CHAPTER XXIV. LIFE IN THE SWAMPS.

here,atthistimeofnight?"saidDred,cominguptohim. "Ihavelostmyway,"saidtheother."Idon'tknowwhereIam!" "Arunaway?"inquiredDred. "Don'tbetrayme!"saidtheother,apprehensively. "Betrayyou!WouldIdothat?"saidDred."Howdidyougetintotheswamp?" "Igotawayfromasoul-driver'scamp,thatwastakingusonthroughthestates." "Oh,oh!"saidDred."Camp-meetinganddriver'scamprightalongsideofeachother!Shepherdsthatselltheflock,andpickthebones!Well,come,oldmanI'lltakeyouhomewithme." "I'mprettymuchbeatout,"saidtheman."It'sbeenupovermykneeseverystepandIdidn'tknowbutthey'dsetthedogsafterme.Iftheydo,I'lllet'emkillme,anddonewithit,forI'm'boutreadytohaveitoverwith.Igotfreeonce,andgotclearuptoNewYork,andgotmealittlebitofahouse,andawifeandtwochildren,withalittlemoneybeforehandandthentheynabbedme,andsentmebackagain,andmas'rsoldmetothedrivers,—andIbelieveI's'boutasgood'sdie.There'snouseintryingtolive—everythinggoingaginabodyso!" "Die!No,indeed,youwon't,"saidDred"notifI'vegotholdofyou!Takeheart,man,takeheart!BeforemorningI'llputyouwherethedogscan'tfindyou,noranythingelse.Come,upwithyou!" Themanroseup,andmadeanefforttofollowbut,wearied,andunusedashewastothechokedandperplexedway,hestumbledandfellalmosteveryminute. "Hownow,brother?"saidDred."Thiswon'tdo!ImustputyouovermyshoulderasIhavemanyabuckbeforenow!"And,suitingtheactiontotheword,heputthemanonhisback,and,biddinghimholdfasttohim,wenton,pickinghiswayasifhescarcelyperceivedhisweight. Itwasnowbetweentwoandthreeo'clock,andtheclouds,graduallydispersing,allowedthefulllightofthemoontoslidedownhereandtherethroughthewetandshiveringfoliage.Nosoundwasheard,savethehummingofinsectsandthecracklingplungesbywhichDredmadehiswayforward. "Youmustbeprettystrong!"saidhiscompanion."Haveyoubeenintheswampslong?" "Yes,"saidtheother,"Ihavebeenawildman—everyman'shandagainstme—acompanionofthedragonsandtheowls,thismanyayear.Ihavemademybedwiththeleviathan,amongthereedsandtherushes.IhavefoundthealligatorsandthesnakesbetterneighborsthanChristians.TheyletthosealonethatletthemalonebutChristianswillhuntforthepreciouslife." Afteraboutanhourofsteadytravelling,Dredarrivedattheoutskirtsoftheislandwhichwehavedescribed.Forabouttwentypacesbeforehereachedit,hewadedwaist-deepinwater.Creepingout,atlast,andtellingtheotheronetofollowhim,hebegancarefullycoursingalongonhishandsandknees,giving,atthesametime,along,shrill,peculiarwhistle.Itwasrespondedtobyasimilarsound,whichseemedtoproceedthroughthebushes.Afterawhile,acracklingnoisewasheard,aso