shoulder, told me I was his prisoner
"in the name of the law." Though brusquely done, and apparently with a
degree of rudeness, I was not displeased either by the act or the
manner. The latter was plainly assumed for a purpose; and in the act
itself I hailed the salvation of my life. I felt like a rescued man.

The proceeding did not equally content my former judges, who loudly
murmured their dissatisfaction. They alleged that I had already been
tried by a jury of _twelve free citizens_--that I had been found guilty
of nigger-stealing--that I had stolen _two niggers_--that I had resisted
when pursued, and had "wownded" one of my pursuers; and that, as all
this had been "clarly made out," they couldn't see what more was wanted
to establish my guilt, and that I ought to be _hung_ on the spot,
without further loss of time.

The sheriff replied that such a course would be illegal; that the
majesty of the law must be respected; that if I was guilty of the crimes
alleged against me, the law would most certainly measure out full
punishment to me; but that I must first be brought before a justice, and
the charge legally and formally made out; and, finally, expressed his
intention to take me before Justice Claiborne, the magistrate of the
district.

An angry altercation ensued between the mob and the sheriffs party--in
which but slight show of respect was paid to the high executive--and for
some time I was actually in dread that the ruffians would carry their
point. But an American sheriff is entirely a different sort of
character from the idle gentleman who fills that office in an English
county. The former is, in nine cases out of ten, a man of proved
courage and action; and Sheriff Hickman, with whom my _quasi_ judges had
to deal, was no exception to this rule. His "posse," moreover,
hurriedly collected by my friend Reigart, chanced to have among their
number several men of a similar stamp. Reigart himself, though a man of
peace, was well-known to possess a cool and determined spirit; and there
was the landlord of my hotel, and several of the planters who
accompanied several of the young planters, behaved in a handsome manner;
and the law prevailed.

Yes! thank Heaven and half-a-dozen noble men, the law prevailed--else I
should never have gone out of that glade alive!

Justice Lynch had to give way to Justice Claiborne, and a respite was
obtained from the cruel verdict of the former. The victorious sheriff
and