss. Serving themselves to a final effort, they made two or three trips each to the stunted oaks, bringing a sufficient quantity of the downy parasite to make a comfortable bed upon the platform. This done, Albert threw himself down upon it with, a gasp of exhaustion.

HOW TO BUILD A, SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 183
" Oh, I am nearly dead,," lie groaned. And a moment later: "I wish we were at liome; I can't stand this much longer."
" We ought surely to reach the outside "before to-morrow night/' said Tom hopefully, by way of rejoinder,
He was about to throw himself down beside his cousin, when a sudden loud roaring or bellow ing, not very far away, arrested his movements. " What's that 2 " he cried in astonishment and alarm.
The sound continued several minutes, with sliort intervals, and seemed to come from a, point some three Imndred yards back, in the direction -whence the "boys had come.
" May bo it's the alligators," suggested Albert, who had raised himself on his arm, " I have heard that they sometimes mate a loud bellowing at night."
Tom accepted the explanation as probably a satisfactory one, and lay down wearily on the moss; but -whenever the ugly noise recommenced both boys would start nervously, picturing in their minds one strange and terrible catastrophe after another.
A heavy twilight had by this time settled about them, and soon deepened into night. The place

184 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
was now doubly desolate and somber, but Albert proposed that they make no attempt to light a fire on account of the mosquitoes. These vicious in sects had seemed more numerous and more deter mined to satisfy their hunger during the day just gone than at any time since the boys had been in the swamp; the yellow swamp flies, too, had merci lessly tormented, them that afternoon, as tho large welts oil their hands and faces testified. So Tom was quite ready to agree that they run the risk. The dog, however, would evidently have preferred a fire. He seemed restless, and once or twice broke into a prolonged, doleful howl. They reproved him, and he finally subsided, coiling himself up at their feet. Tom thought he missed Jim.
The boys were wet and muddy, wore sick from weariness and gnawing hunger., but after an hour's rest on the soft moss under their warm blanket they felt better, realizing that the situation might have been much worse. It was a clear night, arid tho "myriads of brilliant stars overhead somehow con voyed to them a certain suggestion of comfort and. protection. Were they not the same stars which they looked toward -when lying upon the piazza at home after supper in the summer evenings ? " J ust think how miserable we'd be if it rained," was Al-

HOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 185
bert's thankful reflection, which lie communicated, to Tom. This naturally led them to thoughts of a protective Divine Providence, and presently to ropcat, each singly and silently, their accustomed prayer before falling asleep.
Late in the night Tom was awakened by feeling Albert pull at him and call his name. u Tom! Tom ! wake up ! " ho scorned to be saying-. " Where are the matches ? Give them, hero--quick ! "
Tom turned over and sat up. " What's the matter 'i " he asked, drowsily.
" There's something there in that tree," was the agitated answer, " and I want to strike a light."
While Tom fumbled hurriedly for the box of matches, Albert coutinued : " I heard it growl twice, and I think it's getting ready to jump at us. Don't you hear how Trip is whining ? He's frightened. I felt him just now, and his hair was all bristled and his tail -was between his legs. His barking woke me,"
As Tom opened the box of matches, which for tunately had been kept dry, a deep low growl from the tree close at hand so excited him that his fingers became half paralyzed.
" Make haste! " urged Albert, which did not help matters, although the nest moment a tiny

186 KING TOM AND TITJ3 RTTZTA WA 78.
flame canio to Hfe between Tom's Lands. This was applied in. trembling haste, to a stick of rich lightwood which was in a few seconds converted into a flaming torcli.
" Hold it behind you and see if you can see ifcs eyes," suggested Albert in a whisper, after a momen t.
Tom did so and soon located two terrible gleam ing eyes. Suddenly they disappeared, and the boys heard the animal leap from the tree to another, and then immediately to still another.
They now looked about them and listened in loss excitement and dread, drawing long breaths of relief, for thoy thought that the prowling beast was making off, having- been frightened by the light. The supposition was soon confirmed by the behav ior of the dog, for Trip now made less and less snow of excitement, finally dropping upon the foot of the bed and coiling himself up for renewed repose. The boys dared not put out the light, however, and as it was near morning1, they concluded to take turns and watch the remainder of the night. This seemed especially necessary, building a firo 011 the platform "being impracticable.
Tom took the first watch, and Albert lay down and tried to sleep. Sleep, however, would not be

HOW TO BUILD A SLEEPING-PLATFORM. 187

wooed, owing; to the excited state in which, iio was,

and after three quarters of an hour he got up and

made Tom change places -with Imn. ITe then

watched while Tom slept, burning stick aftei stick

of the light wood. At daylight, he threw away the

last torch and, lying down, soon slept also, for now

he was very weary and his excitement had worn

itself out.

When he at length awoke the aim -was high and

the day clear. Tom. still slept. Albert rose, yawn

ing, and looked about him. A moment later his

heart seemed to leap in his "breast, as he saw a wa

ter moccasin calmly coiled on the edge of the blank

et "within a foot of Tom's outstretched hand. 3?or a

few seconds irresolute, the hoy then saiv his oppor

tunity, and cautiously grasping one end. of the

blanket, he lifted it suddenly and forcefully, tipping

the unsuspecting snake over the side of the plat

form into the water.

"*

CHAPTER XT.
DANGEROUS G BOUND.
TOM awoke soon after this, and they prepared to make a new start. It required a good deal of an effort to leave their dry platform, with its comfort able bed of moss, and plunge again into the mud and water which surrounded them. But they real ized that the daylight must be made diligent use of as long as it lasted, and rose to the occasion, nerv ing themselves to endure the coming discomforts.
After a discouraging tramp of two hours, they emerged from the dense swamp and found them selves 011 a stretch of marsh or prairie land, appar ently not more than a quarter of a mile in length, at the farther end of which could be distinguished a growth of tall, specter-like cypress trees. Here, as they wont forward, the forlorn " poor-dobs" and other water fowl continually rose up before them and flapped away, often uttering cries which, if not actually hideous? were certainly far from cheerful.

DA.N~a-EUOTTS GROUND.

189

The "water was for the most part less than a foot deep oiv the prairie, lying concealed in the long sedge., and as they pushed on farther, sometimes for several yards none at all appeared above the surface of the ground. Xhese places were soon, found to be very dangerous, recalling to .Albert's mind the " insidious snares " (turf-covered pits) built by Csesar's enemies, for they were in great part quagmires covered with a thin crust which broke beneath their feet, leaving them to flounder in mud apparently unfathomable in places. Tom, "who led the way, once went down in a second to liis very shoulders, and nothing1 but his long polo, employed snowslioe-wisc, saved him from bogging beyond his depth.
Albert seized the end of Tom's pole and tried to pull him out, but failed, bogging up to his own. knees -where he stood. At his cousin's suggestion., he then laid his own pole across the bog parallel with the other at a distance of about two feet. Being between the two, Tom was able to grasp one with each hand, and, after a hard struggle, lift himself out of the mud and crawl over the improvised bridge to safer ground.
Such accidents delayed them gi-eatly, and It was high, noon when they reached the cypress grove or " pond " as these places are usually called, owing to

190 KINO- TOM AND THE It U2YA WA 73.
the fact that the ground beneath them is apt to be covered with water except in very dry seasons. .But here they found no water. The ground was firm and dry, and covered with guano half a foot dee]). It was clear that those thin-leaved cypresses at night literally swarmed with bird-fauna.
Tho sun was now intensely hot, and the boys were glad enough to find a place where they might lie down in the shade. Whenever they became quiet the pangs of hunger tormented them, and it was so now more than ever before. They had suf fered from thirst during several hours past, too, and it seemed to them that their misery was now complete. But they were weary of the topic, and did nob com plain ; only Albert remarked musingly :
" We are having almost as many adventures, Tom, as people do in stories, only it's very different with us; we have such a hard time. In stories a wreck always comes ashore full of good things to cat, or they kill plenty of game. They don't have to wade forever through mud and water and go hungry and. thirsty all the time. Oh me ! "
After dozing about an hour, tho boys got on their feet again and pushed, forward. The treach erous marsh stretched onward for a quarter of a mile farther before losing itself in the swamp. To-

r

DAN&ERO.US. G-ROU^D.

101

ward the middle of the afternoon, as tliey ap proached Its limit, Trip started a small, white crane., with a broken wing, and, encouraged by the shouts of the boys, succeeded in chasing it down and cap turing it.
" If it wore only a turkey ! " sighed Albert, " "We'll see if it's good to eat anyhow, as soon as we stop," said Tom. The crane's legs were tied together, It was then swung .cross Albert's arm, and they went on their way. In a short "while they entered dense swamp again, and the boys were disheartened to find the water growing deeper. This discovery was almost at once followed by another far more agreeable. "Why, there's an island!" cried Tom, suddenly. Albert looked and saw to the right of them un mistakable evidences of high ground. J'nst at this moment the dog led forward through the deepening water to the left. Astonished, but without stopping1 to think, the boys called him back, and led on to the island. It was evidently an island considerably larger than Jim's, as well as higher above the level of the swamp, and covered "with a fuller vegetable growth, However, the end on which they landed was com paratively low, the underbrush being chiefly gall-

192 KI3TG- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,
berry bushes. The boys could hardly withstand the temptation to moisten their dry tongues with the gall-berries, although well aware how bitter and un wholesome they were, such, -was their raging thirst. Hurrying through the brush, to their great joy, they found a few rods farther on a little rill of cool -water, about three inches deep, winch evidently flowed from a spring. Throwing themselves upon the ground they drank greedily until satisfied, then lay there for several minutes half exhausted, cool ing their -wrists in the tiny stream.
The next object -which attracted their attention "was a large haw or hawthorne tree on the verge of the island, standing partly over the swamp water. The season was late, but to their great delight the boys saw that there were still many of the palatable little pink apples to be seen. A half an hour was spent in shaking the tree, wading in the water, and skimming up the floating apples or berries, which were ravenously eaten as fast as gathered.
Their hunger being in a measure appeased, the boys crammed a handful or two of the fruit into their pockets and started forward hopefully. Al bert now proposed that they supply themselves with more light wood. i( You know how useful it was last night," he said.

DANGEROUS G-ROU^TD.

193

Keeping on the lookout, they soon discovered an old, whitened pine log which seemed likely to yield what they desired. Arriving on the spot, Torn was about to raise his axe "when a low, distinct hiss ar rested his movements. Casting his eyes about, he saw before him a hideous little spread ing-adder, which showed its anger at the intrusion by flatten ing its Ticrly head until it appeared to be three times its ordinary size. Tom took a stick and sent the powerless but vicious little reptile flying through the air, then lifted his axe,
Again he was arrested at sight of Trip dashing out of the bush a short distance ahead in the wake of a large turkey-gobbler, which seemed to bo startled but hardly frightened enough to seek safety in flight. It was too much to hope, but the boys set their hearts on seeing the dog catch the bird, and uttered disappointed sighs when it presently took wing and left Trip greatly crestfallen. It soon was evident tliat the dog had scattered a flock, the peculiar cry made by the turkey when signaling to its comrades being heard far and near.
13y the time they had split and bundled as ranch ligiitwood as they had thought proper to carry, Trip liacl begun to bay furiously at something in the gall-berry bush a short distance ahead. The boys

194 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
"were naturally 3'eluctant to approach without a gun, but Tom grasped tlie axe and Albert Ins bntcherknife, arid they wont forward. Stepping guardedly into the bush until he stood near the dog, Tom -was terrified to see only a few feet away an enormous rattlesnake, surrounded by a squirming mass of little ones.
" Look there ! " ho whispered to Albert, who came up behind him ; and just then, as if seized with a panic, the mass of reptiles began to scatter wildly. The old snake disappeared in a hole, and the young ones ran in every direction---several of them in their bewilderment gliding almost over the very feet of the two boys.
Tom made one leap and landed three feet up_ a pine sapling, -which was fortunately almost within arm's-lcngth. Albert sprang for a little dog-wood in the opposite direction, but it -was farther away, and his trembling feet were obliged to touch dan gerous ground two or three times before it was reached. When Tom looked round for him, how ever, he "was safe among the dogwood's branches, though he had lost his butcher-knife even as Tom had lost his axe.
" The old one was as big in her middle as my thigh ! " panted Tom.

