CHAPTER XXII.
"When Adam delv'd, and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman?"--_Old Saw._
Thousandacres had not altogether neglected forms, though so much setagainst the spirit of the law. We found a sort of court collected beforethe door of his dwelling, with himself in the centre, while theprincipal room contained no one but Prudence and one or two of herdaughters. Among the latter was Lowiny, to my surprise; for I had notseen the girl return from the woods, though my eyes had not been longturned from the direction in which I had hopes of catching a glimpse ofDus.
Tobit led us prisoners into the house, placing us near the door, andfacing his father; an arrangement that superseded the necessity of muchwatchfulness, as our only means of escape would necessarily be byrushing through the throng without--a thing virtually impracticable. ButChainbearer appeared to have no thought of flight. He entered thatcircle of athletic young men with perfect indifference; and I rememberthat it struck me his air resembled that which I had often seen himassume when our regiment was on the eve of serious service. At suchmoments old Andries could, and often did, appear grand--dignity,authority and coldness being blended with sterling courage.
When in the room, Chainbearer and I seated ourselves near the door,while Thousandacres had a chair on the turf without, surrounded by hissons, all of whom were standing. As this arrangement was made amid agrave silence, the effect was not altogether without impressiveness, andpartook of some of the ordinary aspects of justice. I was struck withthe anxious curiosity betrayed in the countenances of the females inparticular; for the decision to which Thousandacres was about to come,would with them have the authority of a judgment of Solomon. Accustomedto reason altogether in their own interests, I make no doubt that, inthe main, all of that semi-barbarous breed fancied themselves invested,in their lawless occupation, by some sort of secret natural right;ignorant of the fact that, the moment they reduced their claim to thisstandard, they put it on the level with that of all the rest of mankind.Nature gives nothing exclusively to an individual, beyond hisindividuality, and that which appertains to his person and personalqualities; all beyond he is compelled to share, under the law of nature,with the rest of his race. A title dependent on original possessionforms no exception to this rule; for it is merely human convention thatgives it force and authority, without which it would form no title atall. But into mysteries like these, none of the family of Thousandacresever entered; though the still, small voice of conscience, theglimmerings of right, were to be traced occasionally, even amid theconfused jumble of social maxims in which their selfishness had takenrefuge.
We live in an age of what is called progress, and fancy that man issteadily advancing on the great path of his destiny, to something thatwe are apt to imagine is to form perfection. Certainly, I shall notpresume to say what is, or what is not, the divine intention as to thefuture destination of our species on earth; but years and experiencemust have taught me, or I should have lived in vain, how little there isamong our boasted improvements that is really new; and if we do possessanything in the way of principles that bear on them the impress ofinviolability, they are those that have become the most venerable, byhaving stood the severest tests of time.
I know not whether the long, silent pause that succeeded our arrival wasthe result of an intention to heighten the effect of that scene, orwhether Thousandacres really wished time to collect his thoughts and tomature his plans. One thing struck me; notwithstanding the violence thathad so recently occurred between Chainbearer and himself, there were notraces of resentment in the hardened and wrinkled countenance of thatold tenant of the forest; for he was too much accustomed to those suddenoutbreakings of anger, to suffer them long to linger in hisrecollection. In all that was said, and in all that passed, in thecourse of that (to me) memorable day, I could trace no manifestation ofany feeling in the squatter, in consequence of the rude personalrencontre that he had so lately had with my friend. They had clenchedand he had been overthrown; and that ended the matter.
The silence which occurred after we took our seats must have lastedseveral minutes. For myself, I saw I was only a secondary person in thisinterview; old Andries having completely supplanted me in importance,not only in acts, but in the estimation of the squatters. To him theywere accustomed, and accustomed, moreover, to regard as a sort ofhostile power; his very pursuit being opposed to the great movingprinciple of their every-day lives. The man who measured land, and hewho took it to himself without measurement, were exactly antagonistforces, in morals as well as in physics; and might be supposed not toregard each other with the most friendly eyes. Thus it was that theChainbearer actually became an object of greater interest to thesesquatters, than the son of one of the owners of the soil, and theattorney in fact of both. As for the old man himself, I could see thathe looked very Dutch, which implied a stubborn resolution bordering onobstinacy; unmoved adherence to what he conceived to be right; and astrong dislike to his present neighbors, in addition to other reasons,on account of their having come from the eastward; a race that he bothdistrusted and respected; disliked, yet covertly honored, for many aquality that was both useful and good.
