"The way of the wicked is as darkness; he knoweth not at what hestumbleth."*

* Prov. 4:19.

The garret of the house that Legree occupied, like most other garrets,was a great, desolate space, dusty, hung with cobwebs, and littered withcast-off lumber. The opulent family that had inhabited the house in thedays of its splendor had imported a great deal of splendid furniture,some of which they had taken away with them, while some remainedstanding desolate in mouldering, unoccupied rooms, or stored away inthis place. One or two immense packing-boxes, in which this furniturewas brought, stood against the sides of the garret. There was a smallwindow there, which let in, through its dingy, dusty panes, a scanty,uncertain light on the tall, high-backed chairs and dusty tables, thathad once seen better days. Altogether, it was a weird and ghostly place;but, ghostly as it was, it wanted not in legends among the superstitiousnegroes, to increase its terrors. Some few years before, a negro woman,who had incurred Legree's displeasure, was confined there for severalweeks. What passed there, we do not say; the negroes used to whisperdarkly to each other; but it was known that the body of the unfortunatecreature was one day taken down from there, and buried; and, after that,it was said that oaths and cursings, and the sound of violent blows,used to ring through that old garret, and mingled with wailings andgroans of despair. Once, when Legree chanced to overhear something ofthis kind, he flew into a violent passion, and swore that the nextone that told stories about that garret should have an opportunity ofknowing what was there, for he would chain them up there for a week.This hint was enough to repress talking, though, of course, it did notdisturb the credit of the story in the least.

Gradually, the staircase that led to the garret, and even thepassage-way to the staircase, were avoided by every one in the house,from every one fearing to speak of it, and the legend was graduallyfalling into desuetude. It had suddenly occurred to Cassy to make useof the superstitious excitability, which was so great in Legree, for thepurpose of her liberation, and that of her fellow-sufferer.

The sleeping-room of Cassy was directly under the garret. One day,without consulting Legree, she suddenly took it upon her, with someconsiderable ostentation, to change all the furniture and appurtenancesof the room to one at some considerable distance. The under-servants,who were called on to effect this movement, were running and bustlingabout with great zeal and confusion, when Legree returned from a ride.

"Hallo! you Cass!" said Legree, "what's in the wind now?"

"Nothing; only I choose to have another room," said Cassy, doggedly.

"And what for, pray?" said Legree.

"I choose to," said Cassy.

"The devil you do! and what for?"

"I'd like to get some sleep, now and then."

"Sleep! well, what hinders your sleeping?"

"I could tell, I suppose, if you want to hear," said Cassy, dryly.

"Speak out, you minx!" said Legree.

"O! nothing. I suppose it wouldn't disturb _you!_ Only groans, andpeople scuffing, and rolling round on the garret floor, half the night,from twelve to morning!"

"People up garret!" said Legree, uneasily, but forcing a laugh; "who arethey, Cassy?"

Cassy raised her sharp, black eyes, and looked in the face of Legree,with an expression that went through his bones, as she said, "To besure, Simon, who are they? I'd like to have _you_ tell me. You don'tknow, I suppose!"

With an oath, Legree struck at her with his riding-whip; but she glidedto one side, and passed through the door, and looking back, said, "Ifyou'll sleep in that room, you'll know all about it. Perhaps you'dbetter try it!" and then immediately she shut and locked the door.

Legree blustered and swore, and threatened to break down the door;but apparently thought better of it, and walked uneasily into thesitting-room. Cassy perceived that her shaft had struck home; and, fromthat hour, with the most exquisite address, she never ceased to continuethe train of influences she had begun.

In a knot-hole of the garret, that had opened, she had inserted the neckof an old bottle, in such a manner that when there was the least wind,most doleful and lugubrious wailing sounds proceeded from it, which,in a high wind, increased to a perfect shriek, such as to credulous andsuperstitious ears might easily seem to be that of horror and despair.

These sounds were, from time to time, heard by the servants, and revivedin full force the memory of the old ghost legend. A superstitiouscreeping horror seemed to fill the house; and though no one dared tobreathe it to Legree, he found himself encompassed by it, as by anatmosphere.

No one is so thoroughly superstitious as the godless man. The Christianis composed by the belief of a wise, all-ruling Father, whose presencefills the void unknown with light and order; but to the man who hasdethroned God, the spirit-land is, indeed, in the words of the Hebrewpoet, "a land of darkness and the shadow of death," without any order,where the light is as darkness. Life and death to him are hauntedgrounds, filled with goblin forms of vague and shadowy dread.

Legree had had the slumbering moral elements in him roused by hisencounters with Tom,--roused, only to be resisted by the determinateforce of evil; but still there was a thrill and commotion of the dark,inner world, produced by every word, or prayer, or hymn, that reacted insuperstitious dread.

