adds to the demand; and the demand must be supplied, say the dealers; and rent must be paid, say the shooters; and we too must live, say the poachers; and so the poor grouse, in the end, pays for all. NIGHT-VIEW OF A NEGRO TOWN. LAST April, an African traveller favoured us with a Photograph of a Negro Town. It was taken, as such pictures demand, in the daytime, and shewed the place in its quiet, dreamy state, winking in the sun. He has now sent us a companion-picture, yet of another kind. The town has roused itself up, for darkness has come down; and we view by firelight the employments and recreations of the inhabitants. The sun had reached its half-way degree from the meridian towards the horizon by the time my cicerone had fulfilled his office and taken his leave; and feeling as if I had shared in the evolutions of a field-day, I was glad to find our quarters deserted, and to throw myself into the king's gay white net hammock, which seemed specially to commend itself to my notice, as a sort of sudatory strainer. I took to it instinctively; my head and shoulders gravitated down an inclined plane in one direction, my feet followed the example in the other, and the dorsal column thus formed a luxurious curve. There was a charm, too, in the cool mellow light of the piazza, in the blandness of the atmosphere, and the dead stillness of the hour; and I felt that I was at home,' and cared not a straw about its want of the social element. The hammock has decided attractions for fatigue as well as indolence, and is as great a promoter of daydreaming as of sleep. It will not do, it is true, for a long night's stage-for the turnings and twistings of the dyspeptic, plethoric, phlegmatic, or rheumatic sleeper; but as the passage from a serious prolepsis or the pages of a dull book into a dozy dog-sleep' or a wholesome nap, or for a parenthetical siesta before dinner, it is unquestionably a commendable contrivance, and worthy of a more civilised origin than is commonly ascribed to it. It claims, however, to be enjoyed al fresco; and in this respect, whether in a warm climate, or warm weather in any climate, the couch or easy-chair has no pretensions either to its pleasantness or its sanitary virtues. But on this occasion, after a time, a restless sense of loneliness came over me. What had become of the king and the chiefs whom I had so recently left on the spot? Ah! yes-the fourth period of daily prayerprobably so; still, very odd, all so silent; no one to be seen; nothing moving; nothing-and yet stillness itself seems audible, like the breathing of silence; a whispering of some spirit in the air, or the 'running of the sand in the great hour-glass of Time;' while those long expansive shadows, stealthily creeping, | creeping over the earth, are measuring off the remnant of the day. But somewhere hereabout my conceptions must have turned a corner, for I lost sight of them. I was now in the misty regions of Queen Mab, and doing a fair bit of business in the shadowy line myself. I at length, however, acquired some vague sense of sound, like the murmuring surges of the ocean; a sense of seeing also ensued, and gradually I recognised six or eight chiefs seated about the piazza, listening with a sedate complacency to a recital of my morning adventures from my voluble attendant. As soon as he saw that my eyes were open, bang went his 'English' at me in a moment. 'Ah! kimmerforey, ole man,' said he, 'you slip, you slip (sleep)-fine slip, fine slip, eh?-berry fine; fine walk, fine town, fine women-berry fine, eh? yes!' The king, seated in the piazza of his house opposite, seemed engaged in a desultory conversation with his minister and two or three other chiefs. The last beams of the retiring sun were now to be seen only in the roseate tints of the western sky; the cows, as usual, were returning of their own accord from their pasturage, and passing, unattended, in single file, into the further yard. This little specimen of African 'routine' was quite charming; and by the time I had effectually demonstrated the efficacy of the 'cold-water remedy' in overcoming drowsiness, an odour of stewed something, with indubitable boiled rice, was borne into the house by our two handmaidens, who whisked off again with an involuntary giggle, and the king and the chiefs were once more retiring from the yard on their way to the mosque. As the evening advanced, both piazzas resumed for a while something more of the social aspect. It seemed, however, that courtesy, or mere ceremony, with possibly a spice of unsatiated curiosity, dictated the visits, rather than a desire for interchange of ideas among the visitors themselves; and after some occasional sententious remarks, a little snuff now and then, and a listless handling of the beads which some few wore round their necks, most of them retired, and we accompanied the minister across the yard for a chitchat with the king. But it was one of those lovely nights when external nature seems to appeal to us so irresistibly for sympathy, and to inspire