The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24

give poor, oppressed, tormented man, who
had no friend on earth but himself, some meat
to keep the dogs from betraying him, some
shoes to keep the dogs from tracking him,
knife to keep the dogs from tearing him, and
safe guidance through the woods to the river
That seemed to him to be right. That was all
that he wished to do, unless Others forced him to
do more and if they did, must not their blood
be upon their own heads? Should not he leave
himself then. to be- guided by circumstances
But ne who is guided by circumstances, may be
guided into any crime.
But what evil motive in his heart could there
be to prompt him to this undertaking? Hatred
to St. Dominique He wished him no worse
harm than repentance He had offered him
money, which he did not want. and which Her
man could i'll spare, to bride him to deed Of
simple Justice. He was about to endeavor to
save him from deeds for which injustice is a
mild term-a good end; but the means? were
they good, too? 4nU
Could selfinterest be his motive? What
profit, praise, or promotion, was to be won by
his success The Kuhns would be silent for
their own sakes; and he lest a procedure so
doubtful, even in an exigency like this, should
ever be adopted as a precedent If he sue.
eeeded, concealment- hateful to ingenious
minds, as the old castof cloak of the evil one
own place, to weigh many and many noble
soul down to him-was to be his portion. If
he failed, bloody and untimely death was the
best which he could promise himself; while for
the fair name, and brilliant fame, too, perhaps,
which he had hoped to leave behind him, at a
ripe old age, he should leave only an ignomini
Gus example for those who hated his princi-
Piles, to point their moral with, when they would
prove the unrighteous tendency of attempting
to be more righteous than the law.
But why should he fail ? or why should he
dishearten himself any longer by looking only
on the dark side of the question /? Three days
before, Ichabod and he had trodden the path
to and fire., and at high noon, had met no living
creature except the birds and wood -chucks,
which shyly and slyly peeped out at them with
their twinkling eyes between the cleaning
leaves, and heard no sound except twittering,
and rustling, and their own whispers and foot
steps. One more hour of waiting-that was
the worst Of it-and then seven or eight hours
of steady, stealthy, marching through the friend
ly forest, night, rain, and tog a stride over the
few rods of bare upland and shore, brisk pull
over the early, lonely water, merry breakfast
at good Mistress Kuhn's, and Sam and he
would be on their way rejoicing, within few
days journey, the one of freedom, and the other
of home, and his quest would be happily ended,
and his Constance's heart at rest
He waited for the next fash, and looked at
his watch. quarter past eleven. No more
time for wavering now. Be fixed, now, heart |!
Worn nerves, be firm! All concentrated now
he lay, in one strong prayer, that the rescue,
iohich acas to be, might be speedy, sure, and
guiltless. At quarter before twelve he arose,
and stole on. He must be in time, but not too
early, and make Sam hear him, if possible, be-
fore the dogs. Let JUS not condemn him, for
he could not condemn himself Let us not
commend him, for be would not commend him
self. Let us only pray to God that the time
may come when, in our country, loyalty to our
country's laws, and humanity to our country
men, may no longer be so at strife in young
aud gallant breasts
The grounds which surrounded st. Domi-
nique's house were enclosed on the outside by
paling about five feet high; on the inside by
a remaining belt Of the virgin woods, five or
| six feet in depth. AS Herman came in sight,
he was startled by seeing in the observatory,
as he guessed, a lurid light, so intense, that his
first idea was that the apartment was on fire.
All was still, however, and, stealing nearer
and nearer, he perceived that the light, though
very large, was steady and red, In dry night
it must probably have lighted the whole en-
closure, from side to side and from end to end,
so that st. Dominique and his spy-glass could
have commanded it as well as by day. At
present, though the rain had for the moment
ceased, the moisture hung so thick in the air
about it "a to make as it were ground glass
dome for it, and condense its reflection on the
wet ground into an area of not very many
yards. Unless a flash of lightning came just
at the wrong time, the negro huts could not now
be seen from the house. Herman stole behind
them, whistled once, and waited
In five or six minutes he heard within a
rush, and roar, in which it seemed to him that
he recognised the voice of the mongrel of the
gate. 1t instantly sank into series of low
growls and chokes; as dazzling fash gave
him moments glimpse of bronze group,
Cerberus holding Sam by the leg, and Sam
holding Cerberus by the throat. Herman half
blinded, hurled himself through the dark over the
fence, passed his knife through the dogs throat,
from ear to ear, till it grated on the backbone,
with second stroke in the mouth, dislodgea
its jaw, caught Sam up, dropped him over the
fence, and himself after him, snatched him up
again, and ran till he reached the curtain of
wild-grape-vines that fell over the entrance of
the foot-path, where he had left his valise, set
him down, clapped the shoes on his feet, seized
him by the hand, and ran again for about a
mile. Then they sl&ckened their speed, listened,
heard nothing, gasped, got their breath, and
eor the first time whispered to each other.
Sans teeth were chattering as if he was in an
ague. Herman threw his own overcoat upon
him and said, as your leg hurt badly 2"
Don know, sare-never mind, sare-runs
good eaough-cOme, sare." Again they hur-
ried on.
wouldn't the dog take your meat2" whis-
perad Herman, after pause.
Hadn't none, sare, Bribed Billy to get it,
and promised him half Billy ate all, Saved
re dog some hoe-cake-he wouldn' eat it."
swell, we've got OF safe, at any rate haven't
WEI" -
"Hush, don speak so loud, sare. Excuse {,
but it don do to holler till you gets out of'ze
woods. l link so, sare-I hope so-but it all
depend on re watch"
$50, St. Dominique keeps a watch, does hep"
Yes, sare; two or three of re house-servants
takes watch an watch on ze gallery he call
quarterback. When zeir feet stops awalkin,
he comes out an whips SO Eat zey cannot go to
sleep. When it rain, cough, zey gets on re lee
side. Lee-side tonight opposite to re quarter.
come to see what is re affair. Often he yowls
at nos;ng. Watch wishes not to come far out
in re wet for nosing; SO if he see him hay down.
an links he's asleep, he return an say all right.
IF he come mp close, and find he's beaded, he
call 20 master, and ring ze bell, and get more
dogs and men and neighbors. Got Eat pistolel,
sare?" rlf
ayes have it loaded and safe, and here,
here's knife for you. If the dogs come near
you, use it; but we won't kill any men, if we
can heiP it, s.. ;,
II know one man, zat's dead man, sare, if
zey gets round me again. 4
"Do youf WhoY"
Mesef." Sam paused, and began again in