Could you knock a man down?"

"Me plenty strong, sah, but what good dat? Massa might get away,
but what den?"

"Why, we could get among the trees in the darkness, and you could
lead me to the road, and perhaps find me a horse, so that I could
ride to Spanish Town."

"No, no, sah, me berry much 'fraid in dark, sah. Me shake like leaf
now, sah; but in forest, wiv de bugaboos, me melt all away to
water."

I had heard of the dread with which the negroes regarded the
bugaboos, the evil spirits of the woods, and knew that there was
but a poor chance of escaping if my guide were in a state of panic
terror. Moses had shown unusual courage in coming alone in the
darkness to the stable beneath me, and there was a tremor in his
voice which showed that even now but little was wanted to make him
go howling away. I thought it best not to risk so inopportune and
fatal a calamity, so I bade him go away and come again next night,
by which time I hoped to have been able to think out a plan that
offered reasonable prospects of success.



Chapter 24: I Make A Bid For Liberty.


I slept heavily when Uncle Moses had gone, making up for my