s at their heels without intending mischief. If he
won't order those negroes to give themselves up, we must try and catch
them. If we can't do so, it will have a very ugly look for him."

But the blacks were active and cunning, and knew the country, which was
more than their pursuers did. The latter, after a long chase, came back
declaring that not a nigger could they find, and swearing at the trouble
which had been given them.

So angry were they with Rochford, that had I not energetically
interfered, it would have gone hard with him. I at length, however,
persuaded the captain to carry him before Judge Shurtleff. The party
indeed were anxious to get out of the wood as soon as possible, for we
had already gone further in pursuit of the supposed rebels than was
intended; and as no other camp could be found in the neighbourhood
besides the small one lately formed by Rochford and his attendants, our
leader was pretty well satisfied that it would be useless to continue
the search. In spite of my representations, he treated Rochford as a
prisoner, making him march between two armed men, who were ordered to
shoot him should he attempt to run away. When we halted at night,
greatly to my indignation, they lashed his arms behind him, so that he
could neither sit nor lie down with any comfort.

Rochford bore this ill-treatment without complaint. "Thus end all my
schemes for the amelioration of the red and black races of this hapless
country," he said to me, as I was sitting near him, which I was allowed
to do. "I found them very different, I confess, to what I expected.
With some noble qualities, the Indians are savage in the extreme; and
the blacks must be educated before they are fit to take care of
themselves. I have, however, more hope of them than I have of the
Indians."

I was not sorry to hear Rochford say this, as I trusted that he would
now be induced to abandon his wild schemes, and turn his attention to a
more profitable employment of his time.

Captain Nockelles, who was exceedingly vexed at the escape of the
blacks, refused, notwithstanding my representations, to set my friend at
liberty. I undertook to be answerable for his making no attempt to
escape; but all I could say had no effect, and Rochford was kept with
his arms pinioned, unless when two men were standing by him with loaded
rifles in their hands. Our journey was therefore a far from pleasant
one. Rochford found it very disagreeable; and