at once that dreamy complacency which disposes us rather to think than to talk, and which renders it irksome, or, at least, demands something like an effort to sustain even a desultory conversation. The blue vault of heaven was studded with glittering stars; the moon, now advancing to the zenith, was mingling her silvery beams with the light of the radiant host that surrounded her; and nothing disturbed the prevailing silence but our own voices, till suddenly the distant sound of the native drum, and the low murmuring cadences of the evening-song, came upon my ears. We soon took our leave of the king, and I taxed the courtesy of the minister for his company in a walk. While leisurely pursuing the same direction I had taken in the morning, we now met with several individuals and small groups of loquacious young women, who, in passing, exchanged some short complimentary observation with the distinguished functionary who accompanied me. The close-fitting wrappers of the damsels, with cloths over their heads, after the fashion of the mantilla, were sufficient to betray their sex in the equivocal light of the hour, had their voices not proclaimed it. In the meantime, the wild sounds of the drums in different quarters of the town, the simple swelling strains from the leading voices, and the lower cadences of the responsive chorus, subsiding into a murmur, gradually became more and more distinct. The patches of light, that gleamed here and there, flickered brighter and brighter against the lower region of the sky, and brought a large portion of the high funnel-shaped roofs, the interjacent trees, and especially the tall palms with their crested heads, into bold relief. The nearest fire was now close at hand. Its glowing light streamed through the open doorways of the zadingy across the street as we approached, but here, neither sound of drum nor of voices was to be recognised. Voices, however, came upon my ears simultaneously with the sudden glare upon my sight as we entered the yard, and I beheld in the centre of it a dark group of figures surrounding the flames and transient bright sparks that waywardly flickered and glittered in the fantastic folds of the smoke that was spreading its gloomy canopy above their heads. They were all seated in close order upon the ground, forming a complete circle; but the monotonous jabbering of their voices, as well as the sedateness of their demeanour, gave no indication of hilarity. Possibly, it was some religious ceremony, some nocturnal freak of superstition to which their attention seemed riveted by the earnestness of their credulity-some propitiatory worship, perhaps, of the element which awes while it cheers and fascinates. Such might have been the inference in the mind of a stranger, from the character of the scene on first entering the yard; the fire materially increasing in effect the proportions of the dark opaque group of figures around it, as well as of the towering conical roofs of the adjacent buildings; whilst the details of the enclosure below, thrown into obscurity by their lengthened shadows,, conspired to create that mysterious solemnity which seemed to have settled upon the spot. On approaching the circle, however, I found that it was composed of between twenty and thirty boys, varying in their ages from eight to sixteen, with one adult only-an elderly man of spare figure and attenuated limbs, with a long triangular-shaped visage, high cheek-bones, small deep-set eyes, peering from under the eaves of a high projecting forehead, and a bristling crop of white stubble covering his chin, and contrasting strangely with the other swarthy features. Our presence caused no interruption to the steadfastness of their purpose, whatever it might be. The old gentleman raised his head, and then rounded his shoulders a little more into a bend of courtesy; but the jabbering still went on among the youngsters. At length one of the boys suddenly raised his voice and pointed to another; a short pause ensued, and something that seemed a brief admonition having come from the old president, on they went again. A similar interruption occurred again and again, till at length the fire began to languish, and a youngster jumped up, hurried to a heap of dried sticks, tied in separate small bundles, and was again squatting and jabbering in his place as the fire began to feed on his donation. The young tyros, it appeared, were graduating in the mazes of that Mohammedan treasury of knowledge called the Koran, and rehearsing the task of the night. Whenever a boy made a slip in a word or pronunciation, he was checked by another boy, the old preceptor having a manuscript portion of the Book before him; and the boy's seemed pretty eager in their watch upon one another. In short, the scene before us was a school. The sons of different neighbours were in class with the sons of the owner or occupier of the premises; and in this way the several karamojahs, or schoolmasters, within the town attend their classes-cach boy always providing a bundle of wood to maintain the fire. 