The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06

suit OF their hunt. and kept a sharp lookout
Of them until about s o'clock In the afternoon
when one Of the Smythe boys rode up TO the
platform dismounled, and tying his horse to
We'll, Charley, did YOU find the runaways?'
Not one. he answered.
What caused all the excitement"
"A couple Of free niggers In there splittins
rails, They had their women with them. a
couple of little huts built. and were at work
They went In u mile or more on account OF the
rift. as they explained to me. They wanted
good. straight rifted trees. Lord. mani how
Dick Coverly's lip dropped when he saw them
There isn't a slave in this whole swamp; they're
gone somewhere sure, they are not here. "
and he turned for home.
This was the end OF Mr.. Coverly's "nigger
hunt"
out news from George. ] took a New Or
leans daily paper, and thoroughly examined
every issue, Had the f~ugiuves been appre-
hended, the first news would have been in the
New Orleans papers, Coyerly had a standing
advertisement in them Offering sl,0 for any
information that would lead 10 heir capture,
and 5000 for their detention, so he could get
them before August. with a separate reward
of g.. 900 for Lucy, de ad or alive.
Until ! had enlisted ~ a practical abohtionist
] had never especially noticed the runaway
department OF the newspapers, nor had ] cared
about them, but now every item ! carefully
eyed, and II became apparent to me that the
system was not SO pleasant as its supporters
represented. | was not much given to moral
ling in those days Il had seen the negro In
his native country. and did not waste much
american slavery Ny ambition was to get my
partner and myself well out OF the afair. and
well into another.
The letter was brief, but enough. Hereit 10:
CAIRO, m, May, 8. 1858,
FRIEND BRADLEY: Arrived here all right to-
day. Have sold our cotton to Eastern parties,
shall see them personally and not trust to
brokers. WEsNER,
| l'nir, and that ha should asconipnny them
| himself until they were safe, A few days later
! received another letter from some, interior
town IN Illinois. relating to other business
| There was lutte a crowd in our store when my
mail came, and as this was from George some
OF lis friends began asking q,lesuons ABOUT
him. read the letter, and as there was moth
ing about the fugitives in II. | could not un-
derStand lis import. The last eehl'tc" reau
like this
Ia See "A physician. ! am better. ana VIII re-
sumo my tourney"
This I did not quite understand, and | was
one day not long after ] received Il telegraph
dispatch forwarded bv mail from Ne" Or
Cotton sold. spot cash. no discount
hrrnth.d rrre We were safe for this time
anxiouSly awaited my partners return, be,
ing very impatient To hear the particulars OF
ms adventure. here every day was iiaught
with peril and any hour might bring the hunter
or sh.rir upon him, ia" mental strain must
have been very wearing ana leIt 'ha J mnn
| lI1 Utlfk NV >llIf vi NV - '''N $500
comparatively idle, although, ol course ! "a~
To share in the spUils.
The 2l.t OF Jlup had business at tho town
Of Franklin. and was al HE steamboat anu
ing when the boat arrived There Mrf" hhi
lew passengers upon the upper deck hui as
glanced about IIy cyrs r",ted ON ny Trend
Wt,nrr, lrauug over the guards, smoking me
nsNrr-Hb~cnt cigarette. HIS eyes -larkl"u'
and Il Quirl ,mle OF triumph rested on ms lace
H. b" nodded Ia me
Got your buggy. Brad"
Yes. replied.
"rhen VIII ride with YOU, and let my bag
gage eo 10 New Town Van ,hr goods lhef'
On the ride home George refused 10 talk
TIL. story. said it. "ps n long on" ! Kept
rs We went along, and also wherr We were al III"
lime lam tired and pretty vel! tagged ont, ana
an viii say j. that received rom TIE NhlII
Slavery SuCIetN luSt $3.50 Tor me venture anu
siUO more Tor expenses.
Il thought. George. yen took ten. .Ight grown
men ana women and Two children
so | did. but preferred 10 bear Lucy :
expenses myself.
