he story of human beings, of any
color, pursued by these revolting instruments of man's most savage
"inhumanity to man," with indifference!

I started to my feet, and a few moments' listening confirmed my first
impression. It was true. They were after us with their bloodhounds!
not one pack alone, but all in the country, as the widening circle,
from which echoed their dismal baying, revealed but too plainly. There
was no longer safety in idleness, and I at once started up, and
hurried off, as nearly at right angles to the railroad as I could
ascertain by the whistling of the trains, which seemed to be moving in
great numbers, and much excited. The fearful barking of the dogs also
gave me a clue to avoid them. Faint and weak as I was, excitement
supplied the place of strength, and I rapidly placed a considerable
distance between myself and pursuers.

Away across the hills and streams I sped, I knew not how far--I only
knew that the noise of the dogs grew fainter and fainter as the
evening wore on. I had distanced them, and began to breathe freer. I
even indulged the hope of being able ultimately to work my way to the
lines, and still think I might have done so, had the weather been
clear enough to permit my traveling by the sun or stars.

As I descended the long slope of a wooded hill into a wild, solitary
valley, I saw a rude hut, and a man in the garden beside it. I
approached him to inquire the road to Chattanooga, though that was the
last place I wished to go. The answer was, that it was only eight
miles. This was nearer than I liked to be, as I rightly judged the
pursuit would be most vigorous in that vicinity. However, I continued
my journey in that direction, until out of sight, and then climbed up
the hill at right angles to my former course. I traveled this way for
some time, when an incident occurred that would have been amusing, had
it been less vexatious.

I had often heard that persons who were lost would naturally travel in
a circle, but did not attach a great deal of credit to the assertion.
Now I had the proof. I had crossed a road, and left it for something
like an hour, during which time I walked very fast, when, to my
surprise, I came to the same place again.

I was considerably annoyed to thus lose my labor, but struck over the
hill in what I supposed to be the right direction. Judge of my
astonishment when, after an hour or more of hard walking, I found
myself at precisely the same spot again!