'But why,' I inquired of my companion, 'make night the period of tuition?' Oh, day made for work,' he replied. Some boys have school by fire in the morning too, before sunrise.' How very little idea have we in England of anything like schooling or education going on among the negro tribes of Africa, saving that which is exclusively the work of our own missionaries! How remote from all our conceptions of their general character, habits, and aspirations, is the fact that 'learning' is held in high estimation, and forms a claim to distinction and respect; that Arabic is studied in public schools of wide repute in the heart of Nigritia, or the land of the negroes, within a few degrees of the equator; and that, among the swarthy natives, men are to be met with as well versed in Biblical history as the generality of laymen in England, and who are familiar also with two or three languages besides their own. It is true I that their intellectual pursuits and acquirements are not very profound, and that elementary instruction is pretty much limited to reading and writing; but this is precisely the case with Mohammedan nations or tribes in general. The fact, however, appears to be little known, or little regarded, that the deism of Mecca is fast gaining ground upon the fetichism of the pagans, and exercising a powerful influence upon the social and moral condition of the negro tribes of these regions. But our attention was not wholly directed to the boys. We found several men of different ages now assembled in the piazzas of two or three of the houses within the yard; either seated or occupying a hammock, and interchanging their ideas on current or traditionary events. Their great dependence upon tradition causes them to indulge habitually in retrospection, and in lauding the auspicious events of departed days. But our visit served to concentrate for a while their speculations on the passing present, with which I was specially identified, and more espe cially on the very odd notion of my coming among them only to see the country' and say how do?' This puzzled them; they could not make it out; they shook their heads, and pondered; and took snuff-the only form in which they use tobacco-to clear their perceptions. But distant sounds were inviting us in another direction; so, after shaking hands, and receiving their compliments, we left them with an interesting subject to dilate upon, and work out a solution at their leisure. After passing out of the yard into the street, we were soon again within the range of light from the next fire. The sound of drums and voices broke upon our ears, and another interesting picture opened before us. Here, too, a living circle of some fifty or sixty individuals was formed in the middle of the yard, the fire being at one side. The circle was composed chiefly of young men and women standing intermingled, with the drummer seated on one side of the fire tum-tum-a-rumming with an air of great selfsufficiency, whilst two young fellows were flinging themselves into angular attitudes as they whirled round within the area; eliciting, as it seemed, in a long measured strain, the extempore criticisms of the drummer as the leader, and the chorus accompaniment of the surrounding company. But our arrival, as soon as it was observed, at once changed the burden of the strain; the drum-sticks announced the transition in a brief rattling flourish, and opened a gap for the running commentary that ensued on the welcome we were entitled to, and the attributes we were respectively presumed to possess-quite a burden in themselves. Comparatively few of the company composed the corps de ballet, although all were numbered among the vocal performers. The dancing was, indeed, rather of the impulsive or ad libitum order-as devoid of any fixed principles or rules as of what we would call grace -the turning the toes inward, for instance, was awful, and even impulse itself was now and then kept in check, or became ludicrously confounded with something like mauvaise honte, or sheer incapacity for its work. The commonest achievement was that of a young fellow jumping straight across the ring, and figuring for a moment or two before an opposite damsel, as an invitation or challenge to draw her out. In this he was generally unsuccessful, and he returned jumping disconsolately to his place. Two of the more accomplished and self-sufficient of the young men at length began to display their powers; and a damsel followed the example, although disdainfully, seeming to figure about with an air of independence, and eyeing the capering gallants askance, as if to say: 'Wha' you want? Go 'long-le'v me 'lone!' Inspiriting applause was of course accorded to her by the audience, which had now somewhat increased, and those of the number who composed the front row had squatted upon the ground. The leader of the 'band' was here relieved by another, fresh and vigorous for the task; and this change was effected so quickly, that there was no palpable pause