To the next generation the feeling that was once so active between thedescendants of Holland among ourselves, and the people of English birthwho came from the Eastern States, will be almost purely a matter ofhistory. I perceive that my father, in the manuscript he has transmittedto me, as well as I myself, have made various allusions to the subject.It is my wish to be understood in this matter. I have introduced itsolely as a _fact_ that is beyond controversy; but, I trust, without anyundue bigotry of opinion. It is possible that both Mr. CorneliusLittlepage and his son, unconsciously to ourselves, may have beeninfluenced by the ancient prejudices of the colonies, though I haveendeavored scrupulously to avoid them. At any rate, if either of us hasappeared to be a little too severe, I trust the reader will remember howmuch has been uttered to the world in reference to this dislike, by theYankee, and how little by the Dutchman during the last century and ahalf, and grant to one who is proud of the little blood from Hollandthat he happens to possess, the privilege of showing at least one of thephases of his own side of the story. But it is time to return to ourscene in the hut.
"Chainbearer," commenced Thousandacres, after the pause alreadymentioned had lasted several minutes, and speaking with a dignity thatcould only have proceeded from the intensity of his feelings;"Chainbearer, you've been an inimy to me and mine sin' the day we firstmet. You're an inimy by your cruel callin'; yet you've the boldness tothrust yourself into my very hands!"
"I'm an enemy to all knaves, T'ousantacres, and I ton't care who knowsit," answered old Andries, sternly; "t'at ist my trate, ast well astcarryin' chain; ant I wish it to pe known far and near. Ast for pein'your enemy by callin', I may say as much of yourself; since there coultpe no surveyin', or carryin' of chain, tit all t'e people helpt'emselves to lant, as you haf tone your whole life, wit'out as much assayin' to t'e owners 'py your leaf.'"
"Things have now got to a head atween us, Chainbearer," returned thesquatter; "but seein' that you're in my hands, I'm ready and willin' toreason the p'int with you, in hopes that we may yet part fri'nds, andthat this may be the last of all our troubles. You and I be getting tobe oldish men, Chainbearer; and it's fittin' that them that be gettin'near their eends, should sometimes think on 'em. I come from no Dutchcolony, but from a part of the world where mankind fears God, and hassome thoughts of a futur' state."
"T'at's neit'er here nor t'ere, T'ousantacres," cried Andries,impatiently. "Not put what religion is a goot t'ing, and a t'ing to bevenerated, ant honoret, ant worshippet; put t'at it's out of place in asquatter country, and most of all in a squatter's mout'. Can you telt meone t'ing, T'ousantacres, and t'at ist, why you Yankees pray so much,ant call on Got to pless you every o'ter wort, ant turn up your eyes,ant look so temure of Suntays, ant ten go ant squat yourselfs town on aTutchman's lant on a Montay? I'm an olt man, ant haf lifed long ant seenmuch, ant hope I unt
erstant some of t'at which I haf seen ant lifedamongst, put I do not comprehent t'at! Yankee religion ant Tutchreligion cannot come out of t'e same piple."
"I should think not, I should think not, Chainbearer and I _hope_ not,in the bargain. I do not wish to be justified by ways like your'n, or areligion like your'n. That which is foreordained will come to pass, letwhat will happen, and that's my trust. But, leaving religion out of thismatter atween us altogether----"
"Ay, you'll do well to do t'at," growled Chainbearer, "for religion hastinteet very little to do wit' it."
"I say," answered Thousandacres, on a higher key, as if resolute to makehimself heard, "leaving religion for Sabba' days and proper occasions,I'm ready to talk this matter over on the footin' of reason, and notonly to tell you my say, but to hear your'n, as is right atween man andman."
"I confess a strong desire to listen to what Thousandacres has to say indefence of his conduct, Chainbearer," I now thought it best to put in;"and I hope you will so far oblige me as to be a patient listener. I amvery willing that you should answer, for I know of no person to whom Iwould sooner trust a religious cause than yourself. Proceed,Thousandacres; my old friend will comply."
