I saw also many alligators， great and small， lying inthe water， or on pieces of floodwood. The noise I madeusually startled them， when they moved off and plungedinto the deepest places. Sometimes， however， I wouldcome directly upon a monster before observing it. In suchcases， I would start back， run a short way round， and inthat manner shun them. Straight forward， they will runa short distance rapidly， but do not possess the powerof turning. In a crooked race， there is no difficulty inevading them.
About two o’clock in the afternoon， I heard the last ofthe hounds. Probably they did not cross the bayou. Wetand weary， but relieved from the sense of instant peril， Icontinued on， more cautious and afraid， however， of thesnakes and alligators than I had been in the earlier portionof my flight. Now， before stepping into a muddy pool， Iwould strike the water with a stick. If the waters moved， Iwould go around it， if not， would venture through.
At length the sun went down， and gradually night’strailing mantle shrouded the great swamp in darkness.
Still I staggered on， fearing every instant I should feelthe dreadful sting of the moccasin， or be crushed withinthe jaws of some disturbed alligator. The dread of themnow almost equaled the fear of the pursuing hounds. Themoon arose after a time， its mild light creeping throughthe overspreading branches， loaded with long， pendentmoss. I kept traveling forwards until after midnight，hoping all the while that I would soon emerge intosome less desolate and dangerous region. But the watergrew deeper and the walking more difficult than ever. Iperceived it would be impossible to proceed much farther，and knew not， moreover， what hands I might fall into，should I succeed in reaching a human habitation. Notprovided with a pass， any white man would be at libertyto arrest me， and place me in prison until such time asmy master should “prove property， pay charges， and takeme away.” I was an estray， and if so unfortunate as tomeet a law-abiding citizen of Louisiana， he would deemit his duty to his neighbor， perhaps， to put me forthwithin the pound. Really， it was difficult to determine which Ihad most reason to fear—dogs， alligators or men！
After midnight， however， I came to a halt. Imaginationcannot picture the dreariness of the scene. The swampwas resonant with the quacking of innumerable ducks！
Since the foundation of the earth， in all probability， ahuman footstep had never before so far penetrated therecesses of the swamp. It was not silent now—silent to a degree that rendered it oppressive，—as it was when thesun was shining in the heavens. My midnight intrusionhad awakened the feathered tribes， which seemed tothrong the morass in hundreds of thousands， and theirgarrulous throats poured forth such multitudinoussounds—there was such a fluttering of wings—such sullenplunges in the water all around me—that I was affrightedand appalled. All the fowls of the air， and all the creepingthings of the earth appeared to have assembled togetherin that particular place， for the purpose of filling it withclamor and confusion. Not by human dwellings—not incrowded cities alone， are the sights and sounds of life.
The wildest places of the earth are full of them. Evenin the heart of that dismal swamp， God had provided arefuge and a dwelling place for millions of living things.
The moon had now risen above the trees， when Iresolved upon a new project. Thus far I had endeavoredto travel as nearly south as possible. Turning about Iproceeded in a north-west direction， my object being tostrike the Pine Woods in the vicinity of Master Ford’s.
Once within the shadow of his protection， I felt I wouldbe comparatively safe.
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