The influence of Cassy over him was of a strange and singular kind. Hewas her owner, her tyrant and tormentor. She was, as he knew, wholly,and without any possibility of help or redress, in his hands; and yet soit is, that the most brutal man cannot live in constant association witha strong female influence, and not be greatly controlled by it. Whenhe first bought her, she was, as she said, a woman delicately bred; andthen he crushed her, without scruple, beneath the foot of his brutality.But, as time, and debasing influences, and despair, hardened womanhoodwithin her, and waked the fires of fiercer passions, she had become ina measure his mistress, and he alternately tyrannized over and dreadedher.

This influence had become more harassing and decided, since partialinsanity had given a strange, weird, unsettled cast to all her words andlanguage.

A night or two after this, Legree was sitting in the old sitting-room,by the side of a flickering wood fire, that threw uncertain glancesround the room. It was a stormy, windy night, such as raises wholesquadrons of nondescript noises in rickety old houses. Windows wererattling, shutters flapping, and wind carousing, rumbling, and tumblingdown the chimney, and, every once in a while, puffing out smoke andashes, as if a legion of spirits were coming after them. Legree had beencasting up accounts and reading newspapers for some hours, while Cassysat in the corner; sullenly looking into the fire. Legree laid down hispaper, and seeing an old book lying on the table, which he had noticedCassy reading, the first part of the evening, took it up, and beganto turn it over. It was one of those collections of stories of bloodymurders, ghostly legends, and supernatural visitations, which, coarselygot up and illustrated, have a strange fascination for one who oncebegins to read them.

Legree poohed and pished, but read, turning page after page, till,finally, after reading some way, he threw down the book, with an oath.

"You don't believe in ghosts, do you, Cass?" said he, taking the tongsand settling the fire. "I thought you'd more sense than to let noisesscare _you_."

"No matter what I believe," said Cassy, sullenly.

"Fellows used to try to frighten me with their yarns at sea," saidLegree. "Never come it round me that way. I'm too tough for any suchtrash, tell ye."

Cassy sat looking intensely at him in the shadow of the corner. Therewas that strange light in her eyes that always impressed Legree withuneasiness.

"Them noises was nothing but rats and the wind," said Legree. "Rats willmake a devil of a noise. I used to hear 'em sometimes down in the holdof the ship; and wind,--Lord's sake! ye can make anything out o' wind."

Cassy knew Legree was uneasy under her eyes, and, therefore, she madeno answer, but sat fixing them on him, with that strange, unearthlyexpression, as before.

"Come, speak out, woman,--don't you think so?" said Legree.

"Can rats walk down stairs, and come walking through the entry, and opena door when you've locked it and set a chair against it?" said Cassy;"and come walk, walk, walking right up to your bed, and put out theirhand, so?"

Cassy kept her glittering eyes fixed on Legree, as she spoke, and hestared at her like a man in the nightmare, till, when she finished bylaying her hand, icy cold, on his, he sprung back, with an oath.

"Woman! what do you mean? Nobody did?"

"O, no,--of course not,--did I say they did?" said Cassy, with a smileof chilling derision.

"But--did--have you really seen?--Come, Cass, what is it, now,--speakout!"

"You may sleep there, yourself," said Cassy, "if you want to know."

"Did it come from the garret, Cassy?"

"_It_,--what?" said Cassy.

"Why, what you told of--"

"I didn't tell you anything," said Cassy, with dogged sullenness.

Legree walked up and down the room, uneasily.

"I'll have this yer thing examined. I'll look into it, this very night.I'll take my pistols--"

"Do," said Cassy; "sleep in that room. I'd like to see you doing it.Fire your pistols,--do!"

Legree stamped his foot, and swore violently.

"Don't swear," said Cassy; "nobody knows who may be hearing you. Hark!What was that?"

"What?" said Legree, starting.

A heavy old Dutch clock, that stood in the corner of the room, began,and slowly struck twelve.

For some reason or other, Legree neither spoke nor moved; a vague horrorfell on him; while Cassy, with a keen, sneering glitter in her eyes,stood looking at him, counting the strokes.

"Twelve o'clock; well _now_ we'll see," said she, turning, and openingthe door into the passage-way, and standing as if listening.

"Hark! What's that?" said she, raising her finger.

"It's only the wind," said Legree. "Don't you hear how cursedly itblows?"

"Simon, come here," said Cassy, in a whisper, laying her hand on his,and leading him to the foot of the stairs: "do you know what _that_ is?Hark!"

A wild shriek came pealing down the stairway. It came from the garret.Legree's knees knocked together; his face grew white with fear.

"Hadn't you better get your pistols?" said Cassy, with a sneer thatfroze Legree's blood. "It's time this thing was looked into, you know.I'd like to have you go up now; _they're at it_."

"I won't go!" said Legree, with an oath.

"Why not? There an't any such thing as ghosts, you know! Come!" andCassy flitted up the winding stairway, laughing, and looking back afterhim. "Come on."