Andries did conform to my wishes, thus distinctly expressed, but it wasnot without sundry signs of disquiet, as expressed in his honestcountenance, and a good deal of subdued muttering about "Yankee cunnin'and holy gotliness, t'at is dresset up in wolf's clot'in';" Chainbearermeaning to express the native garment of the sheep by the latterexpression, but falling into a confusion of images that is by no meansrare among the men of his caste and people. After a pause the squatterproceeded.
"In talkin' this matter over, young man, I propose to begin at thebeginnin' of things," he said; "for I allow, if you grant any value totitles, and king's grants, and sich sort of things, that my rights herebe no great matter. But, beginnin' at the beginnin', the case is verydifferent. You'll admit, I s'pose, that the Lord created the heavens andthe 'arth, and that He created man to be master over the last."
"What of t'at?" eagerly cried Chainbearer. "What of t'at, oltT'ousantacres? So t'e Lort createt yonter eagle t'at is flyin' so farapove your heat, put it's no sign you are to kill him, or he ist to killyou."
"Hear to reason, Chainbearer, and let me have my say; a'ter which I'mwilling to hear you. I begin at the beginnin', when man was first put inpossession of the 'arth, to till, and to dig, and to cut saw-logs, andto make lumber, jist as it suited his wants and inclinations. Now Adamwas the father of all, and to him and his posterity was the possessionof the 'arth given, by Him whose title's worth that of all the kings,and governors, and assemblies in the known world. Adam lived his time,and left all things to his posterity, and so has it been from father toson, down to our own day and giniration, accordin' to the law of God,though not accordin' to the laws of man."
"Well, admittin' all you say, squatter, how does t'at make your righthere petter t'an t'at of any ot'er man?" demanded Andries, disdainfully.
"Why, reason tells us where a man's rights begin, you'll see,Chainbearer. Here is the 'arth, as I told you, given to man, to be usedfor his wants. When you and I are born, some parts of the world is inuse, and some parts isn't. We want land, when we are old enough to turnour hands to labor, and I make my pitch out here in the woods, say whereno man has pitched afore me. Now in my judgment that makes the best oftitle, the Lord's title."[17]
[Footnote 17: Lest the reader should suppose Mr. Mordaunt Littlepage ishere recording uselessly the silly sayings of a selfish, ignorant, andvulgar robber, it may be well to add, that doctrines of a calibre,considered in respect of morals and logic, similar to this, thoughvarying according to circumstances and the points it is desired toestablish, are constantly published in journals devoted to anti-rentismin the State of New York, and men have acted on these principles even tothe shedding of blood. We purpose, when we come to our third manuscript,which relates to movements of our immediate time, to distinctly laybefore the reader some of these strange doctrines; entertaining littledoubt that those who originally promulgated them will scarcely admiretheir own theories, when they see them introduced into a work that willcontain the old-fashioned notions of honesty and right.--EDITOR.]
"Well, t'en, you've got your title from t'e Lord," answered Chainbearer,"and you've got your lant. I s'pose you'll not take all t'e 'art' t'atis not yet peoplet, and I shoult like to know how you wilt run yourlines petween you ant your next neighpor. Atmittin' you're here in t'ewoots, how much of t'e lant woult you take for your own religious uses,and how much woult you leaf for t'e next comer?"
"Each man would take as much as was necessary for his wants,Chainbearer, and hold as much as he possessed."
"Put what ist wants, ant what ist possession? Look arount youT'ousantacres, and tell me how much of t'is fery spot you'd haf a mintto claim, under your Lort's title?"
"How much? As much as I have need on--enough to feed me and mine--andenough for lumber, and to keep the b'ys busy. It would somewhat dependon sarcumstances: I might want more at one time than at another, as b'ysgrew up, and the family increased in numbers."
"Enough for lumper how long? and to keep t'e poys pusy how long? For atay, or a week, or a life, or a great numper of lifes? You must tell met'at, Tousantacres, pefore I gif cretit to your title."
"Don't be onreasonable--don't be onreasonable in your questions,Chainbearer; and I'll answer every one on 'em, and in a way to satisfyyou, or any judgmatical man. How long do I want the lumber? As long asI've use for it. How long do I want to keep the b'ys busy? Till they'retired of the place, and want to change works. When a man's aweary of hispitch, let him give it up for another, selling his betterments, ofcourse, to the best chap he can light on."