T

DANGEROUS GROUND.

195

" What a lucky escape ! " responded Albert, breathlessly. Then after a moment: " But I don't think the old one -was as big as that, Tom."
" Yes, it was," insisted Tom. " I got a bet ter look at it than you did. I never saw such a snake ! "
At any other time Albert would have thought of Jim's story of the black snake as big as a pine log, and reminded Tom of his own weakness for exaggeration ; but the present situation was too serious, and he only said by way of response:
" I'm afraid my knife's gone for good. T"ou don't catch me hunting around in that grass for any knife under the sun."
" I see the axe," announced Tom, a few mo ments later. He then said he thought it would be a great pity to lose the knife, and suggested that they both use their eyes well and endeavor to locate it. This -was done, and the knife was presently dis covered, the handle upright, the blade having stuck an inch or two in the earth as it fell.
" Now, s'pose we get down," proposed Tom, a few minutes later, " and, while I grab the axe, you snatch up the knife, and then we'll run like forty!"
I3~nt Albert was reluctant to move so soon, and doubted the wisdom of stopping long enough

196 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
when they did mcrvc to snatch up anything in that grass. He also complained that he was burdened with the crane which still swung oa his arm. Tom. retorted that he was burdened as well, the bundle of light wood being strapped on his back- They ar gued the matter a little longer, then Tom, who found clinging to the trunk of a slender sapling none too comfortable, announced that he "was going to " travel."
Without waiting to hear remonstrance, he slipped down, grabbed the axe and ran for dear life. ISTot to be left behind, Albert set his teeth and took the frightful plunge. Sliding down the dogwood, he saw that he could snatch up the knifo "without going out of his "way and lost no time in doing so, then followed Tom, leaping high at every bound, until clear of the grass and shrubs.
The boys left the neighborhood far behind be fore they sat down on a log to take breath and dis cuss their surroundings. Trip no longer went for ward leading them, as heretofore, but dashed about this way and that, snuffing and yelping with great spirit, although, as -was evident from the. shrunken appearance of his stomach, he had had little to eat for some time.
"While they were sitting there Tom saw a bee

DANGEROUS G-ROUND.

197

light on a wild flower- iicav by and then fly upward. Following with his eyes until it became a black speck, he saw it enter a knot-hole high up the side of a good-sized pine. A moment later other black specks flow in while still others flew out--the meaning was clear.
" A bee-tree--by George ! " exclaimed Tom, ris ing.
" I wish we had some of the honey," mused Al bert.
" "Well, let's take some of it, "whether they sting us or not."
" "Why, how can we--" 61 Oat down the tree of course." Albert thought this was a "big undertaking," and also that it seemed a great pity to destroy the whole hive merely for the small amount which they could cat, for none conld be carried away. ITc sug gested that they merely cut a hole in the side of the tree and see if they could not reach the store in that way, obtain what they wanted, and try to close it up again. Tom was willing enough, but doubted If this could be clone. It so happened, however, that the hollow of the tree extended downward almost to the ground, and when, after a considerable expenditure of strength,

198 EUSTQ TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
the boys had cut to a depth of about siz inches in the hard pine, the lower part of the cavity was disclosed, stored with honey. The last blow of the axe unfortunately penetrated the honey itself, shat tering several beautiful pieces of comb and send ing the liquid forth in a slow, thick stream. Hard ly a dozen bees came out of the aperture--one of which stung Tom on the hand. -- but they were presently seen flying in and out at the top in largo numbers and in great apparent excitement.
Having each secured a large piece of the honey comb, the boys thought it -well to retreat a few steps away, where they sat down on a log to onjoy their feast.

CHAPTER XVI.
A WOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE.
A QUARTER of an Lour later they rose from the log, thankful for the food -which had fallen in their way, insufficient and unsuited for empty stomachs as it was. Albert now tied the crane to his belt, while Tom again strapped the bundle of lightwood on liis back, and they prepared to go in search of a place favorable for spending the night; for the sun had set.
Stepping up to take another look at the bee-tree, they "were suddenly startled by Trip. "With a loud bark, the dog sprang out of the neighboring; brush aud stood near thorn, as if to protect them, his bristling hair and otherwise agitated manner in dicating the presence of danger.
A moment later a large black bear trotted into the open. Seeing the boys and the dog, it uttered an ominous growl and .reared on its hind legs. Trip's hair stood straight on end, as he backed and

200 SING TOM AND TRE RUNAWAYS.
snarled, the formidable intruder answering by an other more terrible growl which evident,!/ meant battle. Chained to the spot for an instant, while they struggled -with astonishment and fear, the boys then turned frantically and fled. Tom was in the lead, and, seeing a large black-gum with low hang ing brandies directly In his path, he leaped upward, grasped a limb, and swung himself into the tree. Following- close'upon his heels, Albert did likewise, though somewhat less nimbly.
looking back, they saw that the bear now stood at the "bee-tree, and thought it likely that it was the odor of the honey which had attracted it to tlie neigh borhood, for they had heard that bears loved honey. They did not know, however, but that the flesh of two half-grown boys might be equally pleasing, an/1 concluded to remain where they were for the present.
Trip had followed them to the tree, as if to guard their retreat, but now he skipped about bark ing, now here, now there, over the space between the bee-tree and the black-grim, evidently confident that the iiimbleness of his legs "was security for liis own safety. He grew bolder and advanced close up oil the bear, annoying it so that finally It turned to fight, chasing him back in. the direction of the black-gum.

T
A NOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE. 201
A curious conflict followed, in which the bear, though by far the more powerful bcast; was at a dis advantage. Back and forth it chased the fleet-footed dog in vain. A hundred times, in the hottest rage, it plunged at its cunning and persistent enemy only to see him nimbly escape. Then as soon as it turned to move away, the dog would skip up within a yard or two, barking- furious*] y, as if bent on a savage attack.
The bear began presently to fag under these constant alarms and fruitless attempts to rid itself of the annoyance, and showed a desire to seek shelter. Meanwhile the scene of conflict had gradually ncared the black-grim, until tho bear found itself beneath the tree. This invasion of the neighborhood of his friends made Trip only the more excited and per sistent, and, as if weary and disgusted "with the struggle, the bear presently rose on its hind legs, embraced the trunk of the black-gum and began to climb.
The terror of the two boys at this unforeseen de velopment "was extreme. For a moment Tom con templated taking the leap of some fifteen or twenty feet to tho ground, but Albert, who, when he first saw the bear under the tree, began with trembling hands to strike a match and reach for a stick of

202 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
Tom's lightwoodj was now occupied with other thoughts. By this time he had one fire-brand begin ning to burn vigorously, and, applying the fire to a second, threw the first at the bear, missing his mark from too great haste. Tom. rendered assistance, and in a few seconds they liad two more iirc-brands. The bear was now little more than ten feet below them. Leaning forward and taking a more careful aim, Albert dropped his torch, which this time flashed into the animal's faco and singed its hair ere it fell to the ground. The bear halted in confusion, then, observing the two boys, recommenced climb ing, uttering meanwhile terrible growls.
The-situation seemed desperate, but Tom leaned forward with his fire-brand, and, taking as deliberate aim as was possible at a moment of such excitement, let go just as the creature opened its mouth with another threatening growl. The next moment he saw with delight that the lower end of the stick of fire had entered the animal's mouth, the force of gravity having possibly rammed it an inch or more down the throat.
The result was electric. With .a howl of pain, the bear dropped heavily to the ground upon its hind quarters, and, spitting out as best it could the no longer blazing but hot and smoking stick of

7
A NOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE. 203
tarry pine, it ran wildly into the woods, uttering piteous wliines.
As soon as he caught his breath, Tom turned ad miringly to Albert r
" Why, where did you get that idea from ? " lie asked. " That saved our lives."
" Well, that's the way those negroes fought," was Albert's elated response--" don't you remember Tasso and Peter that day ?--and then I've always heard that wild animals are afraid of fire."
" We must keep a stock of lightwood handy all the time," said Tom.
What Albert referred to was a fight of a very novel kind which the two hoys had once witnessed in the negro quarters on the plsmtation. It was a half holiday and the playground -was crowded. As the boys approached, the Ivubbub was indescribable: negro men. and women, were running from every direction ; dogs were leaping about their hurrying masters and barking ; dirty, " shirt-tailed" little blacks were scuttling about from cabin to cabin and snouting ; and a flock of geese, imagining with the characteristic vanity of the goose that they were the center of attraction and that their rights were being invaded, were hissing and cackling uproari ously.

204 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
Every one hurried toward the center of the play ground, where, in the midst of a surging- crowd, two men -were fighting- -- not with pistols, razors or sticks, but with fire-brands! Each held a stick of hard, rich pine, which dropped liquid tar as it fiercely burned. Leaping now back and forth, now from, side to side, and going through certain manoeu vres crudely suggesting fencing tactics, each en deavored to wai'd off the other's thrusts while seek ing to put his own torcli into his antagonist's face. Every now and then one or the other was successful, and a shout, half horrified, half exultant, -would go up from the crowd, no man of which attempted to interfere. Uy the time that Tom and Albert readied the ground and got near enough to sec, both men were badly burned. Black and yellow patches showed all over their faces, and the eyelids and eyebrows of one had entirely disappeared, while the beard of the other was burned to the very roots. Slit for their profuse sweat, their scorched cotton shirts would have long since taken fire.
" Tom, it is horrible! " cried Albert, with di lated eyes. Then, after a moment : "You are their master--you ought to try to stop it,"
And Tom tried, " Y"on ? Tasso ! " he shouted to the larger negro, but his voice was unheeded in

T
A NOVEL WEAPON' OF DEFENSE. 205
the tumult. For suddenly the hard-pressed, smaller negro turned tail and broke through the crowd, fol lowed madly by his enemy. Across the playground, they ran, then out over a sweet-potato field, the smoke of their lire-brands streaming after them. The unhappy fugitive finally took refuge in his cabin, and two hours later his wife appeared "before Mrs. Oarroll to plead his cause, with tears, and ob tain salve for his burns.
It was all over very quickly, but left an impres sion none the less vivid on Albert--an impression as of something brutal, wild, and devilish ; for the combatants in the heat of the fight suggested no loss than two dusky liends of the very abyss. Yet the experience had its use. As indicated, tire rec ollection, of it helped to suggest to Albert the best means of defense within reach at a very critical mo ment.
It was now nearly dark, and, descending from the tree, the boys built a large fire, afterward, "with torches in hand, gathering a quantity of "wood for the night. At Albert's suggestion they then sur round ed themselves with a wide circumference of smaller fires.
" "We needn't be afraid that bear will conic back now," said Tom, when the circle had been