in the action of the drum-sticks. Another rattling flourish, and another leading voice, with some appropriate morsel of vocal sentiment, proclaimed the inauguration of the new conductor. To the responsive voices of the spectators was now added a general clapping of hands with one sharp simultaneous blow in unison with the time; the drum itself spoke out with a more impressive staccato intonation, and the fire, responding cheerfully to a poke, illumined the scene with a brighter gleam; while the dancers,' sidling and wheeling, and wriggling and kicking, and sprawling, were of course the observed of all observers. This went on for some timethe dancing, the drumming, and the applause growing faster and more furious-till one of the damsel's competitors, springing with one bound clean over the fire, as the only point of egress, disappeared from the scene with the dexterity of a harlequin. The scene had now reached its climax. The drum-sticks suddenly relaxed into a staggering rattle, and the performance was at an end. We now, for the first time, became conscious that we had been working away sympathetically with our head and shoulders, and with something like that impulsiveness with which a rider in a prodigious hurry finds himself striving to get ahead of his horse. No wonder the sedate companion of my evening ramble had disappeared; and on looking round, I confronted instead my incorrigible eulogist who had attended me in the morning, his 'English' of course effervescing in a moment. "Ah! kimmerforey,' cried he, ‘ole man, you dance, eh? Fine dance, fine dance-berry fine; fine gal, fine gal-berry fine, eh? yes! !' OÇE OLA: A ROMANCE. CHAPTER XX.-FRONTIER JUSTICE. I was not allowed long to enjoy the sweets of home. A few days after my arrival, I received an order to repair to Fort King, the Seminole agency, and headquarters of the army of Florida. General Clinch there commanded. I was summoned upon his staff. Bidding adieu to my mother and sister, I took the route. These were not left alone: my maternal uncle their guardian-resided upon the plantation. The parting moments were less bitter, from the belief that I should soon return. Even if the anticipated campaign should last for any considerable length of time, the scene of my duties would lie near, and I should find frequent opportunities of revisiting them. My uncle scouted the idea of a campaign, as so did every one. "The Indians,' he said, 'would yield to the demands of the commissioner. Fools, if they didn't!' Fort King was not distant; it stood upon Indian ground-fourteen miles within the border, though further than that from our plantation. A day's journey would bring me to it; and in the company of my cheerful 'squire,' Black Jake, the road would not seem long. We bestrode a pair of the best steeds the stables afforded, and were both armed cap-à-pié. We crossed the ferry at the upper landing, and rode within the 'reserve.'* The path-it was only a path ―ran parallel to the creek, though not near its banks. It passed through the woods, some distance to the rear of Madame Powell's plantation. When opposite to the clearing, my eyes fell upon the diverging track. I knew it well: I had oft trodden it with swelling heart. I hesitated-halted. Strange thoughts careered through my bosom; resolves half-made, and suddenly abandoned. The rein grew slack, and then tightened. The spur threatened the ribs of my horse, but failed to strike. 'Shall I go? Once more behold her? Once more renew those sweet joys of tender love? Once Ha, perhaps it is too late! I might be no longer welcome-if my reception should be hostile ? Perhaps ' more Not without chagrin, I prepared to obey the order. road to tha fort.' 'I know that, Jake; I was thinking of making a Not unwillingly did I listen to their counsel: I had no heart in the cause in which I was called forth; but at such a crisis I dared not follow their advice: I should have been branded as a traitor-a coward. My country had commissioned me to carry a sword. I must wield it, whether the cause be just or unjustwhether to my liking or not. This is called patriotism! 'About what?' I inquired with anxious heart. been, since better 'n two year-all gone clar 'way.' 'Gone away? Where?' 'Daat dis chile know nuffin 'bout. S'pose da gone some other lokayshun in da rezav; made new clarin somewha else.' 'And who lives here now?' 'Dar ain't neery one lib tha now: tha ole house am desarted.' 'But why did Madame Powell leave it?' There was yet another reason for my reluctance to part from home. I need hardly declare it. Since my return, my eyes had often wandered over the lake-hear um, Massr George?' -often rested on that fair island. Oh, I had not forgotten her! I can scarcely analyse my feelings. They were mingled emotions. Young love triumphant over older passions -ready to burst forth from the ashes that had long shrouded it-young love penitent and remorseful doubt, jealousy, apprehension. All these were active within me.. Since my arrival, I had not dared to go forth. I observed that my mother was still distrustful. I had not dared even to question those who might have satisfied me. I passed those few days in doubt, and at intervals under a painful presentiment that all was not well. Did Maumee still live? Was she true? True! Had she reason? Had she ever loved me? There were those near who could have answered the first question; but I feared to breathe her name, even to the most intimate. 