Where y she;
Il ! placed Ier IN a .ch22I q, ind"yeE Ns,r
in advance and lett her deep ~ book, ana
stud, Bad. you would have been pleased
could You hay" seen me tNpr'-sion On VT"
| introduced Lucy To them, BHt lherr 10y Us
talk OF something else Intl Ett rrs,"1 !
have Il whole library "I adventure o relate
Adjoining oar store "" had a little cottage
builr. containing two rooms, where one, aud
sometimes both of ~. occasionally slept. When
George was at home be- usually stopped here.
ms We did not feel safe 10 lcaVe orr store and
stock alone. II being "A Crossroad store ana no
building very i.sl
CHAPTER y,
II wa, late that night before We go TO bed,
and ia. next DAY Was "A very busy one. our
goods coming from the steamer had 10 be tahell
care of. aud II was SUNDAY before We were
settled for Georges narrative.
"Nuv said George: ~ he TOOK OUT MS 20
baccn and commenced to roll his cigarette
You remember. Brad. when YOU left me in
IN. little hut II was raining heavily, nm WILING
ing TO admit that ! wasaltttle hornesick he con
finupd but he stream va crossed, the bridges
burned and there wa no retreat ! wrapped
a blankci around me lay down on the i'oof aud
tried TO sleep. but was 20 nervous ana eNTlteu
that did not succeed very. well, although a NIUE
drowsy before morning, lmpatienily waited
for the light, Before sunrise | was on my
feet. Lucy aroused the sleepers, ana soon
~ was n white man now. and breakfasted
nv myself About \ O'Clock the sun came
ont bright and clear causing the steam to arI,e
from ia" Wei foliage IN such dense masses
| that II would conceal The smoke, and there was
perfect safety IN our having "A IRE; ] directed
The boys 20 make "A big one olt ol uoors 10 ury
| our clothing and cheer the people. FOR there
IL nothing 80 cheers and enlivens one ~ me
woods A. a big bright cracking IRE, ana our
spirits rose with the sparks.
"A dozen people cannot move so Quietiy
and eVppditioIsly "a two men, and | concluded
that II would take al least four hours for the
party to accomplish the same distance yoh
The little brook leading into the Teche
was more than bank fun and was now mercy
n deep ditch in the overflow swamp. our
canoes were quite n distance up the brook, but
we had no difficulty IN finding them. although
there was some trouble IN arranging he pas
senger,, The sun wasiowi IN the west before
we began TO make our way toward the BAYOU
I'm the first canoe was. luCy together WIN
phnrO-rathpr a thiCk-headed, DlnnderiDR
darkey. AFRAID of his own shadow ROM Jack
md myself. took the bow. 10 JACK. VINO was
quite IA waterman gave IN, s,efh, ,ennS INC
Il had my rifle aud rrvolvers; none OF the
| others we're armed, as dared not trust hem.
In the other canoe were The remainder oi IN"
party in charge of Inln,l.l Mason. wlthold MoSo
In tLe stern. gave lemuel one or my pistols
and asked him # he could Use II. He looked
me straight in tn" eye;
Yes sir, and 10 Eli | am a free man;
now maybe II soon be- a dead one, bur III
never again live a. another mans, property,
In each boat were the pfoylsion- neeoru
start until our boat was a few rods alead,
pnshed into the sluggish current. headlng me
| canoe toward the bayou
Now for the North whispered TO Lucy,
as | dipped my paddle and sent The canoe over
The water. on, ON We went, among the dark
cypross and rottonwoods. their ovcrhnnging
branches touching the water and brushing our
canoe. The dip Of the paddle and the SWISH
Of The branches a. We disturbed them In our
massage was al that broke the uw full silence,
1T was quite dark before we reached me
waters of the TAcbe, and tied up close under the
bank, waiting for lemuel and MS canoe
WINS tired wnh waiting before they joined Va
AS we should now have 10 paddle ashlnH,
the current, and must make q noise, ! thouRbt
II host to wait until 10 O'Clock where we were,
-, li-f,,Ix. uhAyn IG on Tho banks OF