206 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
completed and lie had thrown himself down by the larger fire.
" No. We are protected from animals and snakes, too, if -what they say is true," said Albert. te "What about this crane ?" lie asked a moment later, disengaging it from his belt. " I'm tired of totiir it."
" Cook it and let's eat it," voted Tom. But there was no water and no way to cook any thing. However, a doubtful experiment was pro posed and tried. Tliey cut off the head and feet and singed off the feathers, and when the large fire liad burned down, raked a hole in the blazing em bers, put the bird in and covered it up, " I tell you what we must do," remarked Tom, a short while later : " "Wo must leave liere soon in the morning and try to get out of the swamp before night." u What 7"hope is, that this is not an island at all, but a peninsula leading out to the main-land," said Albert. " Well," said Tom., tl the first thing we do in the morning innst bo to start and g~o till we go all around it. Then we'll find out." In about an h.our they raked the crane out of the fire, finding its exterior to be a charred black

A NOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE. 207
crisp nearly half an inch deep. I3nt when this had been trimmed off, they found portions of the flesh beneath tolerably 'well cooked, though far from tempting. The lean, stringy flesh tasted fishy and needed salt; it was also slightly bitter, which pos sibly resulted from their failure to extract the gall bladder. Albert declared that it was worse than a " twenty-year-old chicken," and his stomach soon turned against it. The taste of honey was still in his mouth, and though he was in great need of snbstantial food, he did not feel hungry. Tom, however, ate a good slice, afterward giving about half of "what remained to Trip.
" I -wonder if Jim has got back yet," spoke up Albert a little later.
" If he hasn't, "Venus must be scared half to death," said Tom, beginning to nod,
In a short time both boys lay asleep, while Trip, curled up near them, kept one eye open for possible danger, after the manner of faithful dogs. Tom got a good many hours of sound sleep, but Albert whose diet of haws and honey did not lie -well on his stomach after such a long fast, suffered from night mare after nightmare. First, a rabbit crossed the barrier of fires, -walking on its hind legs, and, delib erately squatting- on his forehead, nibbled off the

208 A"71T(? TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS,
hapless boy's nose. Then an enormous snake glided in between, two of the fires and, engaged him. In mortal combat, fire-brands being the weapon op posed to its poisonous fangs. And lastly a tiger vaulted clear over the largest fire and seized the terrified boy, who cried out in. prayer for deliver ance and immediately awoke.
Ifc "was now past midnight and the fires were very low. Some wild animal or animals prowled in tlio vicinity, for Trip stood upon his feet and looked uneasy. Albert dreaded to walk around tlio circle alone while replenishing the fires, and longed to call Tom, but after reflection decided that he would not do so until actual danger appeared. So, with a fast-beating heart he walked around and per formed the duty all by himself, being very careful always to keep within the circle.
Soon after the light blazed up. Trip lost his watchful air and lay down again. Reassured, Al bert lay down also, and presently went back to sleep and to nightmare. "When ho again awoke, it was "within an hour of daylight, and during the in terim something had occurred which immediately attracted his attention. Fire from their camp had stolen through the dry grass to the bee-tree, feeding upon the littered chips at its base and mounting

T
A HOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE. 209
thence up the side of tlie tree it self, tridcli was now burning1, \vitli an occasional break, from root to top. The whole neighborhood was brilliantly lighted, and, as if now confident of their security, the dog lay sound asleep.
Albert Jid not hesitate to call Tom this time. The tree might fall, and they were near enough, to be in danger, should it fall in their direction. Tom being aroused and the tree pointed out to him, after consultation they agreed to remain, where they were for the present and keep on the watch. They knew by certain signs, with which by this time they "were familiar., that morning was near, and felt that it would not require a great effort to keep awake dur.ing the interval.
It was while they were sitting about the fire a quarter of an hour later that Albert felt something drop on his hand, arid, looking to see what it was, found a dead bee.
" Those poor bees ! " he exclaimed, looking to ward the burning tree, " They are nearly all dead by now, I reckon."
" Tes ; and all their honey will be bttrnod up, too."
"It is too bad," continued Albert. "I am al most sorry we ever found the tree." Then after a

210 EINQ TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
moment: i They are such, wonderful little creatures. Just think how they can smell flowers from a long distance, go there, get the honey, and como Lack in a straight line."
" And how they save up their honey for winter time, and drive out all the lazy "bees that haven't helped to get it," said Tom.
" And Uncle John says they arrange their waxcells in the form of a city, with streets to go out and come in," continued Albert. " And they build a sort of palace for the queen-bee and keep it guarded, and really have a sort of government."
" You might suppose they could think in their little heads and reason just like we do," said Tom.
" But they don't," rejoined Albert, and again quoted his uncle. " Uncle John says it isn't that. He says it's a fine instinct that they have ; lie says they are gifted from heaven with such a fine in stinct because they perform such a good use in. fur nishing the world with honey and with was for candles. He says this wonderful instinct is im planted in them as soon as they are born. That's the great difference between animals and people; people have to be taught everything gradually."
" Yes--that's so ! " exclaimed Tom in wonder. " I never thought of that before. A little baby

T
A NOVEL WEAPON OF DEFENSE. 211
doesn't know anything, except how to breathe--and how to cry j but little animals know all they ever know as soon as they are born. That's so strange. It almost looks as if animals were smarter than men."
" Uncle John explained that to me once," saidAlbert, thoughtfully ; " but I'm afraid I could'nt ex plain it to yon now, Tom."
However, Tom demanded the explanation, and Albert tried to give it.
" Little animals are smarter than little babies at first,' 1 he said. "All they ever know is given them at the start, because they need it so that they can take care of themselves. Uncle John said the dif ference was, because an animal had no soul and was a form created for this world only. Uut man was created -with a soul which would live forever, and that made him capable of being taught everything, even of being taught about heaven and our Creator, and made him capable of loving the Lord and being regenerated. He said man was capable of going on improving to all eternity, but a beast could mot ad vance at all--so that is why -we begin at the begin ginning and animals start where they end.'1 '
Sitting, while thus they talked, in the strong light of the burning tree, the daylight stole upon
*

312 KING TOM AND Jim? HUNAWAYS.
them ere they suspected that it was near. Rising, they began their preparations to move forward.
" "Wo ought to eat some more of that crane be fore we start on our tramp," said Tom.
But, on looking, they found only the remnants of a few bonos. They had made no provision to secure it the night before, and Trip had made it his property.
""Why, Trip," exclaimed Tom, in rebuke, "you ought to bo ashamed of yourself, sir ! I thought you had more honor."
But Trip only wagged his tail, and snuffed and whined in a very Innocent "way.
"You don't count on honor in a yellow ciir-dog, do you 3 " asked Albert, smiling. " It was onr fault."
At this moment the burning tree began to crack at about its middle, and in a second or two the upper half toppled. The boys promptly took to their heels, but the precaution was needless; the blazing tree-top crashed down through the trees and brash in the opposite direction.

CHAPTER XVII.
THE END OF Tliir----THE EETKEAT.
SUPPT.TJ.XG themselves with bundles of the noi? valuable llglitwoocl, the boys started forward in the broadening' daylight, intending first of all to dis cover whether they were on an island or a pcninpnla. A white mist 1m tig over the neighborhood, And it was not possible to see distinctly for any distance ahead., but by carefully following the elop ing line of demarkatlon between the higher ground and the flooded bottoms they knew they were sure to make the circuit of the island, if island it was.
The ground was comparatively favorable for travel, and in an liour's time their task was accom plished ; for they then found themselves near the spot where they Lad landed, proving that the hoped for peninsula did not exist. Making a rough cal culation, they decided that the is]and "was something less than half a mile long by about a quarter of a mile in width. The mist was now lifting from the

214 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
marsli, and tho spectral tops of tlic trees on the little cypress island could be seen in tlie dis tance.
" "We've got to take to the mud and -water again/"' said Torn. " Tlie question is, which way to go ? "
Albert suggested that they needed to supply themselves -with long sticks as before, and they then turned into the \voods to procure them. While so engaged the dog, till now for some time out of sight, suddenly joined them and at oiieo attracted their attention by his behavior. Trip was greatly excited. The hair on his back "was ruffled, his "bark was a half whine, and Ins tail was lowered. Casting a warning look of almost human intelligence at the two boys, he turned and bayed fiercely at a cluster of thick-leaved limbs about twenty feet from tlie ground a short distance away.
Looking fearfully upward, the boys presently saw the tail of some large animal of the cat family oscillating among the leaves "with a nervous, irregu lar movement that was terrible in its suggestion of smothered anger. They remembered to have been told that the tail of a panther moved back and forth in that way when the beast was crouching

Trip arid the; Panther.

THE EZTI> OF TRIP--THE RETREAT. 215
for a spring, and wove immediately conscious of the danger hanging over them.
" It's a panther! " whispered Tom, and with leaping hearts, the two boys turned and fled.
But they had hardly taken three steps -when, with a terrible growl, the great cat tore through the branches encompassing her, and sprang at them. The distance was too great, however, and the beast struck tlic ground some ten feet in their rear. A second leap would, easily have landed lier upon her prey, and the death of one or both boys would have been only a matter of moments. But the brave dog was there, ancl, before the panther could gather herself for another leap, protected their re treat by offering battle. A glance over their shoul ders showed the boys the two animals rolling over the ground fast in each other's grip and tearing np the grass and brush, while growling and siiarling in the most horrible way.
Trip was a large, strong (log, with a good set of teeth, and by no means ill-equipped for a hard fight. But, as the panther was twice his size, and armed with terrible teeth and claws, the chances wore that the poor dog would soon succumb. How ever, at the moment of contact, the cat being then in a position, of some disadvantage, Trip sue-

316 KING- TOM AND THE IlTTFAWAJ'S.
ceedcd in fastening his teeth in her throat, and kept his grip throughout, in spite of every oppos ing effort. Throwing herself on her back or side, the cat would, bring her great hind claws toward her throat and endeavor to tear the dog away from this vital part, and though tin successful in this, with every attempt she inflicted terrible wounds upon his body, tearing away hide and ncuh.
Such a struggle could not last long. Should Trip succeed in sinking his teeth deep enough, the panther might eventually bleed to death, but long before she could bo weakened down the noble dog's nether parts would literally bo torn to shreds.
" It's no use to run ! " cried Albert, as they stum bled headlong over a pine log about a hundred, yards away, having failed to leap high enough in their frantic hurry. " The panther^! be sure to kill Trip in two minutes, and then she'll come and catch us."
As they picked themselves up, he pan ting! y pro posed that thoy set fire to the lightwood strapped on their backs, and ao try to frighten the panther away when she came. Tom could only agree, as their situation otherwise seemed hopeless; so thoy hurriedly loosened the bundles, and, squatting be hind the log, piled the ILrhtwood sticks thereon lengthwise, go that the whole extended three or four

TJJE END OF TRIP--THE RETREAT. 21?
feet, meanwhile applying- the match at a dozen dif-. fereiit points.
It is the virtue of rich tarry pine that it ignites immediately and "burns with remarkable rapidity, and now, although the hoys' efforts were robbed of nmch effectiveness by reason of their frantic haste and the trembling of their hands, hardly half a minute had passed before their plan was carried out and they "kneeled behind a breastwork of steadily growing flames.
The struggle between the wild beast and their faithful dog was now almost at an end. Tjoolciiig* over the fire toward the scene of fierce conflict, they saw the panther suddenly rise to her feet aiul shake oil: the clog, whose efforts now seemed only the striune of death. Then facing1 about and greedily sniffing the ground for a moment, she came bound ing toward them with a blood-curdling growl. Al bert turned sick and closed his eyes, and Tom could only with, a great effort refrain from springing to Ms feet and running away "with all his might.
They wore ready to believe that nothing could save them now ; but, when "within some twenty-five feet of the log with its crown of leaping flames, the panther suddenly halted and backed a foot or two, then stood irresolute, showing her grinning,, horrible

