第36章 Chapter XI.(1)

　　After a long sleep， sometime in the afternoon I awoke，refreshed， but very sore and stiff. Sally came in andtalked with me， while John cooked me some dinner. Sallywas in great trouble， as well as myself， one of her childrenbeing ill， and she feared it could not survive. Dinnerover， after walking about the quarters for a while， visitingSally’s cabin and looking at the sick child， I strolled intothe madam’s garden. Though it was a season of the yearwhen the voices of the birds are silent， and the trees arestripped of their summer glories in more frigid climes， yetthe whole variety of roses were then blooming there， andthe long， luxuriant vines creeping over the frames. Thecrimson and golden fruit hung half hidden amidst theyounger and older blossoms of the peach， the orange， theplum， and the pomegranate； for， in that region of almostperpetual warmth， the leaves are falling and the budsbursting into bloom the whole year long.

　　I indulged the most grateful feelings towards Masterand Mistress Ford， and wishing in some manner torepay their kindness， commenced trimming the vines，and afterwards weeding out the grass from among theorange and pomegranate trees. The latter grows eightor ten feet high， and its fruit， though larger， is similar in appearance to the jelly-flower. It has the luscious flavor ofthe strawberry. Oranges， peaches， plums， and most otherfruits are indigenous to the rich， warm soil of Avoyelles；but the apple， the most common of them all in colderlatitudes， is rarely to be seen.

　　Mistress Ford came out presently， saying it was praiseworthyin me， but I was not in a condition to labor， andmight rest myself at the quarters until master should godown to Bayou Boeuf， which would not be that day， and itmight not be the next. I said to her—to be sure， I felt bad，and was stiff， and that my foot pained me， the stubs andthorns having so torn it ， but thought such exercise wouldnot hurt me， and that it was a great pleasure to work forso good a mistress. Thereupon she returned to the greathouse， and for three days I was diligent in the garden，cleaning the walks， weeding the flower beds， and pullingup the rank grass beneath the jessamine vines， which thegentle and generous hand of my protectress had taught toclamber along the walls.

　　The fourth morning， having become recruited andrefreshed， Master Ford ordered me to make ready toaccompany him to the bayou. There was but one saddlehorse at the opening， all the others with the mules havingbeen sent down to the plantation. I said I could walk，and bidding Sally and John good-bye， left the opening，trotting along by the horse’s side.

　　That little paradise in the Great Pine Woods wasthe oasis in the desert， towards which my heart turned130

　　lovingly， during many years of bondage. I went forthfrom it now with regret and sorrow， not so overwhelming，however， as if it had then been given me to know that Ishould never return to it again.

　　Master Ford urged me to take his place occasionally onthe horse， to rest me； but I said no， I was not tired， and itwas better for me to walk than him. He said many kindand cheering things to me on the way， riding slowly， inorder that I might keep pace with him. The goodness ofGod was manifest， he declared， in my miraculous escapefrom the swamp. As Daniel came forth unharmed fromthe den of lions， and as Jonah had been preserved in thewhale’s belly， even so had I been delivered from evil bythe Almighty. He interrogated me in regard to the variousfears and emotions I had experienced during the day andnight， and if I had felt， at any time， a desire to pray. I feltforsaken of the whole world， I answered him， and waspraying mentally all the while. At such times， said he， theheart of man turns instinctively towards his Maker. Inprosperity， and when there is nothing to injure or makehim afraid， he remembers Him not， and is ready to defyHim； but place him in the midst of dangers， cut him offfrom human aid， let the grave open before him—thenit is， in the time of his tribulation， that the scoffer andunbelieving man turns to God for help， feeling there is noother hope， or refuge， or safety， save in his protecting arm.

　　So did that benignant man speak to me of this life andof the life hereafter； of the goodness and power of God，

　　and of the vanity of earthly things， as we journeyed alongthe solitary road towards Bayou Boeuf.

　　When within some five miles of the plantation， wediscovered a horseman at a distance， galloping towardsus. As he came near I saw that it was Tibeats！ He lookedat me a moment， but did not address me， and turningabout， rode along side by side with Ford. I trotted silentlyat their horses’ heels， listing to their conversation. Fordinformed him of my arrival in the Pine Woods three daysbefore， of the sad plight I was in， and of the difficultiesand dangers I had encountered.

　　“Well，” exclaimed Tibeats， omitting his usual oaths inthe presence of Ford， “I never saw such running before. I’llbet him against a hundred dollars， he’ll beat any niggerin Louisiana. I offered John David Cheney twenty-fivedollars to catch him， dead or alive， but he outran his dogsin a fair race. Them Cheney dogs ain’t much， after all.

　　Dunwoodie’s hounds would have had him down beforehe touched the palmettoes. Somehow the dogs got off thetrack， and we had to give up the hunt. We rode the horsesas far as we could， and then kept on foot till the waterwas three feet deep. The boys said he was drowned， sure.

　　I allow I wanted a shot at him mightily. Ever since， I havebeen riding up and down the bayou， but had’nt muchhope of catching him—thought he was dead， sartin. Oh，he’s a cuss to run—that nigger is！”

　　In this way Tibeats ran on， describing his search inthe swamp， the wonderful speed with which I had fled before the hounds， and when he had finished， MasterFord responded by saying， I had always been a willingand faithful boy with him； that he was sorry we had suchtrouble； that， according to Platt’s story， he had beeninhumanly treated， and that he， Tibeats， was himself infault. Using hatchets and broad-axes upon slaves wasshameful， and should not be allowed， he remarked.