"Oh! you't sell you petterments, woult you! What! sell t'e Lort's title,olt T'ousantacres? Part wit' Heaven's gift for t'e value of poormiseraple silver and golt?"
"You don't comprehend Aaron," put in Prudence, who saw that Chainbearerwas likely to get the best of the argument, and who was always ready tocome to the rescue of any of her tribe, whether it might be necessarywith words, or tooth and nail, or the rifle. "You don't, by no manner ofmeans, comprehend Aaron, Chainbearer. His idee is, that the Lord hasmade the 'arth for his crittur's; that any one that wants land, has aright to take as much as he wants, and to use it as long as he likes;and when he has done, to part with his betterments for sich price as maybe agreed on."
"I stick to that," joined in the squatter, with a loud hem, like a manwho was sensible of relief; "that's my idee, and I'm determined to liveand die by it."
"You've lifed py it, I know very well, T'ousantacres; ant, now you'reolt, it's quite likely you'll tie py it. As for comprehentin', you don'tcomprehent yourself. I'll just ask you, in the first place, how muchlant do you holt on t'is very spot? You're here squattet so completelyant finally as to haf puilt a mill. Now tell me how much lant you holt,t'at when I come to squat alongsite of you, our fences may not lap onone anot'er. I ask a simple question, ant I hope for a plain antstraight answer. Show me t'e pountaries of your tomain, ant how much oft'e worlt you claim, ant how much you ton't claim."
"I've pretty much answered that question already, Chainbearer. My creedis, that a man has a right to hold all he wants, and to want all heholds."
"Got help t'e men, t'en, t'at haf to carry chain petween you and yourneighpors, T'ousandacres; a man's wants to-tay may tiffer from his wantsto-morrow, and to-morrow from t'e next tay, ant so on to t'e ent oftime! On your toctrine, not'in' woult pe settlet, ant all woult pe atsixes ant sevens."
"I don't think I'm fully understood, a'ter all that's been said,"returned the squatter. "Here's two men start in life at the same time,and both want farms. Wa-a-l; there's the wilderness, or maybe it isn'tall wilderness, though it once was. One chooses to buy out betterments,and he does so; t'other plunges in, out o' sight of humanity, and makeshis pitch. Both them men's in the right, and can hold on to theirpossessions, I say, to the eend of time. That is, on the suppositionthat right is
stronger than might."
"Well, well," answered Chainbearer, a little dryly; "ant s'pose one ofyour men _ton't_ want to puy petterments, put follows t'ot'er, and makeshis pitch in t'e wilterness, also?"
"Let him do't, I say; t'is his right, and the law of the Lord."
"Put, s'pose bot' your young men want t'e same pit of wilt lant?"
"First come, first sarv'd; that's my maxim. Let the spryest chap havethe land. Possession's everything in settling land titles."
"Well, t'en, to please you, T'ousandacres, we'll let one get aheat oft'other, and haf his possession first; how much shalt he occupy?"
"As much as he wants, I've told you already."
"Ay, put when his slower frient comes along, ant hast his wants too, andwishes to make _his_ pitch alongsite of his olt neighpor, where is t'epountary petween 'em to be fount?"
"Let 'em agree on't! They must be dreadful poor neighbors, if they can'tagree on so small a matter as that," said Tobit, who was getting wearyof the argument.
"Tobit is right," added the father; "let 'em agree on their line, andrun it by the eye. Curse on all chains and compasses, say I! They're aninvention of the devil, to make ill blood in a neighborhood, and to keepstrife awake, when our Bibles tell us to live in peace with all mankind.
"Yes, yes, I understand all t'at," returned Chainbearer, a littledisdainfully. "A Yankee piple ist a fery convenient pook. T'ere'saut'ority in it for all sort of toctrines ant worshipin', ant prayin',ant preachin', ant so forth. It's what I call a so-forth piple,Mortaunt, and wilt reat packwarts as well ast forwarts; put all t'echapters into one, if necessary, or all t'e verses into chapters.Sometimes St. Luke is St. Paul, and St. John ist St. Matt'ew. I've he'rtyour tominies expount, and no two expount alike. Novelties ist t'ereligion of New Englant, ant novelties, in t'e shape of ot'er men'slants, is t'e creet of her lofely chiltren! Oh! yes, I've seen a Yankeepiple! Put, this toesn't settle out two squatters; bot' of whom wants asartain hill for its lumper; now, which is to haf it?"
