Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-29

more dtthcuIt Tor thesf nlcely'DDptel gehbe-
man but they held on nevertheless. Even
although they knew that they were upon
pcrilous ground. as this remote part Of tho
i.lanl is notorious place of refuge for the
runaways (Marron niggrrs, as they are cal
led here.) they seemed the more disposed To
persi., In the chase. The dogs advanced
but slowly over thi. rough ground. now and
then haliIns before a clcf, over which they
could not leap, aud passing round it by q
byway, but still never falling to pick up
tho track on tho other .ilo Of the precipicc,
always sure. always eager. with their moses
Away. clo-c TO the ground.
Suddenly they came 20 dead stop, and
lifting up their heads for the first time.
lafkcl furiously.
when the caballeros reached tho spot,
they .r,I 'cfora a deep abyss. On the
opp,.', .,I' lorty rock rose up TO height
OF nirr than cish, hundred feet. IT, re-
,cr lie fII oT 'iocPly towards the sea,
and t.r hr'akcrs u.r Ia BE- heard dashing
viii .a,.en Toe. ,s.r.t il. The dogs
mig Js aud bark raey were bu. dogs
aud ..cu a jaeuAr would look twice before
he lsiyci - trri,le a chasm.
IL va. about nine o'clock. and the sccno
was beginning h. change rapidly. The
blue tinsc OF ,ha, wonderful sky began grad
ualIy to deepen, the stars came out ono at
i,r the other. shining or,h-tho southern
eros. above all--wi,h 'plcndor never
dreamed aba, in En;lanl. Dlrknc'' was
setting in upon tie paradise OF Porto Rico.
ANS attempt to continue tho ch,, dur
in: the night would have bc'n maine,'.
some Of tn, servant. wcrs ordered Therefore
To lishta larss fr', whilst Others ver, sent
back l0r the requisite rcfrc.hmcni. and ar-
c,mmodltiou,. \ few .sp,ri-. were SGT. and
thc caballcro, stretched thcmsciyc, upon the
ground.
when ,hr mos. minute and accurate search
va. made next morning or mean. of de-
scrndiu. the aby.. and scale tho oppp,iI,
rock. cleft vls discovered which offered.
On. d, sJm mean, OF descending, AMI ~
tu lhc rock. nsgr, servant pointed out =
Way hy w.Ich IVA. admitted that-how.
ever poor ,As ehanr, might be-ihcrc was
~ least possibility OF climbing. Both
passage, however. we're unanimously dcc.hr.
cd 20 De- ,mprac,,c.bl, Nr any other feet
than those Of q chamui. or a mlrrOn niger
and ,hc gentlemen accordingly consulted
over what next should b. done.
After .imc lellhgra,i,n It was resolved
that .iucc moro run,vays were d,ub,io'
gathered upon the .p,', and It was ic'irl.
blo to pat a final stop to this sort oi yasa-
bondage, the bc., plan would bo 10 stryc
thcm out.
Tho necessary measures were then taken.
Sentinel. were posted At every sPot Offering
,he slightest chance oic'caPe. \ regular
method Of field duty was put into practice.
the yilSitcs were relieved at appointed inter.
avis, aud during the light ono could hear
the ouiposts calling to each other n. tor
maIly - in military camp.
The cahall.fps established themselves
quite AZ their ease. Tents were brought
down from the tie plantations, u fying
camp was pitched near the place, ani %"
ultimate result Of the blockade was awaited.
The days or hour, % it, duration were cal.
culated in advance. hut hour after hour,
day after day passed and still the blood
hounds never howlcd as they are sure 10 d.
the moment they scent death Each morn.
ing they gathered near the cleft by which
the track led down 10 the abyss, apd lifting
up their nose. high into the air barksi on
with 49, same .nAbatcd Jury. Day after
day .Ia rillar ~ smoke was seen during
a fv .our. whirlng from the top Of the
plat. ru through the deep blne ky.
T matter became altogether mystery
\ vN... r 'ek. t.u days. a iortnigh, went
by. 'rd .t.ll the DOG. te;c to be heard bark.
ing .,lal, still that column u smoke wa,
to he ssen whirling up to the sky. It WAS
all very well for the cahailcros to direct
their spyelasses toward the naked rock
they could see nothing understand nothing.
"Madrs do Dois, what on earth can
those black riscals be feeding upon uP
thcre:
At last one Of the negro servants offered
himselfas spy, advising hIs masters for
appearance ,ake, to raise the siege till he
came back
Tue oGtr was accepted tho siege broken
up. Only Few scntines were lett behind,
carefully hidden lest the SPY should prove
to be double traitor. The fellow, howey-
or. knew but too well that little was to be
so, from the Marrjns, aud much from Don
Gomez 10 Micr.
When alter toe lapse OF fyr day. be camo
back, sale and sound, from his psTi.ous *.
petition, he had u strange story u tell.
IIg bad descended the abyss, and climbed
the rock at the risk Of his neck. When he
hal reached the top, and joined the fugi-
tive, reporting himself runaway from his
master, who, he said, had gwen up the
blockade altogether, they received him with
on. suspicion. There were eigh, Of them,
the woman included. all well and in the best
condition. making good cheer indeed. They
had venison. mutton, fowl-anytbing but
bread aud cheese-for dinner. They stew
ed and they roasted. Some Of them climbed