time; she
transferred, article by article, a greater part of her own and
Emmeline's wardrobe. All things being arranged, they only waited a
fitting opportunity to put their plan in execution.

By cajoling Legree, and taking advantage of a good-natured interval,
Cassy had got him to take her with him to the neighboring town, which
was situated directly on the Red river. With a memory sharpened to
almost preternatural clearness, she remarked every turn in the road, and
formed a mental estimate of the time to be occupied in traversing it.

At the time when all was matured for action, our readers may, perhaps,
like to look behind the scenes, and see the final _coup d'etat_.

It was now near evening, Legree had been absent, on a ride to a
neighboring farm. For many days Cassy had been unusually gracious and
accommodating in her humors; and Legree and she had been, apparently,
on the best of terms. At present, we may behold her and Emmeline in the
room of the latter, busy in sorting and arranging two small bundles.

"There, these will be large enough," said Cassy. "Now put on your bonnet,
and let's start; it's just about the right time."

"Why, they can see us yet," said Emmeline.

"I mean they shall," said Cassy, coolly. "Don't you know that they must
have their chase after us, at any rate? The way of the thing is to be
just this:--We will steal out of the back door, and run down by the
quarters. Sambo or Quimbo will be sure to see us. They will give chase,
and we will get into the swamp; then, they can't follow us any further
till they go up and give the alarm, and turn out the dogs, and so on;
and, while they are blundering round, and tumbling over each other, as
they always do, you and I will slip along to the creek, that runs back
of the house, and wade along in it, till we get opposite the back door.
That will put the dogs all at fault; for scent won't lie in the water.
Every one will run out of the house to look after us, and then we'll
whip in at the back door, and up into the garret, where I've got a nice
bed made up in one of the great boxes. We must stay in that garret a
good while, for, I tell you, he will raise heaven and earth after us.
He'll muster some of those old overseers on the other plantations, and
have a great hunt; and they'll go over every inch of ground in that
swamp. He makes it his boast that nobody ever got away from him. So let
him hunt at his leisure."

"Cassy, how well you have planned i