CHAPTER L. ENGEDI.

Thequestionmayoccurtoourreaders,whyaretreatwhichappearedsoeasilyaccessibletothenegroesofthevicinityinwhichourstoryislaidshouldescapethevigilanceofhunters. Inalldespoticcountries,however,itwillbefoundthattheoppressedpartybecomeexpertinthemeansofsecrecy.Itisalsoafactthattheportionofthecommunitywhoaretrainedtolaborenjoyallthatadvantageoverthemoreindolentportionofitwhichcanbegivenbyavigorousphysicalsystem,andgreatcapabilitiesofendurance.Withoutadoubt,thebalanceofthephysicalstrengthofthesouthnowliesinthesubjectrace.Usagefamiliarizesthedwellersoftheswampwiththepeculiaritiesoftheirlocation,andgivesthemtheadvantageinitthatamountaineerhasinhisownmountains.Besides,theywhotaketheirlifeintheirhandexercisetheirfacultieswithmorevigorandclearnessthantheywhohaveonlymoneyatstakeandthisadvantagethenegroeshadoverthehunters. Dred's"strongholdofEngedi,"aswehavesaid,wasisolatedfromtherestoftheswampbysometwentyyardsofdeepmorass,inwhichitwasnecessarytowadealmosttothewaist.Theshorepresentedtotheeyeonlytheappearanceofanimperviousjungleofcat-brierandgrapevinerisingoutofthewater.Therewasbutonespotonwhichtherewasaclearspacetosetfooton,andthatwastheplacewhereDredcreptuponthenightwhenwefirstintroducedthelocalitytoourreaders'attention. Thehuntersgenerallysatisfiedthemselveswithexploringmoreapparentlyaccessibleportionsand,unlessbetrayedbythosetowhomDredhadcommunicatedtheclue,therewasverylittlechancethatanyaccidentwouldeverdisclosetheretreat. DredhimselfappearedtobegiftedwiththatpeculiarfacultyofdiscernmentofspiritswhichbelongedtohisfatherDenmarkVesey,sharpenedintoapreternaturalintensitybythehabitsofhiswildanddangerouslife.Themenheselectedfortrustweremenasimpenetrableashimself,themostvigorousinmindandbodyonalltheplantations. Theperfectnessofhisownreligiousenthusiasm,hisabsolutecertaintythathewasinspiredofGod,asaleaderanddeliverer,gavehimanascendencyoverthemindsofthosewhofollowedhim,whichnothingbutreligiousenthusiasmevercangive.Andthiswasfurtherconfirmedbytherigidausterityofhislife.Forallanimalcomfortsheappearedtoentertainaprofoundcontempt.Henevertastedstrongliquorsinanyform,andwasextremelysparinginhiseatingoftenfastingfordaysinsuccession,particularlywhenhehadanymovementofimportanceincontemplation. Itisdifficulttofathomthedarkrecessesofamindsopowerfulandactiveashis,placedunderapressureofignoranceandsocialdisabilitysotremendous.Inthosedesolateregionswhichhemadehishabitation,itissaidthattreesoften,fromthesingularlyunnaturalandwildlystimulatingpropertiesoftheslimydepthsfromwhichtheyspring,assumeagoblingrowth,entirelydifferentfromtheirnormalhabit.Allsortsofvegetablemonstersstretchtheirweird,fantasticformsamongitsshadows.Thereisnoprinciplesoawfulthroughallnatureastheprincipleofgrowth.Itisamysteriousanddreadconditionofexistence,which,placeitunderwhatimpedimentordisadvantageyouwill,isconstantlyforcingonandwhenunnaturalpressurehindersit,developsinformsportentousandastonishing.Thewild,drearybeltofswamp-landwhichgirdsinthosestatesscathedbythefiresofdespotismisanap