"The man that got there first, I've told you, old Chainbearer, and oncetellin' is as good as a thousand. If the first comer looked on thathill, and said to himself, 'that hill's mine,' 't is his'n."
"Well, t'at ist making property fast; Wast t'at t'e way, T'ousantacres,t'at you took up your estate on t'e Mooseridge property?"
"Sartain--I want no better title. I got here first, and tuck up theland, and shall continue to tuck it up, as I want it. There's no use inbeing mealy-mouthed, for I like to speak out, though the landlord's sonbe by!"
"Oh! you speak out lout enouf, ant plain enouf, and I shoultn't wonterif you got tucket up yourself, one tay, for your pains. Here ist atifficulty, however, t'at I'll just mention, T'ousantacres, for yourconsiteration. You take possession of timper-lant, by lookin' at it, yousay--"
"Even lookin' at isn't necessary," returned the squatter, eager to widenthe grasp of his rights. "It's enough that a man _wants_ the land, andhe comes, or sends to secure it. Possession is everything, and I call itpossession, to crave a spot, and to make some sort of calkerlation, orworks, reasonably near it. That gives a right to cut and clear, and whena clearin's begun, it's betterments, and everybody allows thatbetterments may be both bought and sold."
"Well, now we understant each o'ter. Put here ist t'e small tifficulty Iwoult mention. One General Littlepage and one Colonel Follock took afancy to t'is spot long pefore t'e olt French war; ant pesites fancyin't'e place, and sentin' messengers to look at it, t'ey pought out t'eInjin right in t'e first place; t'en t'ey pought of t'e king, who hatall t'e lant in t'e country, at t'at time, ast hatn't ot'er owners. T'ent'ey sent surfeyors to run t'e lines, ant t'em very surfeyors passetalong py t'is river, ast I know py t'eir fielt-pooks (field-books): t'enmore surfeyors wast sent out to tivite it into great lots, ant now morestill haf come to tivite it into small lots: ant t'ey've paid quit-rentsfor many years, ant tone ot'er t'ings to prove t'ey want t'is place asmuch as you want it yourself. T'ey haf hat it more ast a quarter of acentury, ant exerciset ownership over it all t'at time; ant wantet itvery much t'e whole of t'at quarter of a century, ant, if t'e truit' wassait, want it still."
A long pause followed this statement, during which the different membersof the family looked at each other, as if in quest of support. The ideaof there being any other side to the question than that they had beenlong accustomed to consider so intently, was novel to them, and theywere a little bewildered by the extraordinary circumstance. This is oneof the great difficulties under which the inhabitant of a narrowdistrict labors, in all that pertains to his personal notions andtastes, and a good deal in what relates to his principles. This it isthat makes the true provincial, with his narrow views, set notions,conceit, and unhesitating likes and dislikes. When one looks around himand sees how very few are qualified, by experience and knowledge of theworld, to utter opinions at all, he is apt to be astonished at findinghow many there are that do it. I make no doubt that the family ofThousandacres were just as well satisfied with their land-ethics, asPaley ever could have been with his moral philosophy, or Newton with hismathematical demonstrations.
"I don't wonter you're callet T'ousantacres, Aaron Timperman," continuedChainbearer, pushing his advantage, "for wit' such a title to yourestate, you might as well pe tarmet Ten T'ousantacres at once, ant more,too! Nay, I wonter, while your eyes was trawin' up title teets, t'at youshoult haf peen so mot'erate, for it was just as easy to possess apatent on t'at sort of right, as to possess a single farm."
But Thousandacres had made up his mind to pursue the subject no further;and while it was easy to see what fiery passions were burning withinhim, he seemed now bent on bringing a conference, from which hedoubtless expected different results, to a sudden close. It was withdifficulty that he suppressed the volcano that was raging within, but heso far succeeded as to command Tobit to shut up his prisoner again.
