must be right, I know it must; but when I try to pray, I
can only hate and curse. I can't pray!"

"Poor soul!" said Tom, compassionately. "Satan desires to have ye, and
sift ye as wheat. I pray the Lord for ye. O! Misse Cassy, turn to the
dear Lord Jesus. He came to bind up the broken-hearted, and comfort all
that mourn."

Cassy stood silent, while large, heavy tears dropped from her downcast
eyes.

"Misse Cassy," said Tom, in a hesitating tone, after surveying her
in silence, "if ye only could get away from here,--if the thing was
possible,--I'd 'vise ye and Emmeline to do it; that is, if ye could go
without blood-guiltiness,--not otherwise."

"Would you try it with us, Father Tom?"

"No," said Tom; "time was when I would; but the Lord's given me a work
among these yer poor souls, and I'll stay with 'em and bear my cross
with 'em till the end. It's different with you; it's a snare to
you,--it's more'n you can stand,--and you'd better go, if you can."

"I know no way but through the grave," said Cassy. "There's no beast or
bird but can find a home some where; even the snakes and the alligators
have their places to lie down and be quiet; but there's no place for us.
Down in the darkest swamps, their dogs will hunt us out, and find
us. Everybody and everything is against us; even the very beasts side
against us,--and where shall we go?"

Tom stood silent; at length he said,

"Him that saved Daniel in the den of lions,--that saves the children in
the fiery furnace,--Him that walked on the sea, and bade the winds be
still,--He's alive yet; and I've faith to believe he can deliver you.
Try it, and I'll pray, with all my might, for you."

By what strange law of mind is it that an idea long overlooked, and
trodden under foot as a useless stone, suddenly sparkles out in new
light, as a discovered diamond?

Cassy had often revolved, for hours, all possible or probable schemes
of escape, and dismissed them all, as hopeless and impracticable; but
at this moment there flashed through her mind a plan, so simple and
feasible in all its details, as to awaken an instant hope.

"Father Tom, I'll try it!" she said, suddenly.

"Amen!" said Tom; "the Lord help ye!"

CHAPTER XXXIX

The Stratagem

"The way of the wicked is as darkness; he knoweth not at what he
stumbleth."*

* Prov. 4:19.

The garret of the house that Legree occupied, like most other garrets,
was a great, desolate space, dusty, hung with cobwe