218 KIITG TO3f AND THE RUNAWAYS.
teeth, in a growl of wonder and alarm. Albert opened his eves and shuddered at sight of the ani mal's glaring, starting eyeballs so close at hand, but began to take hope that the experiment might suc ceed. The blood was flowing profusely from a wound in her throat, but the panther did not appear to be disabled.
It seemed to them that the seconds "were long minutes--minutes full of the agony of fluctuating hope and despair--while that terrible thing stood there and glared at them, offering neither to advance nor to retreat. Tom finally brought a certain relief by seizing a good-sized burning stick and pitching1 it at the beast. It flashed within half a foot of the panther's nostrils and dropped at her feet, evidently near enough for the heat and smoke to be felt, for she backed precipitately, uttering a savage growl. It "was au experiment involving the greatest risk, but Tom felt encouraged to proceed, arid now threw a second, a third, fourth, and fifth brand in rapid succession, which fell about the bewildered beast like a rain of fire.
The thing was done. Half growling, half whin ing in a troubled way, the panther backed still far ther, and turning abruptly, stole furtively into the woods, casting frightened backward glances at

THE EN'D OF TRIP--THE RKTREAT. 219
every step or two. The boys hardly changed their positions and dared not speak for two minutes, lest their terrible enemy sliould be angered afrcsli and return."*
At last Tom got upon his feet and looked about him. Seizing a couple of burning sticks for pro tection he jumped over the log and ran to where Trip lay. The poor brave clog was literally torn to pieces, and his last struggles had now ceased. Tom came back with tears streaming down his face.
"He's dead," he sobbed. Their only protection was now gone, and what were they to do ? An overwhelming panic seized on the two boys, and, without a word of proposition as to the route to take, they caught up burning brands and ilcd toward the marsh, plunging gladly into the mud. and water where the panther might possibly not care to follow them. Heaching the point whence Trip had wished to lead them another way across deepening water, they paused not a mo ment to consider, but, spurred on bv their fears, pressed forward with all energy over the backward
* The American panther (frlin concolor} is still to be found in the fastnesses of the great morass called the Okefinokcc Swamp in southeastern Georgia.

320 JT7JTC TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
track leading to Jim's island, the only place of safety toward which they knew tlio road.
' & I don't tliink it's mncb more than two miles," whispered .Albert, after an hour's journey, and as yet no siga of pursuit. " "We can got there before night at any rate."
" Oh, I hope Jim will be there! " groaned Tom. They passed the cypress island without stop ping. They looked distrustfully in among the trees, fearing some wild beast might be there to spring forth and rend thorn,, and so hurried by. Most tliankiul were they for the marsh, full of treacher ous bogs thoTigh it was, for it secured them from a covert attack. Long before they had crossed it the sun -was boiling hot, and the wet bottoms seemed almost to send up a stoam. The boys felt often faint and sick, but never ceased to struggle on. Their thirst was more intense than, on the day before because of their great haste, and from time to time they felt compelled to dip up a handful of the stagnant water and moisten their months, but forced themselves to refrain from swallowing more than a mouthful at long intervals. Toward two o'clock the marsh was left behind and they entered the dense swamp. An hour later

T
THE END OF TRIP--THE RETREAT. 221
they reached the spot -where they had built the sleeping platform, and, mounting it. lay down to rest and cool off", their panic having now subsided. For half an hour neither spoke nor moved. Then Albert took a handful of haws out of iris pocket and divided them with Tom, who devoured his share in a few seconds. Albert, however, after- ;i moment of reflection, put his own share back into his pocket.
" ~\Vhy don't you eat 'em ? " asked Tom, in sur prise.
" I was thinking I'd wait," said the boy in re ply, " If Jim hasn't got back yet, "Venus must be nearly starved to death."
Some half an hour later they rose wearily from the platform and made a new start.
"You know what I thought of this morning when we were kneeling behind that log with fire on it? " asked Albert abruptly, as they were moving away.
" "What ?"
a I thought of the people in old times who built fire 011 altars and prayed. And /"prayed--that the panther might not kill us."
"I am. glad you did it," said Tom, in an altered voice, " I did'n't think of it."

223 KING TOM- AND THE RUNAWAYS,
They soon sighted and passed the alligator pool, which now appeared to be less populous than two days before, and after a painful struggle reached Jim's island about six o'clock. "Walking in on the floating log, they sprang upon the firm shore and looked about them hopefully. But not a sound fell upon their expectant ears. Jim could not yet have returned, or if he had, he must now be gone again.
First of all they ran to the spring, and, throwing themselves on the ground, drank until their stom achs were dangerously full and they were weary from the exertion. Tom then sat up and looked about him, hut Albert rested his head upon his arm and lay prostrate for some minutes,
" I believe they've gone," said Tom, in a voice husky with despair.
He rose presently and walked toward the cabin, Albert following after some moments. On the way they passed near one of their traps and saw that it contained neither bait nor captured bird ; there was no hope of supper. Everything was quiet about the cabin, the door of which they found to be shut and barred from "within. Conld Jim have not come, then ? and was Venus still awaiting him within 2
" Vemis ! . . . O Venus!" called Tom, loudly. There was no answer. The island seemed as

THE ENfi OF TRIP--THE RETREAT. 223
still as a grave; not a leaf stirred. The boys looked at caeli other, with, failing hearts, signifi cantly.
" Hay "be she's down with the fever," suggested Albert, after a moment. "Uncle Seipio told them they were sure to catch it down here in the swamp, Venus said; and I thonght she looked a little fever ish about her eyes the day we left."
" "Well, this is the only way to settle it," said Tom at last, lifting his axe : and at that moment the faint wail of a baby sounded from within.
They called again and again, and then began to beat in the door. This required a great outlay of strength, and two or three times they paused dis couraged, but at last they effected an entrance. The bad, musty air nearly stifled them, but they pushed into the place and found the young negress lying beside her baby in a hot fever and delirious. She stirred as they bent down, to look at her, and muttered :
" JVte ? I don' mind, if only my milk bole out."

CHATTER XVIII.
LOOEura TowAim THE r.oiiDKKs OF ETKKNITY.
TUB boys turned and walked out of the cabin, tears starting in their eyes. " I'm afraid there's no hope for any of us/' said Albert, not daring to look at Tom.
"Well--if--if -we starve to death," said Tom, with a dangerous trembling of the voice, ' I--I hope they'll come and find us before we--begin-- to--to rot, because that would kill mamma! "
Then the boy cast restraint to the winds and burst out crying. Albert tried to comfort him, but "was soon sobbing with him. They sat down on the grass together, forgetting that they "were big boys and crying like little ones.
It was now growing dart, and, drying their eyes, the boys presently rose, gathered "wood, and built a fire--their anguish of mind giving place to more cheerful feelings almost as soon as they began thus to move about. They then brought water

LOOKING- TOWARD ETERNITY.

225

from the spring, and, while Tom held a torch, Al bert entered tlio cabin and gave some to both mother and baby, and otherwise endeavored so far as ho knew how to make them more comfortable.
After this there seemed nothing left for them to do but to He down and try to sleep, so Albert pro posed that they build a number of small iires as on. tlie previous night, making a wide semicircle to protect their sides and feet while they lay with their heads to the cabin. He believed with reason, that the arrangement would be an excellent onc? for, while it secured them from the attack of wild, beasts, it would dry and render more wholesome the damp night air of the swamp.
Tom willingly agreed; and while engaged in carrying out the plan they both remained in a calm and, to a certain, degree, hopeful state, although so hungry, but as soon as they lay down and became quiet their minds were prey to anguishing thoughts. Seven days had now passed since they started on their ill-fated expedition, and the thought of the anxiety and grief endured by Mrs. Carroll (who must ere this have returned from Savannah), coupled with the hopelessness of their own condition and prospects, caused them mental snffermg of a very severe kind for boys of their ago. Yearning for

226 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
sympathy, tliey lay very close to each other, and passed a miserable night of alternate restless slum ber and complete wakefulness.
Early in the morning they visited their traps only to find them all empty. Staying their stom achs with a quantity of palmetto root, they provided themselves each with a mouthful of sweet-gum, and began to discuss the plan of knocking down some of the little swamp birds with small lightwood knots, as being a more speedy means of capture. During the next hour they wearied themselves out in this attempt, and all for nothing, for the wary birds either kept wholly out of range or nimbly avoided every missile whatsoever.
Almost immediately after the cessation of this unwonted bodily exercise, their stomachs revolted against the diet of palmetto root, and the boys lay on the grass for two hours deathly sick with nausea and retching. They were finally forced to rise and seek shelter in the cabin from a heavy thunder storm which for some time had been threatening.
First the sky grew black and the wind came roaring through the bending trees, "wresting all the dead limbs loose and sending thorn obliquely down ward with dull splashes into the water, twisting off the green leaves by the thousands and starting them

LOOSING TOWARD ETERNITY.

227

on a giddy dance through, the air, and drowning out the jubilant -whistling of the rain-crows ; then the lightning, making of the swampy depths a swim ming sea of night and flame ; then the thunder, wluc'h jarred, nay seemed to crack the very earth, splitting the rocks which hold the Titans clown, and mingling its grumbling after-roar with the volume of' their Itojirso groainngs j and then the rain, first as a white, ghostly wall advancing through the long green aisles, then as a tumultuous down pour from the brimming mist-pails of the shy,
13ut the boys were too ill and unhappy to see anything in this grandeur to enjoy. The thunder and lightning- only made them start and shudder, and in the fall of the ram they saw only that the wetting of the ground would increase their misery.
Toward noon, however, -when the storm was over and the sun. had come out, Tom began to feel better. As a result he was soon proposing and earnestly urging that they again leave Jim's island and attempt to find their way out of the swamp. He had been going1 over in miiid their experience of the past two days, and the probable significance of Trip's action just before they reached the larger island now for the first time occurring to him, his hopes were high that, should they return to that

228 KINO- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
point and push forward in the direction which the dog had indicated, they would soon escape from the swain p.
What about the terrible panther and possible other panthers ? They must take the risk--that was all. One might as well be killed by a wild beast as to sit down and starve--and, after all, need they ne cessarily be killed even if they should again encount er a panther? Had they not an axe, a hatchet, and two butcher knives, beside that wonderful and powerful weapon, fire ? Tom was reco veriug his spirit. And as for Venus and her baby, "what good could they do either by remaining where they were ? It was rather their duty to try to escape from the swamp and then "bring back a rescuing party.
Albert listened quietly to all this, and then an swered : " You would bo right, Tom, if we were not so weakened down. I don't think either of us is strong enough; I fcnow I'm not. I'd break down before we "were half-way, and I--I'd rather die here than in water tip to my waist or out there oil that marsh."
But Tom talked as stoutly as ever, declaring that Albert exaggerated his weakness. He carried his point finally, persuading his cousin to a reluct-

LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY.

