t, yet the consideration was still somewhat of
a restraint to him.

The next morning, he determined to say nothing, as yet; to assemble
a party, from some neighboring plantations, with dogs and guns;
to surround the swamp, and go about the hunt systematically. If it
succeeded, well and good; if not, he would summon Tom before him,
and--his teeth clenched and his blood boiled--_then_ he would break
the fellow down, or--there was a dire inward whisper, to which his soul
assented.

Ye say that the _interest_ of the master is a sufficient safeguard for
the slave. In the fury of man's mad will, he will wittingly, and with
open eye, sell his own soul to the devil to gain his ends; and will he
be more careful of his neighbor's body?

"Well," said Cassy, the next day, from the garret, as she reconnoitred
through the knot-hole, "the hunt's going to begin again, today!"

Three or four mounted horsemen were curvetting about, on the space
in front of the house; and one or two leashes of strange dogs were
struggling with the negroes who held them, baying and barking at each
other.

The men are, two of them, overseers of plantations in the vicinity;
and others were some of Legree's associates at the tavern-bar of a
neighboring city, who had come for the interest of the sport. A more
hard-favored set, perhaps, could not be imagined. Legree was serving
brandy, profusely, round among them, as also among the negroes, who had
been detailed from the various plantations for this service; for it was
an object to make every service of this kind, among the negroes, as much
of a holiday as possible.

Cassy placed her ear at the knot-hole; and, as the morning air blew
directly towards the house, she could overhear a good deal of the
conversation. A grave sneer overcast the dark, severe gravity of her
face, as she listened, and heard them divide out the ground, discuss the
rival merits of the dogs, give orders about firing, and the treatment of
each, in case of capture.

Cassy drew back; and, clasping her hands, looked upward, and said, "O,
great Almighty God! we are _all_ sinners; but what have _we_ done, more
than all the rest of the world, that we should be treated so?"

There was a terrible earnestness in her face and voice, as she spoke.

"If it wasn't for _you_, child," she said, looking at Emmeline, "I'd
_go_ out to them; and I'd thank any one of them that _would_ shoot
me down; for what use will freedom be to me? Can it give me