"Take him away, b'ys, take him back to the store'us'," said the oldsquatter, rising and moving a little on one side to permit Andries topass, as if afraid to trust himself too near; "he was born the sarventof the rich, and will die their sarvent. Chains be good enough for him,and I wish him no greater harm than to carry chains the rest of hisdays."
"Oh! you're a true son of liperty!" called out the Chainbearer, as hequietly returned to his prison; "a true son of liperty, accordin' toyour own conceit! You want eferyt'ing in your own way, and eferyt'ing inyour own pocket. T'e Lort's law is a law for T'ousantacres, put not alaw to care for Cornelius Littlepage or Tirck Follock!"
Although my old friend was escorted to his prison, no attempt was madeto remove me. On the contrary, Prudence joined her husband without,followed by all her young fry, and for a moment I fancied myselfforgotten and deserted. A movement in one corner of the room, however,drew my attention there, and I saw Lowiny standing on tiptoe, with afinger on her lips, the sign of silence, while she made eager gestureswith the other hand for me to enter a small passage that communicated,by means of a ladder, with the loft of the hut. My moccasons were now ofgreat advantage to me. Without pausing to reflect on consequences, or tolook around, I did as directed, drawing-to the door after me. There wasa small window in the sort of passage in which I now found myself alonewith the girl, and my first impulse was to force my body through it, forit had neither glass nor sash, but Lowiny caught my arms.
"Lord ha' massy on us!" whispered the girl--"you'd be seen and taken, orshot! For your life don't go out there now. Here's a hole for a cellar,and there's the trap--go down there, and wait 'till you hear news fromme."
There was no time for deliberation, and the sight of Chainbearer'sescort, as they proceeded toward the storehouse, satisfied me that thegirl was right. She held up the trap, and I descended into the hole thatanswered the purposes of a cellar. I heard Lowiny draw a chest over thetrap, and then I fancied I could distinguish the creaking of the roundsof the ladder, as she went up into the loft, which was the place whereshe usually slept.
All this occurred literally in about one minute of time.
Another minutemay have passed, when I heard the heavy tread of Thousandacres' foot onthe floor above me, and the clamor of many voices, all speaking at once.It was evident that I was missed, and a search had already beencommenced. For half a minute nothing was very intelligible to me; then Iheard the shrill voice of Prudence calling for Lowiny.
"Lowiny--_you_ Lowiny!" she cried--"where _has_ the gal got to?"
"I'm here, mother"--answered my friend, from her loft--"you told me tocome up, and look for your new Bible."
I presume this was true; for Prudence had really despatched the girl onthat errand, and it must have sufficed to lull any suspicions of herdaughter's being connected with my disappearance, if any such had beenawakened. The movement of footsteps was now quick over my head, those ofseveral men being among them; and in the confusion of voices, I heardthat of Lowiny, who must have descended the ladder and joined in thesearch.
"He mustn't be allowed to get off, on no account," said Thousandacresaloud, "or we're all ondone. Everything we have will fall into theirhands, and mill, logs, and all, will be utterly lost. We shan't evenhave time to get off the gear and the household stuff."
"He's up-stairs"--cried one--"he must be down cellar," said another.Steps went up the ladder, and I heard the chest drawn from the trap; anda stream of light entering the place, notified me that the trap wasraised. The place I was in was a hole twenty feet square, roughly walledwith stones, and nearly empty, though it did contain a meat-barrel ortwo, and a few old tubs. In the winter, it would have been filled withvegetables. There was no place to hide in, and an attempt at concealmentwould have led to a discovery. I withdrew to a corner, in a part of thecellar that was quite dark, but thought myself lost when I saw a pair oflegs descending the ladder. Almost at the same moment, three of the menand two of the women came into the hole, a fourth female, whom Iafterward ascertained to be Lowiny herself, standing in the trap in sucha way as to double the darkness below. The first man who got down beganto tumble the tubs about, and to look into the corners; and the luckythought occurred to me to do the same thing. By keeping as busy as therest of them, I actually escaped detection in the dark; and Tobit soonrushed to the ladder, calling out, "the window--the window--he's nothere--the window!" In half a minute the cellar was empty again; or noone remained but myself.