239

ant consent, and soon after the matter was settled they were ready to start. But when they bad walked down to the lower end of the island, and Torn, was about to step out on the floating log, Al bert suddenly turned faint and dropped to a seat on the ground.
" I can't go," he articulated, with great short ness of breath--" I can't do it/'
" Oh, come on! " urged Tom, impatiently, and stepping forward, his foot crushed down on the tail of a little black water-moccasin, which bent upward hi a twinkling and struck him just above his right ankle, then slipped qrdckly out of sight.
" Oh, I am bitten ! " cried the boy, in horror-- " bitten by a moccasin ! "
The urgency of the need brought back Albert's strength. " We haven't any whisky/' ho said, quickly getting upon his feet, " but there's another way I've heard abont. Gome, let's run to the spring.'*
They did so, and when Tom had hurriedly taken of his shoo and stocking, Albert washed the wotin d (which Lad the appearance of little more than a mere scratch) and, applying his lips to it, sacked out the blood with all his might.
" Don't be afraid, Tom," he said, encouragingly,

230 KING- TOM A3T& TILE RUNAWAYS.
after ejecting tlie first mouthful. "I clou't think such a little moccasin as that can be very poisonous. It must have been a young one. . . . It's a good thing I haven't a sore mouth," he added, after ejecting the second mouthful.
But Tom was wildly alarmed; Iris spirit was all gone out of Irim, and he submitted like a child to his cousin's management. Sucking out the blood until no more would come, Albert carefully washed out his mouth and. assisted Tom in putting on his shoe. lie then made the frightened boy lie down on the grass (which 'was now dry enough) near the cabin and keep quiet. Tom's imagination led him through a good deal of torture, but the only physi cal result of the poisonous bite was a considerable swelling accompanied by pain and soreness in the paz'tSj all of which had passed away in less than forty-eight hours. Albert attributed this happy issue partly to his own prompt action, and partly to the fact that the snake was a " young one."
Until the swelling had entirely disappeared, however, Tom thought his case was desperate, during the greater part of the time lying helplessly upon the grass ; and by the time all signs of poison had passed away, he had become so weak from want of food that he showed no disposition to talk fur-

LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY.

231

ther about his plan of making a second attempt to leave the swamp.
" I tliink Providence was in it," said Albert, on the second morning after Tom liad been bitten. " If we had not been stopped in that way, we might nave gone on. and got lost and fallen down, ex hausted and died in the swamp. We are not a great deal better off here, but help may come yet," lie added, wistfully.
An hour or two afterward Albert began carving an inscription on one of the trees. Had he begun this task on tb.e first day of their enforced stay on the island, when the romance of the situation still appealed to his imagination, he would have per formed it "with no small degree of enthusiasm, choosing the most florid and startli ng rl i etoric "which ho had at command. His feelings were very different now? and involuntarily he chose the simplest and shortest mode of expressing what was necessary.
The inscription was his own suggestion--as was always the case now. He had become leader, not from, the desire to lead, but from what the scientists term natural selection.. In every sport, in a fight or any struggle involving physical danger or suffering, Tom would have led with the greatest clash; but

283 KING TOM. AND THE RUNAWAYS,
now bo was helpless, looking always to his cousin for comfort and encouragement.
" Albert," said. Tom, wcmderiugly, once that day, " I used to think you -were a great coward, "but I believe you arc braver than I am. You seem so now anyhow. . . . And you are a heap 'b&tier" ho added, generously. " I wish I was as good a boy as you are, Albert."
" I am not a good boy, Tom," was the prompt and earnest answer,
"Yes, you are." " You don't know," rejoined Albert, with a fleeting smile. " I only wish I was as generous and open as you, Tom. I've done worse things than you ever did," he added, with a profound sigh. " I'd like to know what! " " I have been proud and conceited. I have de spised other people for not being as smart as I thought I "was. And Uncle John, says that is the very worst ih ing," he added, with another deep sigh. " Worse than whippm' little niggers almost for nothing ? " " Yes, worse than that, I think." " I used to do that just for fun," added Tom, regretfully.

LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY.

233

Tlie gnawing at his stomach. was more severe when he stood upon his feet, and Albert cut out the letters only a foot or two from the ground, so that he might sit while at work. "When finished the inscription, read :

T031 OAIETSOLL, ALBERT HORUI3, AST) A T-OITJSTG- NEG-BO WOilAN 1STAMED VENTJS
HAVE BEEN WITHOUT FOOI> FOR SIX DA.TTS OK THIS ISLAND.

IF HELP DOES WOT
COME us" TIAIE TH'RZ WILL STARVE.
JUJ^E xii, I85G.

The three succeeding days were like a dream-- a wretched, fevered dream. j^To further attempt was made to procure tho palmetto root or other food. A torpor of body and an apathy of mind grew on the boys, their physical suffering becoming less and less acute, but their strength meanwhile deei'casing none the less surely. They sat or lay upon a blan ket spread upon the grass night and day, Tom scarcely ever rising and Albert but rarely. Except when the baby wailed, the stillness seemed intense, though after the day broke the swamp birds flut-

234 RING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
tered here and there and cliirped with saddening clieerfulness, and all day long- the breeze swam through the swamp with soft rustlings and moaiiiugs. Then, when the shadows of night had envel oped the island, there came the soft voices of the doves as they sought their nightly perch., and ever and anon the harsh croak of larger birds. Never theless, a death-like, brooding4 stillness seemed al ways there, pursuing the hapless boys even in their dreams.
Albert was the weaker of the two, but it -was he who kept the fires going at night, who fetched the water from the spring- and put it by the spoon
ful between the parolied lips of the delirious negrcss several times a day, who placed the wailing baby where it could reach its mother's breast (though not sure that this was wise), and who tried to keep up a good heart and comfort poor despairing Tom.
"I dreamed of flying last night," said Albert on the eighth clay, with an attempt at cheerful ness. "It's the first time since I was a little bit of a boy. I nsed to -want to fly so much when I was little that I dreamed about it nearly all the time."
" If I could fly now, I'd rise right up above

LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY.

235

these trees and go straight home," said Tom, with starting tears. After a long- pause, lie added ; " 3Iay "be we'll fly after we are dead, Albert; that's what they say."
"I don't think so," answered Albert, thought fully. a l asked Uncle John one day, and he said angels wore men and women--not birds."
" I can't bear to think of dying," whispered Tom, a little later. " Aren't yon afraid, Albert? "
" Sometimes I am," was the boy's answer, " but not when I think of what Uncle John says. He says it's nothing to be afraid of--it's just like going to sleep. And when, we wake tip in three days our spiritual bodies will be just like our natural bodies, and everything around us will look so much like everything here, that we can hardly believe it's all in the other world. And he says when we first wake up we will seem to be right where we died, so when we wake np, Tom, I reckon at first we1 !! think -we are "right here on this island. But after a while we'll see that we are not, and we'll -walk about and meet people and speak to them, and--"
" And I'll meet papa," interrupted Tom, with a glow of expectation, which presently died out and gave place to a vaguo misgiving.

23G KING TOM AND THE RUN'A.WAYS.
" Yes, and I'll meet my father and mother," said Albert, with the same glow of anticipation.
" -But, oh, I'm afraid, Albert/' whispered Tom, uneasily. " If I only was sure papa would be right there when I woke up ! "
" Uncle John says our Heavenly Father can take care of us a great deal better than our own. father can," was Albert's rejoinder, as he looked dreamily upward through the tree-tops.
An expression of relief came over Tom's face., and he suddenly asked: a Have you been saying your prayers since we've been in the swamp, Albert \ "
" Yes--every night." " So have I--since the first two nights. I always forget my prayers when I go away from home," Tom added, honestly. A little while after that Albert dragged himself down to the spring for more water. He could scarcely walk. His feet seemed heavy and his head light; sudden flushes of heat, accompanied by verti go, started the perspiration on his brow. As he got on his knees and bent down to dip up the water, in a sudden access of weakness his head dropped forward upon the grass and rested there a few minutes ere he could rise. At once he thought

LOOKING TOWARD ETERNITY,

337

of liis position as an attitude of prayer, and opened his lips to pray; but tlic words were not ultima ted even in whispers, such, was Ms weakness. Never theless, they went up "ward, asking for Divine pro tection--asking that, in spite of past selfishness and wrong-doing In thought and act, a love for the good and true might, when lie died, lead him to -shun the place of the wicked and seek the presence of the angels. " And may it be so with Toin and "Venus, too. And comfort poor Annt Mary and Jim when they come and find us dead, O Heavenly Father ! Amen."
The next morning--the ninth day--the boy made Ms last visit to the spring. His strength was gone. On his way back, carrying a pail half full of water, he fell to the ground in a faint. Conscious ness returned in a short time, but he could not rise, arid was obliged to crawl the remainder of the dis tance, stopping to rest every few moments. A de gree of strength returned to him later, but he was able to do very little cither for Tom or for Venus that day, and when night came and he had managed to put wood on the fires, he fell rather than lay down on the blanket beside his cousin.
"Tom/? he whispered, as soon as lie felt strong enough, " I'm afraid I -won't be able to get up again.

238 KING- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
... If wo are going to die, I hope it -will be to night," he added. "Another day would be too--"
" Oh, no," objected Tom, plaintively; " I'd rather risk another day. JVIay be Jim. will come to-morrow."
Albert suddenly lost consciousness from sheer -weakness, and made no reply. Thinking his cousin was asleep, Tom lay still and watched the flickering lights and shadows around and above him. till he also lost himself in a feverish doze.
It was about eight o'clock when, once more wide awake, Tom. all at once heard a sound which prompted him to raise himself on his arm. and listen intently. The sound, which suggested a halloo faint and far away, presently came again, this time louder and more distinct.
"Albert! Albert!" called Tom, trembling -with excitement, when the sound had reached his ear a third time. "Albert, I heard something--some body holloed. Albert! "
But Albert neither moved nor spoke in answer.

CHAPTER XIX.
WHAT THE MATTEli "WAS.
THB Adams farm, togctlier with everything per taining thereto, was regarded with more or less of contempt by every negro belonging to the Carroll plantation. Jim hated old man Adams, the heir-ap parent Bill, and every one of their black retainers whom lie had ever encountered ; they -were a mean lot. Therefore, when he and his dog emerged from the dark precincts of the swamp at one o'clock in the morning in search of provisions, he turned his steps in the direction of the Adams domain. He knew that he could get what he wanted on the Oarroll plantation more easily and safely, but in Jim's philosophy it "was more noble to steal from those one despised than from those one respected and admired.
Three hours later, on his return from a suc cessful raid on the Adams smoke-house, the negro was unluckily tempted to climb the fence of a little

240 EINQ TOM AND TUE RUNAWAYS.
patch wherein young PJill Adams cultivated with great care and pride a particularly fine species of water-melon called the Pierson. Jim carried a bag of corn-meal, a bag of wheat flour, and a large ham, but this was not enough--a fine Pierson melon was yot needed to complete his happiness. So over the fence ho wont. Prom the appearance of the east ern sky, he knew that day would soon break--in less than half an hour it might be--and that there fore the greatest haste "was necessary. Put such was his forgetfulness and greed that lie deliberately searched the whole patch, content only with the finest and ripest melon to be had.
Alas, pool' Jim ! Coming upon his prize at last, he "was in the act of stooping down to thump and pick it, when suddenly there was a startling click, and an instant later he knew that the mouth of a steel-trap had closed upon his right foot. The ne gro fell to the earth with a yell of pain and re mained there groaning, twisting and struggling to release himself till the day began to break and he perceived the figures of two men looming against the dim, dewy horizon. The dog had meanwhile remained, beside his master, and now sprang up barking at the approaching men. As soon as they drew near and stooped to look at him (Trip having

WHAT THE HATTER WAS.

