found 'im yeer."

"Why, you are quite at home here, Gabriel! How did you ever find such a
place?"

"Lor', mass', knowd it long time. He not de fust darkie who hid in dis
old cypress,--nor de fust time for Gabr'l neider. He runaway afore,--
dat war when he libbed with Mass' Hicks, 'fore ole mass' bought him. He
nebber had 'casion to run away from old Mass 'Sancon. He good to de
brack folks, and so war Mass Antoine--he good too, but now de poor nigga
can't stan no longer; de new oberseer, he flog hard,--he flog till do
blood come,--he use de cobbin board, an dat pump, an de red cowhide, an
de wagon whip,--ebberything he use,--dam! I nebber go back,--nebber!"

"But how do you intend to live? you can't always exist in this way.
Where will you get your provisions?"

"Nebber fear, mass' Edwad, always get nuff to eat; no fear for dat. Da
poor runaway hab some friend on de plantations. Beside he steal nuff to
keep 'im 'live--hya! hya!"

"Oh!"

"Gabr'l no need steal now, 'ceptin' de roasting yeers and de millyuns.
See! what Zip fetch im! Zip come las night to de edge ob de woods an'
fetch all dat plunder. But, mass', you 'skoose me. Forgot you am
hungry. Hab some pork some chicken. Chloe cook 'em--is good--you eat."

So saying he set the wooden platter with its contents before me; and the
conversation was now interrupted, as both myself and my companion
attacked the viands with right good-will.

The "millyuns" constituted a delicious dessert, and for a full half-hour
we continued to fight against the appetite of hunger. We conquered it
at length, but not until the store of the runaway had been greatly
reduced in bulk.

After dinner we sat conversing for a long time. We were not without the
soothing nicotian weed. My companion had several bunches of dry
tobacco-leaf among his stores; and a corn-cob with a piece of cane-joint
served for a pipe, through which the smoke was inhaled with all the
aromatic fragrance of the costliest Havanna.

Partly from gratitude for the saving of my life, I had grown to feel a
strong interest in the runaway, and his future prospects became the
subject of our converse. He had formed no plan of escape--though some
thoughts of an attempt to reach Canada or Mexico, or to get off in a
ship by New Orleans, had passed through his mind.

A plan occurred to me, though I did not communicate it to him, as I
might never be able to carry it out. I begged of him, however, not to
lea