"I believe you _are_ the devil!" said Legree. "Come back you hag,--comeback, Cass! You shan't go!"

But Cassy laughed wildly, and fled on. He heard her open the entry doorsthat led to the garret. A wild gust of wind swept down, extinguishingthe candle he held in his hand, and with it the fearful, unearthlyscreams; they seemed to be shrieked in his very ear.

Legree fled frantically into the parlor, whither, in a few moments, hewas followed by Cassy, pale, calm, cold as an avenging spirit, and withthat same fearful light in her eye.

"I hope you are satisfied," said she.

"Blast you, Cass!" said Legree.

"What for?" said Cassy. "I only went up and shut the doors. _What's thematter with that garret_, Simon, do you suppose?" said she.

"None of your business!" said Legree.

"O, it an't? Well," said Cassy, "at any rate, I'm glad _I_ don't sleepunder it."

Anticipating the rising of the wind, that very evening, Cassy had beenup and opened the garret window. Of course, the moment the doors wereopened, the wind had drafted down, and extinguished the light.

This may serve as a specimen of the game that Cassy played with Legree,until he would sooner have put his head into a lion's mouth than to haveexplored that garret. Meanwhile, in the night, when everybody elsewas asleep, Cassy slowly and carefully accumulated there a stockof provisions sufficient to afford subsistence for some time; shetransferred, article by article, a greater part of her own andEmmeline's wardrobe. All things being arranged, they only waited afitting opportunity to put their plan in execution.

By cajoling Legree, and taking advantage of a good-natured interval,Cassy had got him to take her with him to the neighboring town, whichwas situated directly on the Red River. With a memory sharpened toalmost preternatural clearness, she remarked every turn in the road, andformed a mental estimate of the time to be occupied in traversing it.

At the time when all was matured for action, our readers may, perhaps,like to look behind the scenes, and see the final _coup d'etat_.

It was now near evening, Legree had been absent, on a ride to aneighboring farm. For many days Cassy had been unusually gracious andaccommodating in her humors; and Legree and she had been, apparently,on the best of terms. At present, we may behold her and Emmeline in theroom of the latter, busy in sorting and arranging two small bundles.

"There, these will be large enough," said Cassy. "Now put on your bonnet,and let's start; it's just about the right time."

"Why, they can see us yet," said Emmeline.

"I mean they shall," said Cassy, coolly. "Don't you know that they musthave their chase after us, at any rate? The way of the thing is to bejust this:--We will steal out of the back door, and run down by thequarters. Sambo or Quimbo will be sure to see us. They will give chase,and we will get into the swamp; then, they can't follow us any furthertill they go up and give the alarm, and turn out the dogs, and so on;and, while they are blundering round, and tumbling over each other, asthey always do, you and I will slip along to the creek, that runs backof the house, and wade along in it, till we get opposite the back door.That will put the dogs all at fault; for scent won't lie in the water.Every one will run out of the house to look after us, and then we'llwhip in at the back door, and up into the garret, where I've got a nicebed made up in one of the great boxes. We must stay in that garret agood while, for, I tell you, he will raise heaven and earth after us.He'll muster some of those old overseers on the other plantations, andhave a great hunt; and they'll go over every inch of ground in thatswamp. He makes it his boast that nobody ever got away from him. So lethim hunt at his leisure."

"Cassy, how well you have planned it!" said Emmeline. "Who ever wouldhave thought of it, but you?"

There was neither pleasure nor exultation in Cassy's eyes,--only adespairing firmness.

"Come," she said, reaching her hand to Emmeline.

The two fugitives glided noiselessly from the house, and flitted,through the gathering shadows of evening, along by the quarters. Thecrescent moon, set like a silver signet in the western sky, delayed alittle the approach of night. As Cassy expected, when quite near theverge of the swamps that encircled the plantation, they heard a voicecalling to them to stop. It was not Sambo, however, but Legree, who waspursuing them with violent execrations. At the sound, the feebler spiritof Emmeline gave way; and, laying hold of Cassy's arm, she said, "O,Cassy, I'm going to faint!"

"If you do, I'll kill you!" said Cassy, drawing a small, glitteringstiletto, and flashing it before the eyes of the girl.

The diversion accomplished the purpose. Emmeline did not faint, andsucceeded in plunging, with Cassy, into a part of the labyrinth ofswamp, so deep and dark that it was perfectly hopeless for Legree tothink of following them, without assistance.

"Well," said he, chuckling brutally; "at any rate, they've gotthemselves into a trap now--the baggage! They're safe enough. They shallsweat for it!"

"Hulloa, there! Sambo! Quimbo! All hands!" called Legree, coming to thequarters, when the men and women were just returning from work. "There'stwo runaways in the swamps. I'll give five dollars to any nigger ascatches 'em. Turn out the dogs! Turn out Tiger, and Fury, and the rest!"

