e _demigod_, whose huge image on so many occasions haunted
my childhood's imagination. When the time of my departure was decided
upon, my grandmother, knowing my fears, and in pity for them, kindly
kept me ignorant of the dreaded event about to transpire. Up to the
morning (a beautiful summer morning) when we were to start, and, indeed,
during the whole journey--a journey which, child as I was, I remember as
well as if it were yesterday--she kept the sad fact hidden from me. This
reserve was necessary; for, could I have known all, I should have
given grandmother some trouble in getting me started. As it was, I was
helpless, and she--dear woman!--led me along by the hand, resisting,
with the reserve and solemnity of a priestess, all my inquiring looks to
the last.

The distance from Tuckahoe to Wye river--where my old master lived--was
full twelve miles, and the walk was quite a severe test of the endurance
of my young legs. The journey would have proved too severe for me,
but that my dear old grandmother--blessings on her memory!--afforded
occasional relief by "toting" me (as Marylanders have it) on her
shoulder. My grandmother, though advanced in years--as was evident
from more than one gray hair, which peeped from between the ample and
graceful folds of her newly-ironed bandana turban--was yet a woman of
power and spirit. She was marvelously straight in figure, elastic, and
muscular. I seemed hardly to be a burden to her. She would have "toted"
me farther, but that I felt myself too much of a man to allow it, and
insisted on walking. Releasing dear grandmamma from carrying me, did not
make me altogether independent of her, when we happened to pass through
portions of the somber woods which lay between Tuckahoe and{36} Wye
river. She often found me increasing the energy of my grip, and holding
her clothing, lest something should come out of the woods and eat me up.
Several old logs and stumps imposed upon me, and got themselves taken
for wild beasts. I could see their legs, eyes, and ears, or I could see
something like eyes, legs, and ears, till I got close enough to them to
see that the eyes were knots, washed white with rain, and the legs were
broken limbs, and the ears, only ears owing to the point from which they
were seen. Thus early I learned that the point from which a thing is
viewed is of some importance.

As the day advanced the heat increased; and it was not until the
afternoon that we reached the much drea