241

first been put to flight), Jim began to beg piteously :
" Oh, do. mawater! Do, please, tek dat t'ing off er me. Hit's a-bithi' rae--hit's a-killin' me ! Oh. do, mawster, turn me loose an' leinme go--do-- please f "
The men made no answer, and, squatting- down, leisurely tied their captive's hands together. This done, with a concerted, forceful effort, they sprung the trap and allowed the marauder's bleeding foot to be withdrawn. Jim. now saw that his captors were negroes, and addressed them earnestly :
" Look yuh, mens, turn me loose an' lemme go. Dis won' do. Dem w'ite boys down in de swamp yawnder waltin' on me."
" "Wilt you gine do wid 'im, Cis'ro ? " one of the negroes then asked of the other, who appeared to be first in authority.
" Lock 'im iip in de lil corn-crib tell Mars' Bill kin git a look at 'im." Saying which, Cicero lifted Jim to his feet with, a jerk, and forced him forward, the other negro meanwhile picking up the stolen provisions and following.
At the door of the corn-crib a short distance away, Jim made a still more earnest appeal:
" Look yuh, mens, I's a-tellin' yer de traie, yer

242 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
year me ! I's a runaway wufc b'long ter de Carroll plantation, an' me an' Venus been livin' on a islan' clown clerc in de swamp, an' dem w'ite boys, IVlas' Tommy Carroll an' Mas' Albert Morris, come in dere fishin' an' got loss an' got dey boat fas'n', an' I went an' fotch 'em ter de islan', an' dere dey is right now wid Venus, an' am' got no way ter git out er dat swamp tell I git back wid de boat. An' ef I don' git back soon an' khye * 'em sump'n t' eat,' dey gwine tor starve ter def, yer year me! Dey am' got nut'n lef ter eat--not a blessed t'ing--an' dey gwine ter starve ter def, 'caze nobody dmmcr w'ere dey is but me. Oh, look yuh, mens, don' lock me up in dis crib ! Turn me loose an' lemmc go. Yon-all kin tek de rations ef yer des turn me loose."
" Oh, shut yer niout* an' quit talkin' ser much foolishness!" commanded Cicero, angrily, then stooped to tie Jim's feet together with a small rope, the other negro meanwhile laughing and remarking, in substance, that " me an' Cis'ro" were birds too old and experienced to be caught by such chaff.
Jim begged harder still, but, the door being now opened, they answered only by lifting him between
* Carry.

WHAT THE MATTER WAS.

343

them, and, after a swing or two, pitching him head long into a pile of shucks, which was all that the crib contained. Leaving him to squirm and twist as best he might till he had brought his head to the snrfacc, meanwhile tilling his lungs with the white choking; dust arising- from the pile, the negroes locked the door and turned away.
" How we gwine V-yide de rations, Cis'ro 3" asked the other negro. That they should appro priate the same appeared to be a matter of course which needed no discussion.
"You gimme de ham an' de bag er meal," re plied Cicero, quietly possessing himself of the arti cles as they were named ; " you gimme dese, an' you kin tele de sack er flour."
"" ISTow look ynh, Cis'ro, you don' call dat fair ? " demanded the other negro, plaintively. "Yon tuck de bes' an' de mo'es', too"--in fact, the lion's share.
" Look yuh, Peter Adams, -who you foolin' wid ?" cried the angry Oicero, -with a pugnacious air. " ITer better tek dat flour while yer got de chance--ycr year me ? "
Peter did hear, and, being the weaker of the two, could only nimbly possess himself of his por tion of the spoils without more ado.

244 KI'NO TOM AND THE RUNA WA Y3.
An hour later the burly and bullying Cicero led a horso out to the gate in front of the Adams roof-tree, and in a few moments young Master Bill--a- large, sal low youtli of eighteen or nineteen--walked out and sprang into the saddle. This was the young bully who had fought with Tom on unequal terras one day m the "woods the year before, and who had been prevented from overpowering the younger boy by Jim's cunning expedient of throwing a lightwood knot under his heels -while the two were wrestling. One glance at his face was sufficient to indicate the type to which he belonged : he was of that coarse breed who give the rein to all their passions--who drink to excess, swear like troopers, shoot, cut, and die in their boots.
" Mars' Bill, yer got time ter come down ter do fur corn-crib ?" asked Cicero.
"Ko; what fur ?" " De steel-trap cotch a nigger las' night, an' we got 'im lock' up down dere." Bill Adams swore forcibly, so great was his pleasure at this intelligence. At last the opportunity to reckon with the thief -who dared lay hands on his beautiful melons was come. " Ts it one our nig gers?" he asked. " l^"o, suh ; hit's a strange nigger."

WHAT THE MATTER WAS.

245

"Well, I ain't got time to stop now. Keep 'im locked up and feed 'im till I git back. Let 'im stay there in that ole corn-crib -- that'll be as good a place as any."
" All right, Mars' Bill." Cicero then related Jim's story of the two white boys whose lives depended on his return to the swamp, mentioning the names of Torn and Albert. "I'UK mose ready ter b'lievc dat nigger 'uz tellin' de trofe--'e talk so straight an' beg so pitiful," he concluded. " Yo' foot!" was young Adams's contemptuous rejoinder. " Ain't you got no better sense Tn that ? He jcs' tole you all that great rigermarole to git you to turn him loose." The young man hesitated, however, and seemed of half a mind to go down and interview the capt ured nogro. " jSTo; I ain't got time now," he said finally, with an impatient gesture. " Anyhow, if that man nish boy's gone and got himself in such a scrape, 'tain't none er my lookout. I owe him a beat'ii', and he'll ketch it some cr these days. . . . ISTo ; you jcs' hold on to him till I git back, Cicero. It's nothin' but lies--all that tale ! " " Yer pa done gone ter cote, ain't he, liars'

246 KXRG TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
Bill 1" asked the negro, as the young man was ready to ride off.
" Yes ; he went yistcrday." " Wen yer-all gwine ter git back ? " " I dumier when, exactly. "We've got a ease aginse Cuii'l Darcy, and we ought to be in town all durin' cote week. But one of us '11 git home 'most every night to take a look around." The county seat "was more than twenty miles away, and young Adams knew that neither his father nor himself would return even for the night till court adjourned, some eight or nine days later, but he thought it bad policy to tell the negro this. " ~W"e leave everything in your charge, Cicero," he added, " and you must keep them niggers straight." " All right, Mars' Bill ; you kin 'pen' on me," replied Cicero, -with a grin. Then, as he opened the gate : " Is dat case wid Cuii'l Darcy 'bout dat lumber, Mars' Bill ? " " Yere," replied Mars' Bill, and "was off. " Cun'l Darcy '11 whistle 'fo' 'e gain clat case," remarked Cicero musingly, as he lingered at the gate. " Cun'l Darcy," he continued, with an air of large experience, " is one er dese yrih mens v/ut won' swear ter nut'n but de trufe, an'^wut kin he do 'gin.se Mars' Ttiley and Mars' Bill? Dey^ll swear

WSAT THE MATTER WAS.

247

to anyt'ing, des so dey gain de case. Gun'1 Darcy in de right, you see 'im so. !Dat lumber we sawed fer him wus green, and I know mighty well hit must 'a warped lak de ve'y devil. Yes-suh-ree! Cuu'l Darcy ought ter gain dat case by rights--but shoo ! "
Evidently Cicero's mind was made up about the issue of that case.

Early one afternoon, something' more than a week later, it happened that Tom's good friend, Mrs. Hardshell, made a call at the place of a certain Mrs. Scruggs, of cracker pedigree, whose husband rented a few acres of land from " old liiley " Ad ams. Mrs. Scruggs, a sallow, homely "woman of middle age, with a snuff-stick in her mouth, was seated serenely on the threshold of her little house when the visitor appeared.
" Well, I'll declare ef that ain't Sophy Hard shell ! " she exclaimed, rising and discovering that she was barefoot. " "Why, how you come on, So phy
Mrs. Hardshell replied that she was " jes so as to be about," and, being invited, seated herself in a raw cowhide chair under a small china-berry tree near the door.

248 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" Mandy she's up ter the Adamses, an' 'Zekicl he's gone ter town, an' pap he's down yander in the field sidln' corn, so I'm h-yer all by my lone self," said Mrs. Scruggs. " You jes' come iii the nick o' time, Sophy."
" .How's Mandy these days 3 " asked Mrs. Hard shell.
""Well, she jes' sort o' hangs betwixt an' be tween. Iu-ginnerly she's up an' about, doin' 'er work an' looldn' tolcr'ble p-yert, but now and agin she gits mighty bad off. "We had ter git the cloc' fer 'er a Sunday. Pap he's powerful sot fernent havin' a doc', an' went on turrible, but atter Mandv tuck the jiggers an' fell Blab-dab down on the no', I jes' up an' lowed the doc' had ter come--ther' wa'n't no use a-talkin'. Pap was scared, too, an' that time he got on the critter an' rid fer the doc' mighty quick. Mandy got better by night," she added.
Mrs. Hardshell was now provided with a small twig from the nearest peach tree, and, having chewed the end of it, the two women were soon contentedly " dipping" snuff as they talked. It may be well to explain that to " dip snuff " is to take up a small amount of the compound on the end of a "chawed" stick and rub it about in the

WHA.T THE MA.TTEH WAS,

349

mouth. Tlie art of taking snuff through the nos trils is unknown among Sou.tn.erii crackers.
" They tell me that 'ere po' JVIis' Carroll is plum deestracted," remarked Mrs. Hardshell,' in the course of their conversation.
" Deestracted 'bout what ? " " "Why, ain't you h-yern tell about little Tom Oarroll an' that 'ere other hoy runmn' off 'wav the early part 'o las' week an' nair one ain't been li-yeared furn, an' nobody kin find out what's gone with 'em? " " Do fer gracious' sake ! !N~o." fi "When Mis' Carroll come home fum Savannah an' found It out, they say she tuck on. plum' turrible. She's had people runnin' all over the country huntin' fer them boys an' axin' cf any body's seen 'em, an' she sont all the way ter town tcr put hit in the paper, but the paper don't come out tell ter-day---an' that po' 'oman is plum dc extracted." " "What you reckon's gone wi* them boys^ Sophy ? " (< Mis' Carroll thinks mebby they gone walkin' ter Savannah, but she's telegraphed two three times an.' can't hear nothin'. Some thinks one thing- an' some another, but I think they must 'a

250' JriHTG TOM AND TUE RUNAWAYS.

went huntin' some'rs down in that swamp, an'

bogged up an' couldn't git out."

A sudden gleam shot across Mrs. Scruggs's

faded eyes. " "Why, look-a h-yer ! " she ejaculated ;

" that puts me in mind o' what they say that

runaway nigger up at the Adamses' keeps a-say-

in'. I h-yeared it day fo' yistiddy," she added,

4 ' but I paid no 'tention ter it. I kriowed in

reason these trinin' do-less niggers would rather

tell a lie as ter tell the truth, ail' I said ter my

self, s'l, ' Hit's no use in my was'in' my time

--Hain't nothin' but a pack er niggers' lies.'

Thass jes' what I said." Mrs. Scruggs then pro

ceeded to tell a far from correct version of

,

Jim's story, which had reached her in a roundabout

3

way.

Mrs. Hardshell scarcely paused to hear the

main particulars ere she rose to her feet in great

excitement. " I'm a-gwine up thar right straight, an' I aim

ter see that nigger ef I have ter fight fer it! " she

exclaimed.

Mrs. Scruggs was sorry to lose her visitor so

soon, but did not protest. She' merely poured out

about a tablespoonful of snuff, and, wrapping it in

a small section of an old newspaper with great

"

WHAT THE MATTER WAS.