At first I had great difficulty in believing in my good luck; but thetrap fell, and the profound stillness of the place satisfied me that Ihad avoided that danger, at least. This escape was so singular andunexpected, that I could hardly believe in its reality; though real itwas, to all intents and purposes. The absurd often strikes theimagination in an absurd way; and so it proved with me on this occasion.I sat down on a tub and laughed heartily, when I felt absolutely certainall was right, holding my sides lest the sound of my voice might yetbetray me. Lowiny was similarly infected, for I heard peals of girlishlaughter from her, as her brothers tumbled about barrels, and tubs, andbedsteads, in the upper part of the building, in their fruitless andhurried search. This merriment did not pass unrebuked, however; Prudencelending her daughter a box on the side of the head, that, in one sense,reached even my ears; though it probably aided in saving the girl fromthe suspicion of being in my secret, by the very natural character ofher girlish indulgence. Two or three minutes after the trap closed on mefor the second time, the sounds of footsteps and voices overhead ceased,and the hut seemed deserted.
My situation now was far from comfortable. Confined in a dark cellar,with no means of escaping but by the trap, and the almost certainty offalling into the hands of my captors, should I attempt such a thing, Inow began to regret having entered so readily into Lowiny's scheme.There would be a certain loss of dignity in a recapture, that was notpleasant in itself; and I will own, I began to have some doubts of myeventual safety, should I again come under the control of such spiritsas those of Thousandacres and his eldest son. Buried in that cellar, Iwas in a manner placed immediately beneath those whose aim it was tosecure me, rendering escape impossible, and detection nearlyunavoidable.
Such were my meditations when light again streamed into the cellar. Thetrap was raised, and presently I heard my name uttered in a whisper.Advancing to the ladder, I saw Lowiny holding the door, and beckoningfor me to ascend. I followed her directions blindly, and was soon at herside. The girl was nearly convulsed between dread of detection and adesire to laugh; my emerging from the cellar recalling to herimagination all the ludicrous circumstances of the late search.
"Warn't it queer that none on 'em know'd you!" she whispered; thencommanding silence by a hasty gesture. "Don't speak; for they'res'archin' still, cluss by, and some on 'em may follow me here. I wantedto get you out of the cellar, as some of the young-uns will be rummagin'there soon for pork for supper; and _their_ eyes are as sharp asneedles. Don't you think you could crawl into the mill? It's stopped now,and wun't be goin' ag'in till this stir's over."
"I should be seen, my good girl, if any of your people are looking forme near at hand."
"I don't know that. Come to the door, and you'll see there is a way.Everybody's lookin' on the right side of this house; and by creepin' asfar as them logs, you'd be pretty safe. If you reach the mill safely,climb up into the loft."
I took a moment to survey the chances. At the distance of a hundred feetfrom the house there commenced a large bed of saw-logs, which were lyingalongside of each other; and the timber being from two to four feet indiameter, it would be very possible to creep among it, up to the millitself, into which even several of the logs had been rolled. The greatdifficulty would be in reaching the logs through a perfectly open space.The house would be a cover, as against most of the family, who were busyexamining everything like a cover on its opposite side; no one supposingfor a moment I could be near the mill, inasmuch as it stood directly infront of the spot where the crowd was collected at the moment of mysudden disappearance. But the boys and girls were flying around in alldirections; rendering it uncertain how long they would remain in aplace, or how long their eyes would be turned away from my path.
It was necessary to do something, and I determined to make an effort.Throwing myself on the ground, I crawled, rather slowly than fast,across that terrible space, and got safely among the logs. As there wasno outcry, I knew I had not been seen. It was now comparatively easy toreach the mill. Another dangerous experiment, however, was to expose myperson by climbing up to the loft. I could not do this without runningthe risk of being seen; and I felt the necessity of using great caution.I first raised my head high enough to survey the state of thingswithout. Luckily the house was still between me and most of my enemies;though the small fry constantly came into view and vanished. I lookedaround for a spot to ascend, and took a final survey of the scene. Therestood Lowiny in the door of the hut, her hands clasped, and her wholeair expressive of concern. She saw my head, I knew, and I made a gestureof encouragement, which caused her to start. At the next instant my footwas on a brace, and my body was rising to the beams above. I do notthink my person was uncovered ten seconds; and no clamor succeeded. Inow felt there were really some chances of my finally effecting anescape, and glad enough was I to think so.