第63章 Chapter XVII.(4)

　　The year before my arrival in the country there wasa concerted movement among a number of slaves onBayou Boeuf， that terminated tragically indeed. It was， Ipresume， a matter of newspaper notoriety at the time， butall the knowledge I have of it， has been derived from therelation of those living at that period in the immediatevicinity of the excitement. It has become a subject ofgeneral and unfailing interest in every slave-hut onthe bayou， and will doubtless go down to succeedinggenerations as their chief tradition. Lew Cheney， withwhom I became acquainted—a shrewd， cunning negro， more intelligent than the generality of his race， butunscrupulous and full of treachery—conceived the projectof organizing a company sufficiently strong to fight theirway against all opposition， to the neighboring territory ofMexico.

　　A remote spot， far within the depths of the swamp，back of Hawkins’ plantation， was selected as the rallyingpoint. Lew flitted from one plantation to another， in thedead of night， preaching a crusade to Mexico， and， likePeter the Hermit， creating a furor of excitement whereverhe appeared. At length a large number of runaways wereassembled； stolen mules， and corn gathered from thefields， and bacon filched from smoke-houses， had beenconveyed into the woods. The expedition was about readyto proceed， when their hiding place was discovered. LewCheney， becoming convinced of the ultimate failure ofhis project， in order to curry favor with his master， andavoid the consequences which he foresaw would follow，deliberately determined to sacrifice all his companions.

　　Departing secretly from the encampment， he proclaimedamong the planters the number collected in the swamp，and， instead of stating truly the object they had inview， asserted their intention was to emerge from theirseclusion the first favorable opportunity， and murderevery white person along the bayou.

　　Such an announcement， exaggerated as it passed frommouth to mouth， filled the whole country with terror. Thefugitives were surrounded and taken prisoners， carried in chains to Alexandria， and hung by the populace.

　　Not only those， but many who were suspected， thoughentirely innocent， were taken from the field and fromthe cabin， and without the shadow of process or formof trial， hurried to the scaffold. The planters on BayouBoeuf finally rebelled against such reckless destruction ofproperty， but it was not until a regiment of soldiers hadarrived from some fort on the Texan frontier， demolishedthe gallows， and opened the doors of the Alexandriaprison， that the indiscriminate slaughter was stayed. LewCheney escaped， and was even rewarded for his treachery.

　　He is still living， but his name is despised and execratedby all his race throughout the parishes of Rapides andAvoyelles.

　　Such an idea as insurrection， however， is not newamong the enslaved population of Bayou Boeuf. Morethan once I have joined in serious consultation， when thesubject has been discussed， and there have been timeswhen a word from me would have placed hundreds ofmy fellow-bondsmen in an attitude of defiance. Withoutarms or ammunition， or even with them， I saw such astep would result in certain defeat， disaster and death，and always raised my voice against it.

　　During the Mexican war I well remember the

　　extravagant hopes that were excited. The news of victoryfilled the great house with rejoicing， but produced onlysorrow and disappointment in the cabin. In my opinion—and I have had opportunity to know something of the feeling of which I speak—there are not fifty slaves on theshores of Bayou Boeuf， but would hail with unmeasureddelight the approach of an invading army.

　　They are deceived who flatter themselves that theignorant and debased slave has no conception of themagnitude of his wrongs. They are deceived who imaginethat he arises from his knees， with back lacerated andbleeding， cherishing only a spirit of meekness andforgiveness. A day may come—it will come， if his prayeris heard—a terrible day of vengeance when the master inhis turn will cry in vain for mercy.