'No-never.' "T 'Den I tell um. But s'pose, massr, we ride on. am a gettin' a leetle lateish, an' 'twont do nohow to be cotch arter night in tha woods.' I turned my horse's head, and advanced along the main road, Jake riding by my side. With aching heart, I listened to his narrative. 'You see, Massr George, 'twar all o' Massr Ringgoltha ole bosst daat am-an' I b'lieve the young 'un had 'im hand in dat pie, all same, like tha ole 'un. Waal, you see Mar'm Pow'll she loss some niggas dat war ha slaves. Dey war stole from ha, an' wuss dan stole. Dey war tuk, an' by white men, massr. Tha be folks who say dat Mass' Ringgol-he know'd more 'n anybody else 'bout tha whole bizness. But da rubb'ry war blamed on Ned Spence an' Bill William. Waal, * That portion of Florida reserved for the Seminoles by the treaty of Camp Moultrie, made in 1823. It was a large tract, and occupied the central part of the peninsula. + Master or proprietor; universally in use throughout the Southern States. From the Dutch 'baas?' Mar'm Pow'll she go to da law wi' dis yar Ned an' Bill; an' she 'ploy Massr Grubb tha big lawyer dat lib down tha ribba. Now Massr Grubb, he great friend o' Massr Ringgol, an' folks do say dat boaf de two put tha heads together to cheat dat ar Indy-en 'ooman.' 'How?' 'Dis chile don't say for troof, Massr George; he hear um only from da brack folks; tha white folk say diff'rent. But I hear um from Mass' Ringgol's own nigga woodman-Pomp, you know, Massr George? an' he say dat them ar two bosses did put tha heads together to cheat dat poor Indy-en 'ooman.' 'In what way, Jake?' I asked impatiently. 'Waal, you see, Massr George, da lawya he want da Indy-en sign ha name to some paper-power ob 'turney, tha call um, I b'lieve. She sign; she no read tha writin. Whugh! daat paper war no power ob 'turney: it war what tha lawyas call a "bill ob sale."' 'Ha!' 'Yes, Massr George, dat's what um war; an' by dat same bill ob sale all Mar'm Pow'll's niggas an' all ha plantation - clarin war made ober to Massr Grubb.' 'Atrocious scoundrel!' 'Massr Grubb he swar he bought 'em all, an' paid for 'em in cash dollar. Mar'm Pow'll she swar de berry contr'y. Da judge he decide for Massr Grubb, 'kase great Massr Ringgol he witness; an' folks do say Massr Ringgol now got dat paper in um own safe keepin', an' war at the bottom ob tha whole bizness." 'Atrocious scoundrels! oh, villains! But tell me, Jake, what became of Madame Powell?' Shortly arter, tha all gone 'way-nob'dy know wha. Da mar'm haself an' dat fine young fellur you know, an' da young Indy-en gal dat ebberybody say war so good-lookin'-yes, Massr George, tha all gone 'way.' At that moment an opening in the woods enabled me to catch a glimpse of the old house. There it stood in all its gray grandeur, still embowered in the midst of beautiful groves of orange and olive. But the broken fence-the tall weeds standing up against the walls the shingles here and there missing from the roof-all told the tale of ruin. reasons that left no room for doubt; in fact, it was only in keeping with the general conduct of the border adventurers towards the unfortunate natives with whom they came in contact. Border adventurers, did I say? Government agents, members of the Florida legislature, generals, planters, rich as Ringgold, all took part in similar speculations. I could give names. I am writing truth, and do not fear contradiction. It was easy enough, therefore, to credit the tale. It was only one of twenty similar cases of which I had heard. The acts of Colonel Gad Humphreys, the Indian agent of Major Phagan, another Indian agent of Dexter, the notorious negro-stealer-of Floydof Douglass-of Robinson and Millburn, are all historic all telling of outrages committed upon the suffering Seminole. A volume might be filled detailing such swindles as that of Grubbs and Ringgold. In the mutual relations between white man and red man, it requires no skilful advocate to shew on which side must lie the wrongs unrepaired and unavenged. Beyond all doubt, the Indian has ever been the victim. It is needless to add that there were retaliations: how could it be otherwise? One remarkable fact discloses itself in these episodes of Floridian life. It is well known that slaves thus stolen from the Indians always returned to their owners whenever they could! To secure them from finding their way back, the Dexters and Douglasses were under the necessity of taking them to some distant market, to the far coasts' of the Mississippi-to Natchez or New Orleans. There is but one explanation of this social phenomenon; and that is, that the slaves of the Seminole were not