251

dispatch, handed it to her departing- friend with the words:
" You ain't had half a dip, Sophy. Tek a leetle smodgykin ter rub cz you go 'long."
Arrived at Hiley Adams's gate, Mrs. Hardshell paused a moment or two to catch her breath, then called to a little "white boy playing in the yard.
" Sonny, come go keep the dogs of er me," said she, mysteriously. " I "want ter go see the run away nigger. You neentcr run call nobody," she added.
The little Adams was glad of the opportunity to get a look at the runaway on his own account, and a few minutes later the two were peeping through a crack in the corn-crib "where Jim. had been confined. Mrs. Hardshell saw nothing more than a pile of shucks, but she at once called out:
" Is you the runaway nigger ? " Immediately there was a noisy commotion among the shucks, and in a moment Jim rolled into view, a most pitiable object to look upon. His eyes were red and swollen from long weeping, and his face' had a set expression as of complete despair. '' Oh ! dat you, Mis' Hardshell ? " he cried.

253 KINO- TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
" "Well, ef liit ain't Miss Carroll's Jim ! How long you been h-yer, Jim 1"
" I done loss count," was the despairing answer, " but I reck'n it mus' be 'bout free weeks." In re ality, it was now the afternoon of the ninth day.
" Three weeks ! " repeated Mrs. Hardshell, ex citedly. Then eagerly : " Jim where'bouts is Tom Carroll 3 "
The negro then poured out his story, this time to no careless listener. " Dey all done starve by now," he concluded, despairingly.
" An' you been layin* h-yer all this time an' lettiii' 'em starve ! "Why didn' t you tell some body \ "
Jim protested that he had told every one who came within call of his prison--he had told Cicero and Peter, Cicero's old woman, and several others, and he had overheard Peter say that young Mars' Bill had been told, too, but he was then on his way to town, and had not yet returned. Jim spoke with the calmness of one who has lost hope.
" Oh, I jesj eech ter git at that Bill Ao"ams ! " cried Mrs. Hardshell, wrathfully. Then to the ne gro : " Jim, you jcs' hoi' on. I'm a-gwine right straight over ter Mis' Carroll's an' tell 'er, an' ef we don't have you out er h'yer 'fo' night an' git them

WHAT THE MATTER WAS.

253

boys out er that swamp 'fo' moi-nin', I dunner why!"
In the lane five minutes later Mrs. Hardshell met Bill Adams, -who "was in a buggy and just re turning from town.
" 'Well! " she exclaimed, stopping- short and looking at him so squarely that the snufl-stick in her mouth pointed with threatening persistence straight at his nose. " Well / . . . I think hit's time you was gittin1 home ! "
" "What's the matter with you 1" demanded the young man, gruffly.
" You don't know--not you," she answered, with sarcasm. " You ain't had a runaway nigger locked up in yer corn-crib more 'n a week, an' you never h-yeared -what Cicero tole you that mornin' las' week ez you rode off! You never h-yeared 'bout Tom Carroll an' his cousin bein' lost, nuther--not you! You hain't knowd all this time," cried Mrs. Hard shell, her tone the more ring-ing-, her irony the more cutting, as she proceeded--" you hain't knowd all , this-tinje that them two boys was starvin' down thar in that 'ere swamp \ "
The snug-stick seemed to tal^e deadly aim at young Adams's left eye.
" Hit's a ------ lie ! " he answered, excitedly. *e I

254 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
never knowd a "word about it tell tliis morniii' when I seen it in. the paper. Arid then I started rig-lit straight fer home jes' ez soon ez I could git off. . . . I thought all the time that nigger was jes' tellin' a lyin' rigermarole to git loose."
But the snuff-stick still accused him: " You can't tell me, Bill Adams! You got a grudge agiiise Tom Carroll, an' you know it. Had ner been fer that I know iu reason you'd 'a stopped long enough ter see that nigger that mornin'. Ef them boys starves, you got it tcr answer fer, you hear me ! "
" Hit's a lie ! Hit's a ------ ------ ------ ! I don't
care who says so," cried Adams, furiously. The snuff-stick, however, stood its ground firmly,
even under a fire of oaths : " Pm a-gwine ter foot it right straight over ter Mis' Carroll's an' tell 'em, an' ef you don't fotch that nigger over thar mighty quick, the sheriff '11 come h-yer at' 'im an' at' ym^ too. I "would n' be in yo' shoes, Bill Adams, fer a mint er money, you hear me ! "
And "with this parting shot, Mrs. Hardshell faced about and started down the lane.

CHAPTER XX.
MOTHER TO THE BESCUE.
HARDSHELL took a short cut across the fields, and the distance of eight miles by the public high-way was thus shortened to a little less than five. This was a valuable saving, for she had walked a good deal that day already, and long before the distance was traversed her feet smarted and she was " plum' wo1 out," as she occasionally declared in brief soliloquy. During the latter half of the walk, she was obliged to rest on a log two or throe times, keeping her seat, however, only long enough to open the "smodgykin"* of snuff and bolster tip her energies therewith.
Arrived at last at the Carroll gate, she entered without a halt and went hurriedly up the avenue of oaks and Lombardy poplars, unchallenged by dogs. She "was too anxious and eager to pause and con-
6 Cracker for modicum, perhaps.

1

256 ICING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.

aider the possibilities of an encounter with, inquisi tive -watch-dogs. At the piazza steps she dropped to a seat with a groan of relief, and a moment later a young negress appeared from, within.
" Run go tell yer missis ter come h-yer quick ! " cried Mrs. Hardshell.
" Missis is sick," replied the maid, with a touch of indignation, mindful of social distinctions even in her surprise. "She can' come runnin' out yuh ter you," the girl added, then inquired the visitor's business--not over-politely.
" She'll come mighty quick when she knows what I got ter tell *er, " remarked Mrs. Hardshell, disdaining a direct reply. " Kun go tell 'er I got news er her boy."
This put a different face on the matter, and the maid, who was meditating an impudent speech, con cluded to deny herself that pleasure, and sought the presence of her mistress without delay.
Five minutes later, as the overseer was ap proaching the house from the direction of the quar ters, a negro boy ran up and informed him that " Mas' Tommy " was starving in the heart of the great swamp, the news brought by Mrs. Hardshell having already spread like m agic. The overseer listened to all the boy could tell him, then walked

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down to the carriage gate, where a buggy contain ing a white man and a negro had just drawn up. The occupants of the vehicle proved to be Bill Adams and Jim, the latter's hands being still bound.
" Is this your nigger ?" asked Adams. " Yes."
" Well, h-yer he is. You kin take ham. I caught him in my water-melon patch," the young man added in explanation.
His hands now being untied, Jim rose stiffly and got out of the buggy. During the eight-mile drive the humane Adams had interspersed his wordy ar guments in behalf of his own innocence of wrong in the matter with occasional suggestions relative to the exercise of the negro's rigid limbs, fortunately, these suggestions had been carried out, as otherwise Jim would now have been able to -walk scarcely at all.
" Now, Jim," said the overseer, as Adams drove away, " git ready to take us down in that swamp right straight." His voice was free from reproach, whereat, but for his preoccupation, the negro would have been amazed.
The whole house was astir--the servants run ning to and fro, many orders being- given, and the

258 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
attempt being made to do many tilings. Mrs. Carroll had arisen from the bed whereon she had lain prostrated for two days, announcing that she would accompany the rescuing party to the swamp, and the excitement was groat. Ool. Darcy and other friends were at the house, and all endeavored to dis suade, but could not shake the mother's determina tion. The hope of reaching her hoys in time to save them seemed to gift her with new life. Cast ing all traces of weakness aside, she ordered food and wine put into a hamper, two or three blank ets bundled together, and urged an immediate start.
But Prof. Starling reminded her th,at ordinary food was unfit for the starving-, and insisted on a halt until some boiled milk and some rice-water or chicken broth could be prepared. This was very quickly done, and then the whole party hurried across the fields to the swamp, a mile away. Mrs. Carroll rode on a pony, but the others walked, or for the most part ran--Jim in the lead, followed by Col. Darcy, Prof. Starling, Mr. Ketchem, Mrs. Hardshell, and some twenty or thirty negroes, old and young. Mrs. Starling, little ~V"arina and her governess, and Alice Millbank followed last of all. The two little girls and several of the negro women -were crying, and every one seemed actuated by the

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desire of getting as near the starving boys as possi
ble. It was nearly sundown by the time the crowd
had entered the swamp and halted at the point where Jim's dug-out was moored. The little girls were in great terror of snakes, but followed to the last, and now pushed through the crowd to the front. Jim had already entered his slender boat, and Mrs. Carroll, Col. Darcy, and the overseer stood within a foot or two of it.
" How many will it hold, Jim ?" the lady was
inquiring, anxiously. " Hit can' tote but two grown people, Miss
Mary." Col. Darcy was about to say that he, and Mr.
Ketchem that he, ought to accompany the negro, when Mrs. Carroll stepped into the boat herself, taking them all by surprise.
" I'll go, then," she said, as she sat down. " Oh, Mrs. Carroll!" cried all three white men
in deprecating chorus, crowding nearer. " Oh, no !--let trie go," cried Col. Darcy. " Air one of us three could look out f er them
boys all right," declared Mr. Ketchem, persuasively. "You will not be able to stand it," objected
Prof. Starling. " You are just out of bed."

Vi

260 SING TOM AND THIS RUNAWAYS.
" I'll stand it much better than tlie waiting" was the determined answer.
Keally, Mrs. Carroll," began Col. Darcy again--" really--I--I can't bear to think of it. "We ought not to permit you to go off alone in the swamp with that--"
" This negro is my servant, and will do as I bid him," the lady answered, looking straight ahead of her.
" At least, "wait until we can get another boat." " N~o ; we must not wait." There were fresh objections, but she met them with: " Oh, don't argue the matter! I must go. I am the one to go--I am their mother." Then she almost broke down, and opposition ceased. " Shove off, Jim," said the professor, after a moment. " Take good care of your mistress." Just before this was done, Alice Millbank made her way to the side of the boat, and, presenting Mrs. Carroll with a large ripe apple, whispered in her ear: " Give that to AXbert^ but don't tell him who sent it !" Blushing with self-consciousness, she then re turned to her place, after which little "Varina, whose countenance betrayed extreme curiosity, was

MOTHER TO THE RESCUE.

261

treated to a defiant stare. Mrs. Oarroll received the

'

apple with a fleeting smile, then turned lier eyes

:

npon Jim, who was now pushing off. .

-a

*< Why -wasn't another boat brought down here ? "

asked Col. Darcy, almost angrily, when, a few mo

ments later, the dug-out was lost to view.

,

" There ain't none on the place little enough to

make the trip," replied the overseer. " I dunner

what we gwine to do myself."

" Der's two er dem lil dug-outs over on de Mar

tin place," spoke up one of the negroes.

" All right, Aaron, that's the very thing!"

cried Ketchem. " You an' Steve go hitch up the

big wagin, an' we'll hurry over there an' borry 'em."

Meanwhile, Jim was urging the boat forward

with all his strength. iNight came on in a very

short time, and it became necessary to light a stick

j

of the rich pine which had been put into the boat

at the negro's suggestion. Seated in the forward

end of the dug-out, Mrs. Carroll held the torch aloft

^

that Jim might keep to the road and not go astray

in the dark cavern-like recesses which seemed to

open smoothly on every hand, but were in reality

crammed -with obstructions.

