The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-02-28

avoided without Force being out of the
question, we can succeed only with shrewd-
ness and cunning"
The swamp angels, and, finally Bell,
agreed that | was right, and so we took no
gun. though one of the men said, "thar's
times when nothing else is so handy ez a
gun, though I'll allow that the man ez
amt got gun is least apt to git into SIGH
scrapes."
Following supper the fourth night after
our arrival the whole gang, each man car
ryipg torch-for there was no danger Of
being seen from the river-accompanied US
down to the bayou. We shook hands with
them and got into the leaky scow, which
we had to bail every minute we were
aboard. Our plan had been discussed be-
fore starting and we had pretty good idea
of what we had to do and the obstacles to
/ be overcome. The commodore stood with
pole in his hand at the stern; l held a
torch at the bow, and Bell worked rusty
tin pan amidships. The men waving their
torches on the island in adieus, the inky
waters of the bayou, the prorruding
"knees" and dropping branches OF the cy-
presses, all went to make up picture OF
weirdness which | can never forget.
AS we wound in and out, propelled along
the tortuous course by the commodore
pole, my respect for that doughty mariner S
skill increased every moment. When we
the torch overheard, then he substituted a
a paddle for the pole. The boughs that had
Keen brushing our heads were behind and
we were out on the current of Savannah,
about sixty miles above the city OF the
same name. How the commodore made his
way across that black river that black
night was no doubt well known to himself,
but it must ever remain mystery to me.
At length the bow Of the boat struck the
opposite bank and the commodore, holding
her in position with pole, called out, bu
l noticed that there was a subdued caution
in hisstones:
Jump, boys, Jump. Better stay righ
where you are till daylight, then cut dirt
Goo1byl ]"
We repeated our "goodby'' and jumped
out, carrying with US some provisions
which the blackman and the major genera
had put in our bag. We listened Till th'
splash of the paddle died away, and ther
sat down to wait for daylight and to dis
cuss our novel adventure with the eener
Gus swamp angels. With our backs agalns
tree we dozed off. l am very sure slept
for it seemed to me only very short time
between the departure of the commodor
: and the coming of daylight.
AS soon as it was light enough to see w
: started northwest through the swamp.
} woods, still carrying our boots, though Gu
t feet were now so tough that l felt we Wer
t burdening ourselves with useless load
, Here, On the opposite side of the river, III
swamp water was the color of strong cot
fee, and it had an acrid taste that puckere
the lips and produced an annoying titilla
: ton in the throat. realized that it wa
: like drinking in malaria, but the heat wa
SO intense that we could not resist tn
4 thirst it produced.
l About noon we came upon another de
l cayed corduroy road, and followed it out o
the swamp and into a large fiat clearing
: We halted at q fence surrounding cotto
4 field. now in its reddish purple blossom
i stage. We knew that there were negr
i quarters, ii not plantation house, nea
, by, and as we stood listening the chorus @
, the cotton hoers came to our ears:
TIE got a brudder in de promised land,
rZe got q brudder in de promised land,