slaves. In truth, they were treated with an indulgence to which the helot of other lands is a stranger. They were the agriculturists of the country, and their Indian master was content if they raised him a little corn-just sufficient for his need-with such other vegetable products as his simple cuisine required. They lived far apart from the dwellings of their owners. Their hours of labour were few, and scarcely compulsory. Surplus product was their own; and in most cases There was ruin in my heart, as I turned sorrowing they became rich-far richer than their own masters, away. CHAPTER XXI. INDIAN SLAVES. It never occurred to me to question the genuineness of Jake's story. What the black folks' said was true; I had no doubt of it. The whole transaction was redolent of the Ringgolds and lawyer Grubbsthe latter a half-planter, half-legal practitioner of indifferent reputation. Jake further informed me that Spence and Williams had disappeared during the progress of the trial. Both afterwards returned to the settlement, but no ulterior steps were taken against them, as there was no one to prosecute! As for the stolen negroes, they were never seen again in that part of the country. The robbers had no doubt carried them to the slave-markets of Mobile or New Orleans, where a sufficient price would be obtained to remunerate Grubbs for his professional services, as also Williams and Spence for theirs. The land would become Ringgold's, as soon as the Indians could be got out of the country-and this was the object of the "bill of sale.' A transaction of like nature between white man and white man would have been regarded as a grave swindle, an atrocious crime. The whites affected not to believe it; but there were some who knew it to be true, and viewed it only in the light of a clever ruse! That it was true, I could not doubt. Jake gave me who were less skilled in economy. Emancipation was easily purchased, and the majority were actually free -though from such chains it was scarcely worth while to escape. If slavery it could be called, it was the mildest form ever known upon earth-far differing from the abject bondage of Ham under either Shem or Japheth. It may be asked how the Seminoles became possessed of these black slaves? Were they 'runaways' from the States from Georgia and the Carolinas, Alabama, and the plantations of Florida? Doubtless a few were from this source; but most of the runaways were not claimed as property; and, arriving among the Indians, became free. There was a time when by the stern conditions of the Camp Moultrie Covenant these absconding' slaves were given up to their white owners; but it is no discredit to the Seminoles, that they were always remiss in the observance of this disgraceful stipulation. In fact, it was not always possible to surrender back the fugitive negro. Black communities had concentrated themselves in different parts of the reserve, who under their own leaders were socially free, and strong enough for self-defence. It was with these that the runaway usually found refuge and welcome. Such a community was that of 'Harry' amidst the morasses of Pease Creek-of 'Abram' at Micosauky-of 'Charles' and the 'mulatto king.' No; the negro slaves of the Seminoles were not runaways from the plantations; though the whites would wish to make it appear so. Very few were of this class. The greater number was the 'genuine property' of their Indian owners, so far as a slave can be called property. At all events, they were legally obtained-some of them from the Spaniards, the original settlers, and some by fair purchase from the American planters themselves. How purchased? you will ask. What could a tribe of savages give in exchange for such a costly commodity? The answer is easy. Horses and horned cattle. Of both of these the Seminoles possessed vast herds. On the evacuation by the Spaniards, the savannas swarmed with cattle, of Andalusian racehalf-wild. The Indians caught and reclaimed them became their owners. This, then, was the quid pro quo-quadrupeds in exchange for bipeds! The chief of the crimes charged against the Indians was the stealing of cattle-for the white men had their herds as well. The Seminoles did not deny that there were bad men among them-lawless fellows difficult to restrain. Where is the community without scamps? One thing was very certain. The Indian chiefs, when fairly appealed to, have always evinced an earnest desire to make restoration: and exhibited an energy in the cause of justice, entirely unknown upon the opposite side of their border. It differed little how they acted, so far as regarded their character among their white neighbours. These had made up their mind that the dog should be hanged; and it was necessary to give him a bad name. Every robbery, committed upon the frontier, was of course the act of an Indian. White burglars had but to give their faces a coat of Spanish brown, and justice could not see through the paint. CHAPTER XXII. A CIRCUITOUS TRANSACTION. Such were my reflections as I journeyed