The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, 1863-04-18

JMith no means of safety but coui De u
Very thin doors, and in case they gave
out, pair of very tolerable skedaddling
utensils. Then all grew still, and I began
to think of retiring. locked the two
thin doors, closed the shutters, and then
came again the thought that was alone.
How did I know but spies might be out
side, or rebels plotting my dowRfaA2 Il
had an impulse to walk on tiptoe and han
die things carefully I felt somewhat as I
used to when q child, and thought ghost
or the devil was after me, and found no
relief till I was safely ensconced in bed,
which is the child's retreat from all hob
goblins. I need not describe minutely
the process of retiring, as mine does not
differ materially from that of the world in
general. I retire very much as George
Washington, ESQ.,, or Mr.. Napoleon Bona
parte, did Well, after was safely under
the netting, couldn't sleep. What strange
noises heard! Mosquitoes sang outside
the netting, beetles and indescribable IN
sects knocked themselves around the room,
mice and rats tumbled about behind the
ceiling, cockroaches dropped from the
walls, crickets and locusts filed their saws,
and. out of doors, tree-toads chirTuped,
frogs croaked, cats made music, certain
mocking-bird had song that wasn't quite
played out, and certain dog considered
it his prerogatixe to bark under my win
dow. All these sounds I actually heard,
and some others imagined, such as the
occasional report of gun,footsteps about
the house and on the piazza; but at length
"tired natures sweet" &c, came to- my
relief. ThenrI dreamed of fellow with
horns, who had butternut-colored clothes,
and half-eaten ear of corn, and cotton
rope, and brace of pistols i'll his pocket,
and he was about to apply the rope to my
neck, but I made so stout q resistance
that I awoke and heard some one pound
ing furiously on the window shutter. !
opened it, and it was broad day; q colored
man stood before the window:
81 come to ye, sab, said he.
"Well, I see YOU"
q come to ak you, sab, If You would
please, be so kind sah, as to give me a
pas"
Where do you want to go?"
"BWsrt, sah.
accommodated the man with pass,
duly made out according to law:
"Please, sab, put two name dedda. "
"What two names?"
"Sally and me, sah. Tom and Hagar,
and Mary and Jenny, and Jenny and
Phillis, ax for pass too, sab. "
Very modest request that, but easily
granted, and the colored gentleman goes
on his way rejoicing.
Among the things necessary for plan
tation superintendent is horse, and with
one was furnished by the government
The horse had been contiscated. to the
United States, though I thought then that
the United States, if they had tried the
animal, would hardly have wanted him.
He was venerable animal, gray with age,
and marked with the infliction of repeated
blows He walked with slow and digni-
fed quit, and ive-oak switches could
scarcely induce him to canter. His frame-
work was quite apparent, but his eye
retained still some of its pristine fire. l
called him Bucephalus, in token OF
what he might he might have been, had
his ..ge been less, and gave him the sur
name Of "The Boney," to distinguish him
from Alexander's celebrated nag. He was
apparently quite fond of stumbling, and
it amounted to science to keep on his
back More than once lay at his feet,
while he looked plncidly down and Won
dered how T got there. But Bucephalus
the Boney, went the way Of all living.