ey were without Pity; they were
without knowledge that theirs was a cut-throat, nay, a cannibal trade.
The white man had made war on them, and torn them from their Homes,
where they were happy enough in their Dirt and Grease, their War-paint,
and their idolatrous worship of Obeah and Bungey. 'Twas these
Men-monsters that we went to hunt. The Planters themselves were
somewhat chary of dealing with them; for the cruelty which the Maroons
inflicted on those who fell into their power were Awful alone to
contemplate, much more so to Endure; but they were glad enough when any
gang of young Desperadoes of the meaner white sort--which, speaking not
for myself, I am inclined to believe the Meanest and most Despicable of
any sort or condition of Humanity--would volunteer to go on a Maroon
Hunt. We were to have a Handsome Recompense, whether our enterprise
succeeded or failed; but were likewise stimulated to increased exertion
by the covenanted promise of so many dollars--I forget how many now--for
every head of a Maroon that we brought at our saddlebows to the place of
Rendezvous. And so we started one summer morning, some twenty strong,
all young, valiant, and not overscrupulous, armed, I need scarcely say,
to the teeth, and mounted on the rough but fleet ponies of the country.

A train of Negroes on whom we could Depend--that is, by the strict
application of the law of Fear, not Kindness, and who stood in such
Terror of us, and of our ever-ready Thongs, Halters, Pistols, and
Cutlasses, as scarcely to dare call their souls their own--followed us
with Sumpter mules well laden with provisions, kegs of drink, both of
water and ardent, and additional ammunition. I was full of glee at the
prospects of this Foray, vowed that it was a hundred times pleasanter
than making out Maum Buckey's washing-books, and hearing her scold her
laundry-wenches; and longed to prove to my companions that the Prowess I
had shown at twelve--ay, and before that age, when I brained the
Grenadier with the Demijohn--had not degenerated now that I was turned
sixteen, and far away from my own country. So we rode and rode, who but
we, and dined gaily under spreading trees, boasting of the brave deeds
we would do when we had tracked the black Marooning vagabonds to their
lair. At which those Negro servants upon whom we could depend grinned
from ear to ear, and told us in their lingo that they "oped we would
soon Dam black negar tief out, and burn his Fader like ca