onsuggested by the sad tale to which I had been listening. As if to confirm their correctness, an incident at that moment occurred, exactly to the point. We had not ridden far along the path, when we came upon the tracks of cattle. Some twenty head must have passed over the ground, going in the same direction as ourselves-towards the Indian 'reserve.' The tracks were fresh-almost quite fresh. tracker enough to know that they must have passed within the hour. Though cloistered so long within college walls, I had not forgotten all the forest-craft taught me by young Powell. I was The circumstance of thus coming upon a cattle-trail, fresh or old, would have made no impression upon me. There was nothing remarkable about it. Some Indian herdsmen had been driving home their flock; and that the drivers were Indians, I could perceive by the moccasin prints in the mud. It is true, some frontiers-men wear the moccasin; but these were not the footprints of white men. The turned-in toes,* the high instep, and other trifling signs which, from early training, I knew how to translate, proved that the tracks were Indian. It is a mistake to suppose that the negro brain is incapable of that acute reasoning which constitutes a cunning hunter. I have known black men who could read sign' and lift a trail with as much intuitive quickness as either red or white. Black Jake could have done it. I soon found that in this kind of knowledge he was now my master; and, almost on the instant, I had cause to be astonished at his acuteness. I have said that the sight of the cattle-tracks created no surprise in either of us. At first it did not; but we had not ridden twenty paces further, when I saw my companion suddenly rein up, at the same instant giving utterance to one of those ejaculations peculiar to the negro thorax, and closely resembling the wugh' of a startled hog. I looked in his face. I saw by its expression that he had some revelation to make. 'I see a ruck of cow-tracks-nothing more.' 'Doant you see dat big 'un?' 'Yes-there is one larger than the rest.' 'By Gosh! it am de big ox Ballface-I know um track anywha-many's tha load o' cyrpess log dat ar ox hab toated for ole massr.' 'What? I remember Baldface. You think the cattle are ours?' 'No, Massr George-I'spect tha be da lawya Grubb's cattle. Ole massr sell Ballface to Massr Grubb more 'n a year 'go. Daat am Bally's track for sartin.' 'But why should Mr Grubbs's cattle be here in Indian ground, and so far from his plantation ?—and with Indian drivers, too?' 'Dat ere's jest what dis chile can't clarly make out, Massr George.' There was a singularity in the circumstance that induced reflection. The cattle could not have strayed so far of themselves. Their voluntary swimming of the river was against such a supposition. But they were not straying; they were evidently conducted-and by Indians. Was it a raid?-were the beeves being stolen? It had the look of a bit of thievery, and yet it was not crafty enough. The animals had been driven along a frequented path certain to be taken by those in quest of them; and the robbers-if they were such-had used no precaution to conceal their tracks. It looked like a theft, and it did not; and it was just this dubious aspect that stimulated the curiosity of my companion and myself-so much so, that we made up our minds to follow the trail, and if possible ascertain the truth. For a mile or more, the trail coincided with our own route; and then turning abruptly to the left, it struck off towards a track of hommock' woods. We were determined not to give up our intention lightly. The tracks were so fresh, that we knew the herd must have passed within the hour-within the quarter-they could not be distant. We could gallop back to the main road, through some thin pine-timber we saw stretching away to the right; and, with these reflections, we turned head along the cattle-trail. Shortly after entering the dense forest, we heard voices of men in conversation, and at intervals the So were they, agreed my groom, and Jake was no 'slouch' in the ways of the woods. He had all his life been a keen 'coon-hunter-a trapper of the swamphare, the possum,' and the 'gobbler.' Moreover, he had been my companion upon many a deer-hunt-routing of oxen. many a chase after the gray fox, and the rufous 'cat.' During my absence he had added greatly to his experiences. He had succeeded his former rival in the post of woodman, which brought him daily in contact with the denizens of the forest, and constant observation of their habits had increased his skill. It is art, not nature, that causes this peculiarity; it is done in the cradle. We alit, tied our horses to a tree, and moved forward afoot. We walked stealthily and in silence, guiding ourselves by the sounds of the voices, that kept up an almost continual clatter. Beyond a doubt, the cattle whose bellowing we heard were those whose tracks we had been tracing; but equally certain was it, that the voices we now listened to were not the voices of those who had driven them! |