Indians of North America -- Juvenile fiction; Pioneers -- West (U.S.) -- Juvenile fiction; Slavery -- Juvenile fiction
Before our eyes were closed the horrible chorus of howls and yelps and
barking recommenced, and continued apparently on every side of our camp;
still, while the fire burned brightly, there was no fear of the brutes
rushing in on us. To sleep, while those dismal howls broke the
stillness of night, was simply impossible. Now the creatures appeared
to be coming nearer, now they retreated, now they seemed on this side,
now on that; their voices had summoned a fresh pack, who, rushing in,
quickly devoured the remainder of the feast. All night long the tumult
was kept up. Occasionally Mr Tidey or I rose to attend to the fire.
Upon each occasion I caught sight of numerous glaring eyes staring out
at us from amid the darkness. As morning approached the sounds
gradually ceased, and we had the satisfaction of believing that the
wolves had retreated to the recesses of the forest. I immediately fell
asleep, and when Mr Tidey roused Dan and me, the sun was already
several degrees above the horizon. We breakfasted on some bear-steak,
which we had fortunately secured, then set to work to scrape the skin
and to pack it up in a tight compass. As we had no wish to carry the
skin further than we could help, we put about and steered a course for
home, which we calculated it would take us four days to reach. Nothing
occurred worth narrating for the next three days.
We had still a march of about twenty-five miles to accomplish, and were
looking for a convenient spot to camp in near a stream bordered by a
wood, when we heard a low moan, which seemed to proceed from no great
distance off.
"That's a human voice," observed Mr Tidey; "some poor fellow wounded by
the Indians, or who perhaps has been injured by some other means."
We hunted about, being still uncertain of the exact spot whence the
sound proceeded. Again a moan reached our ears, and guided by it we
hurried on, when behind a bush we found stretched on the ground,
apparently at the last gasp, a negro dressed in the usual costume of the
slaves, a rough shirt and loose trousers. His feet were cut and
bleeding, probably from the sharp rocks and prickly bushes among which
he had passed. He opened his languid eyes as the sound of our footsteps
reached his ears, and pointing to his mouth murmured--
"Eat, eat,--massa, eat."
Having fortunately the remains of our last dinner in our knapsacks, we
were at once able to give him some food, while Mr Tidey poured some rum
and water down his throat. The effect was most satisfactory. In a few
minutes he was able to sit up, when he gazed at us earnestly.
"Where were you wanting to go, my poor fellow?" asked the Dominie in a
kind tone.
The black's eye brightened.
"Oh, massa, you kind to poor nigger," he said in a weak voice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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