If the lady was afraid, she controlled her feel

ings. Every now and then a little ball of liquid tar

202 KINQ TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
would roll down from the torch and scald her deli cate white hand, but she neither cried out nor dropped the light. "Whenever she spoke--and she spoke many times--it was to ask how much farther the island was. " A fur ways yit," Jim would an swer ; and then they would go forward in silence.
At last, after a two-hours' struggle, a light was seen ahead, and Jim cried out joyfully: " Dass de islan*! See de light, Miss Mary? T'ank de Lord, dey ain' dead yit! "
" Oh, this is horrible ! " murmured Mrs. Carroll a few minutes later, as the faint cry of a wailing baby reached them.
Ten minutes later they landed. As soon as she stepped out of the boat Mrs. Carroll saw Tom sit ting upright within the semicircle of fires and ran toward him, filled with indescribable feelings. As she crossed the lino of fires the boy managed to get upon his feet, crying in a weak voice :
" Mamma ! mamma ! " When Jim came up from the boat -with the hamper and blankets a few moments later they were still in each other's arms, and he heard Tom whisper: " I think Albert is dead, mamma. I called him and called him, but couldn't wake him." But Albert had only fainted, and after con-

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sciousness returned failed, to answer wlien called, because of sheer weakness. He now recognized his aunt, but was nnable to speak until after lie Bad taken a little wine and other nourishment. JMrs. Carroll gave them boiled milk by the teaspoonful at short intervals. She sat on the ground between them, and whenever she laid down the spoon and waited for the interval to pass, she put her arm ronnd Tom. on her right and Albert on her left. Tom's strength was not entirely gone, and he wanted to tell his mother many things ; but as soon as he began to speak, she would put her hand over his mouth, bend her head, and laugh softly in his ear. And Tom thought--what a glorious thing it was for a boy to have a mother !
In half an hour the boys became clrowsy, and presently they were both asleep. Kissing them tenderly, Mrs. Carroll covered them with a blanket and, rising, looked about her. She had been too absorbingly occupied to note the absence of Jim, arid not until now did she recall the existence of the young negress whom lie had taken to wife. As she turned toward tlie cabin, a faint wail uttered by the suffering baby smote upon her ear. Smote is the word, for there followed a certain mental shock which stirred her with something like remorse---all

264: E1N& TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
this time she had been, ministering to the wants of her own, with no thought for others in urgent need.
Mrs. Carroll stepped hurriedly to the cabin door and entered. A small fire burned in the chimney, filling the wretched interior with a flickering Hght. On a mattress at the farther end of the room lay the wasted form of Venus in a burning fever, and near by on the floor sat Jim. weeping quietly while struggling to comfort his famished baby. His mistress gave him one reproachful glance, then stepped forward and bent over the sick woman. As her pulse -was being examined, "Venus stirred and murmured audibly:
" I don* mind, ef only my milk hole out." Mrs. Carroll was a mother, and for a moment it seemed to her that her heart would break. When she had mastered herself, she turned to Jim and, with tears in her eyes, scolded him for not having asked for milk. The negro listened stupidly, as if wondering that his mistress could have expected him to do a thing so improper--how could he walk up and demand milk for his baby when the young master was being fed? Fortunately, the supply of necessaries was far from exhausted, and the cries of the famished baby were soon stilled, the starving

MOTHER TO THE RESCUE.

265

fever-racked mother being meanwhile fed with, ricewater at intervals.
After taking a peep at her sleeping boys half an hour later, Mrs. Carroll walked back to the cabin door and spoke to Jim.
" Get the boat ready,'? she said. "How we gwine do, Miss Mary ? Dat boat can* hole but two." " I know that. . . . "What I want you to do is to take your "wife and child out of this place at once." The negro seemed to doubt that he had heard aright. ' " An' leave you and Mas' Tommy an' Mas' Albert--" he stammered. " Yes. If my boys can stay here ten days, I can stay here a single night. . . . Get ready and take the girl out--she ought to have a doctor at once." " Oh, look yuh, Miss Mary," exclaimed Jim, "you don' mean you aim tor stay yuh all night by yo'se'f wid des dem sick boys ! I can' git back 'fo' mawnin'." " Yes, I mean that. Hurry up ; we are "wasting time," she urged. " Carry "Venus up to the house,' and tell Hagar to take charge of her. And send at once for Dr. Brown," she added.

2G6 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
But Jim still hesitated, as if powerless to dispose of sucli formidable objections. " How kin I do dat, Miss Mary, an' lef you-all in yuh 1" he asked, " Wnt dem w'ite gen'Pmen gwine ter say "when I kliye Venus out dere an' tell 'em I lef you-all in yuh tell mawnin' 1 "
" Tell them that I ordered it done." " Dey won' b'lieve me. Dey'll t'ink I'm lyin', an' dey'll be mad ez dey kin be." " I'm sorry for them, then," declared Mrs. Carroll, almost with a sob, though her face became very stern. She turned away abruptly and walked back to where the boys lay, her eyes wandering medita tively over the ground. She might write, but there was neither pen, ink, nor paper, and how-- Her eye fell upon a white cloth hanging over the side of the hamper, and the problem -was immediately solved. Selecting a charred piece of coal from the neighborhood of one of the fires, she wrote upon the cloth in bold letters :
" I have ordered Jim to take the girl out first. She is very ill, and_ needs immediate attention. Tom and Albert are sleeping comfortably.
" MARY CARROLL."

MOTHER TO THE RESCUE.

267

She then called the negro and read to him what she had written. " Show that, and no one can say anything," she said.
Jim's heart was very full by this time---so full, that his eyes overflowed afresh and his tongue be gan to stammer something meant for thanks and humble adoration. But his mistress cut him short and commanded him to obey her without further delay. All the negro's hesitation had now disappeared, and in a few moments the unconscious Ve nus had been lifted, borne down to the water's edge, and placed beside her sleeping babe on a blanket in the bottom of the boat. Then, having arranged a torch on the forward end of the dug-out, Jim lifted the paddle and shoved off.
Mrs. Carroll returned to the sleeping boys and watched over them throughout the night. When ever they awoke she gave them a little rice-water or chicken broth, and once or twice a little wine. She refused to hear them speak, but talked to them a little now and then, and laughed musically in their ears and kissed them. It seemed to Tom that lie had never before understood how loving his mother was, and how beautiful. Being much the weaker, Albert's ideas were more vague. The an ticipation of approaching death Bad latterly been

268 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
so constant with him that often when he nowawoke and looked about him with a start, he thought that he had passed through the great transition, and that he saw an angel sitting by him.
After the noises made by Jim on his toilsome -way out of the swamp had been drowned in dis tance, a profound peace seemed to settle upon the world--a peace 'but the more restful and complete for sleeping nature's gentle respiration which shook the leaves and filled the night with soothing whis pers. The nickering fires burned low, the stars paled, and the dawn, "with its faint flushings in the sky overhead, its quickening of the breezes, its soft, welcoming bird notes among the trees, was at hand.
When the light was still very dim a shout was heard, then the sound of boats approaching through. the swamp, and ere long Jim appeared in his dugout at the landing place, followed by Colonel Darcy in another, and the overseer in still another.

CHAPTER XXI.
NEGOTIATIONS were immediately reopened with the up-country planter for the purchase of Venus, and this time they were successful. But the end attained, heretofore so all-powerful in its bearing upon the happiness of those most concerned, could not now affect Jim's fortunes. For, two days after she had been bought and paid for, poor Venus died of the fever.
!N"ot until two or three days after tlieir rescue, when both boys were rapidly regaining- their lost strength, did Mrs. Carroll give Albert the apple.
" A young lady sent it into the swamp to you," she smilingly informed him, " but I was afraid you would insist on eating it at once, so I kept it back."
" "Who sent it ?" the boy demanded, pleased and curious. " Was it Miss Yarina ? "
But Mrs. Carroll only laughed in answer, re fusing to tell.

270 KING TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
There is very little more to add. Two or three years later Tom and Albert were sent to college, "but some twelve montlis before they "were ready to graduate the great storm which had long been threatening burst upon the land. Closing their books, they put on their swords and followed Col. Darcy through the war with unflagging enthusiasm and bravery. The gallant colonel foil in battle at last, and the boys? though they were never wounded, saw many bitter days. During the last campaign in Virginia they came almost as near starving as they had done long ago on the island in the swamp, but they knew how "to endure all hardships now, and stood in line to the very last--to the day when the South's great warrior laid down his sword and the unhappy war was over.
Then Tom and Albert, both tall, handsome young men, tramped homeward over hundreds of miles of war-scarred country to the old plantation, now gone to ruin, and deserted by all save only its mistress. Mrs. Carroll stood upon the piazza watching, and when they came, with a bursting heart she fell upon them- and wept; she put her arms round them-- round Tom on her right and Albert on her left, as she did that night in the swamp long ago--and wept the bitterest tears of her life. !N"ot for the death of Col.

ADIEU.

271

Darcy, as her sole remaining handmaid believed; not for the loss of slave property or the biting poverty which was now hers; not for the ceaseless and anguishing alarms of the present or the vague terrors of the unknown future--but for the fall of the ill-fated Confederacy, to which she had given everything and with which all her affections were bound up, even as were so bound up the solemn con victions and tragic fortunes of millions.
Jim early joined the black army of freedmen swarming into the towns and cities, going in search of the forty acres and a mule which he was told be longed to him. Disappointed in his endeavors to lay hands upon what remained to the last only a glittering fable, he returned after a time to the old plantation, where many others followed him, to make terms with "Mas' Tommy" and begin life under the new regime^ and where he still remains, having long ago become his employer's right-hand man. It should be added that, within a few months after the death of Venus, he consoled himself with the hand of the vigorous and cheerful Dilsey, and at last reports counted his offspring to the number of nine teen.
The Carroll plantation is no longer the immense domain it once was. ISluch of the land "was sold for

272 JZIJVG TOM AND THE RUNAWAYS.
a song during those sad days of distress and want immediately following the war, and much of it has since been parceled out among tenants, the husband of Tom's good friend !Mrs. Hardshell being one of the most prosperous of these; but some five or six thousand acres of forest and cultivated lauds still remain intact, and Tom is a "gentleman farmer," as his father was before him. Soon after the war he made his mother happy by marrying the girl of her choice, the dainty Varina, whom, in his boyhood, he had been inclined to regard as a little " too pcrfec'," but whom in later years he came to look upon as the sweetest of women--one most worthy of the entire love of an honorable man.
As regards Albert iforris, it must be added that his leaning toward scholarship finally led him to a professor's chair in a prominent Southern college, and that his devoted wife is none other than the saucy little Millbank who first testified her friendship by throwing green apples at his head. Under the care ful tutelage of Mrs. Oarroll, this unconventional lit tle maid renounced her tomboyish tendencies at the age of thirteen, and, during the next three or four years, barring occasional lapses, struggled with no little awkwardness and energy to cultivate a truly maidenly attitude toward the world. At length the ,

ADIEU.

373

trying period was passed, and at sixteen she became interesting, at seventeen it was evident that she would be very beautiful, and when she was eighteen Albert one fine morning awoke to the fact that it was Alice, and not Varina, who was troubling his mind.

I^ow, dear young readers, let us shut the book cheerfully, hoping that Tom and Albert and their good friends, if indeed they do not " live happily ever after " in this world, as is unfailingly so with heroes in the fairytales, will learn how to meet such trials as may be theirs in the one true way, and that in so .doing they may prepare themsfeives for lives of happy usefulness in that future world toward "which the suffering lads turned their eyes when captive on Jim's island in the swainp.