CHAPTER XXIV. LIFE IN THE SWAMPS.

hohaseverwatchedtheeagerzestwithwhichthehunting-dogplungesthroughthewoods,dartsthroughthethicket,ordivesintowater,inanecstasyofenjoyment,seessomethingofwhatsuchvitalforcemustbe. Dredwasundertheinspiringbeliefthathewasthesubjectofvisionsandsupernaturalcommunications.TheAfricanracearesaidbymesmeriststopossess,inthefullestdegree,thatpeculiartemperamentwhichfitsthemfortheevolutionofmesmericphenomenaandhencetheexistenceamongthem,tothisday,ofmenandwomenwhoaresupposedtohavepeculiarmagicalpowers.ThegrandfatherofDred,onhismother'sside,hadbeenoneofthesereputedAfricansorcerers,andhehadearlydiscoveredintheboythispeculiarspeciesoftemperament.Hehadtaughthimthesecretofsnake-charming,andhadpossessedhismindfromchildhoodwithexpectationsofpropheticandsupernaturalimpulses.Thatmysteriousandsingulargift,whateveritmaybe,whichHighlandseersdenominatesecondsight,isaverycommontraditionamongthenegroesandtherearenotwantingthousandsofreputedinstancesamongthemtoconfirmbeliefinit.Whatthisfacultymaybe,weshallnotpretendtosay.Whethertherebeinthesoulayetundevelopedattribute,whichistobetothefuturewhatmemoryistothepast,orwhetherinsomeindividualsanextremelyhighandperfectconditionofthesensuousorganizationendowsthemwithsomethingofthatcertaintyofinstinctivediscriminationwhichbelongstoanimals,arethingswhichweshallnotventuretodecideupon. Itwas,however,anabsolutefactwithregardtoDred,thathehadoftenescapeddangerbymeansofapeculiarityofthiskind.Hehadbeenwarnedfromparticularplaceswherethehuntershadlaininwaitforhimhadforeseenintimesofwantwheregamemightbeensnared,andreceivedintimationswherepersonsweretobefoundinwhomhemightsafelyconfideandhispredictionswithregardtopersonsandthingshadoftenchancedtobesostrikinglytrue,astoinvesthissayingswithasingularaweandimportanceamonghisassociates. Itwasaremarkablefact,butonenotpeculiartothiscasealone,thatthemysteriousexaltationofmindinthisindividualseemedtorunparallelwiththecurrentofshrewd,practicalsenseand,likeamanwhoconversesalternatelyintwolanguages,hewouldspeaknowthelanguageofexaltation,andnowthatofcommonlife,interchangeably.Thispeculiarityimpartedasingularandgrotesqueeffecttohiswholepersonality. Onthenightofthecamp-meeting,hewasaswehavealreadyseen,inastateofthehighestecstasy.Thewantonmurderofhisassociateseemedtofloodhissoulwithanawfultideofemotion,asathunder-cloudisfilledandshakenbyslow-gatheringelectricity.And,althoughthedistancefromhisretreattothecamp-groundwasnearlyfifteenmiles,mostofitthroughwhatseemedtobeimpassableswamps,yetheperformeditwith