CHAPTER XXII. THE WORSHIPPERS.

esweptup. "'ForeI'ddrivesicholdtrash!"saidOldHundred,scornfully"pullsalltopieceseverystep!Ifdataran'tapoorwhitefolksy'stablishment,Ineverseedone!" "What'sthematter?"saidNina,puttingherheadout."Oh,Tiff!good-morning,mygoodfellow.Canwehelpyou,there?John,getdownandhelphim." "Please,MissNina,dehossesissofullo'tickle,disyermornin',Icouldn'tletgo,noways!"saidOldHundred. "Oh,lawsblessyou,MissNina,"saidTiff,restoredtohisusualspirits,"'tan'tnothin'.Brokeinastrordinarygoodplacedisyertime.Ikenhammeritupinaminute." AndTiffwasasgoodashiswordforaroundstoneandbignailmadeallstraight. "Pray,"saidNina,"howarelittleMissFanny,andthechildren?" MissFanny!IfNinahadheapedTiffwithpresents,shecouldnothaveconferredtheinexpressibleobligationconveyedinthesewords.Hebowedlowtotheground,withtheweightofsatisfaction,andansweredthat"MissFannyandthechil'enwerewell." "There,"saidNina,"John,youmaydriveon.Doyouknow,friends,I'vesetTiffupforsixweeks,byoneword?JustsayingMissFannyhasdonemoreforhimthanifI'dsenthimsixbushelsofpotatoes."... Wehaveyettotakeourreaderstoonemorescenebeforewefinishthereviewofthosewhoweregoingtothecamp-meeting.Thereadermustfollowusfarbeyondtheabodesofman,intotherecessesofthatwilddesolationknownasthe"DismalSwamp."Wepassovervasttractswheretheforestseemsgrowingoutofthewater.Cypress,redcedar,sweetgum,tulip,poplar,beech,andholly,formagoodlyfellowship,wavingtheirrustlingboughsabove.Thetreesshootupinvastcolumns,fifty,seventy-five,andahundredfeetinheightandbelowareclustersofevergreengall-bushes,withtheirthickandglossyfoliage,mingledinwithswamphoneysuckles,grape-vines,twiningbrier,andlaurels,andothershrubs,forminganimpenetrablethicket.Thecreepingplantssometimesclimbseventyoreightyfeetupthelargesttree,andhanginheavyfestoonsfromtheirbranches.Itwouldseemimpossiblethathumanfeetcouldpenetratethewild,imperviousjunglebutwemusttakeourreadersthroughit,toaclearedspot,wheretrunksoffallentrees,longdecayed,haveformedanislandofvegetablemould,whichtheartofsomehumanhandhasextendedandimproved.Theclearingissomesixtyyardslongbythirtybroad,andissurroundedwithanaturalrampart,whichmightwellbiddefiancetomanorbeast.Hugetreeshavebeenfelled,withalltheirbrancheslyingthicklyoneoveranother,inacircuitaroundandnature,secondingtheeffortsofthefugitiveswhosoughtrefugehere,hasinterlacedtheframe-workthusmadewiththornycat-briers,cablesofgrape-vine,andthicketsofVirginiacreeper,which,runningwildintheirexuberance,climbontotheneighboringtrees,and,swingingdown,againlosethemselvesinthemazesfromwhichtheyspring,soasoftentoformaverdurouswallfiftyfeetinheight.Insomeplacesthelaurel,withitsglossygreenleaves,anditsmassesofpink-tippedsnowyblossoms,presentstotheeye,rankaboverank,awildernessofbeauty.Thependantsoftheyellowjessamineswingtoandfrointheairlikecensers,castingforthcloudsofperfume.Athousandtwiningvines,withflowersofuntoldname,perhapsunknownasyettothebotanist,helptofillupthemosaic.Theleafyrampartssweeproundonallthesidesoftheclearing,fortheutmostcarehasbeentakentomakeitimpenetrableand,inthatregionofheatandmoisture,nature,inthecourseofafewweeks,admirablysecondseveryhumaneffort.Theonlyegressfromitisawindingpathcutthroughwithahatchet,whichcanbeenteredbyonlyonepersonatatimeandthewaterwhichsurroundsthisislandentirelycutsoffthetrailfromthescentofdogs.Itistoberemarkedthattheclimate,intheinterioroftheswamp,isfarfrombeingunhealthy.Lumber-men,whospendgreatportionsoftheyearinit,cuttingshinglesandstaves,testifytothegeneralsalubrityoftheairandwater.Theopinionprevailsamongthemthatthequantityofpineandotherresinoustreesthatgrowthereimpartabalsamicpropertytothewater,andimpregnatetheairwithahealthyresinousfragrance,whichcausesittobeanexceptiontotheusualruleoftheunhealthinessofswampyland.Thesoilalso,whendrainedsufficientlyforpurposesofculture,isprofuselyfertile.Twosmallcabinsstoodaroundtheborderoftheclearing,butthecentrewasoccupiedwithpatchesofcornandsweetpotatoes,plantedtheretosecureasmuchaspossibletheadvantageofsunandair. Atthetimewetakeourreadersthere,theafternoonsunofasultryJunedayiscastingitslongshadowsovertheplace,andawholechoirofbirdsisechoinginthebranches.Ontheground,infrontofoneofthecabins,liesanegro-man,coveredwithbloodtwowomen,withsomelittlechildren,aregroupedbesidehimandawildfigure,whomweatoncerecognizeasDred,iskneelingbyhim,busyineffortstostanchadesperatewoundintheneck.Invain!Theredbloodspurtsoutateverypulsationoftheheart,withafearfulregularity,tellingtooplainlythatitisagreatlife-arterywhichhasbeenlaidopen.Thenegro-woman,kneelingontheotherside,isanxiouslyholdingsomebandages,whichshehasstri