The sensation produced by this news was immediate. Many of the mensprang forward, officiously, to offer their services, either from thehope of the reward, or from that cringing subserviency which is one ofthe most baleful effects of slavery. Some ran one way, and some another.Some were for getting flambeaux of pine-knots. Some were uncoupling thedogs, whose hoarse, savage bay added not a little to the animation ofthe scene.

"Mas'r, shall we shoot 'em, if can't cotch 'em?" said Sambo, to whom hismaster brought out a rifle.

"You may fire on Cass, if you like; it's time she was gone to the devil,where she belongs; but the gal, not," said Legree. "And now, boys,be spry and smart. Five dollars for him that gets 'em; and a glass ofspirits to every one of you, anyhow."

The whole band, with the glare of blazing torches, and whoop, andshout, and savage yell, of man and beast, proceeded down to theswamp, followed, at some distance, by every servant in the house. Theestablishment was, of a consequence, wholly deserted, when Cassy andEmmeline glided into it the back way. The whooping and shouts of theirpursuers were still filling the air; and, looking from the sitting-roomwindows, Cassy and Emmeline could see the troop, with their flambeaux,just dispersing themselves along the edge of the swamp.

"See there!" said Emmeline, pointing to Cassy; "the hunt is begun! Lookhow those lights dance about! Hark! the dogs! Don't you hear? If we wereonly _there_, our chances wouldn't be worth a picayune. O, for pity'ssake, do let's hide ourselves. Quick!"

"There's no occasion for hurry," said Cassy, coolly; "they are allout after the hunt,--that's the amusement of the evening! We'll go upstairs, by and by. Meanwhile," said she, deliberately taking a keyfrom the pocket of a coat that Legree had thrown down in his hurry,"meanwhile I shall take something to pay our passage."

She unlocked the desk, took from it a roll of bills, which she countedover rapidly.

"O, don't let's do that!" said Emmeline.

"Don't!" said Cassy; "why not? Would you have us starve in the swamps,or have that that will pay our way to the free states. Money will doanything, girl." And, as she spoke, she put the money in her bosom.

"It would be stealing," said Emmeline, in a distressed whisper.

"Stealing!" said Cassy, with a scornful laugh. "They who steal body andsoul needn't talk to us. Every one of these bills is stolen,--stolenfrom poor, starving, sweating creatures, who must go to the devil atlast, for his profit. Let _him_ talk about stealing! But come, we may aswell go up garret; I've got a stock of candles there, and some books topass away the time. You may be pretty sure they won't come _there_ toinquire after us. If they do, I'll play ghost for them."

When Emmeline reached the garret, she found an immense box, in whichsome heavy pieces of furniture had once been brought, turned on itsside, so that the opening faced the wall, or rather the eaves. Cassylit a small lamp, and creeping round under the eaves, they establishedthemselves in it. It was spread with a couple of small mattressesand some pillows; a box near by was plentifully stored with candles,provisions, and all the clothing necessary to their journey, which Cassyhad arranged into bundles of an astonishingly small compass.

"There," said Cassy, as she fixed the lamp into a small hook, which shehad driven into the side of the box for that purpose; "this is to be ourhome for the present. How do you like it?"

"Are you sure they won't come and search the garret?"

"I'd like to see Simon Legree doing that," said Cassy. "No, indeed; hewill be too glad to keep away. As to the servants, they would any ofthem stand and be shot, sooner than show their faces here."

Somewhat reassured, Emmeline settled herself back on her pillow.

"What did you mean, Cassy, by saying you would kill me?" she said,simply.

"I meant to stop your fainting," said Cassy, "and I did do it. And now Itell you, Emmeline, you must make up your mind _not_ to faint, let whatwill come; there's no sort of need of it. If I had not stopped you, thatwretch might have had his hands on you now."

Emmeline shuddered.

The two remained some time in silence. Cassy busied herself with aFrench book; Emmeline, overcome with the exhaustion, fell into a doze,and slept some time. She was awakened by loud shouts and outcries, thetramp of horses' feet, and the baying of dogs. She started up, with afaint shriek.

"Only the hunt coming back," said Cassy, coolly; "never fear. Look outof this knot-hole. Don't you see 'em all down there? Simon has to giveup, for this night. Look, how muddy his horse is, flouncing about in theswamp; the dogs, too, look rather crestfallen. Ah, my good sir, you'llhave to try the race again and again,--the game isn't there."

"O, don't speak a word!" said Emmeline; "what if they should hear you?"

"If they do hear anything, it will make them very particular to keepaway," said Cassy. "No danger; we may make any noise we please, and itwill only add to the effect."

At length the stillness of midnight settled down over the house. Legree,cursing his ill luck, and vowing dire vengeance on the morrow, went tobed.