UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

"
quick,boys,in
LIFE AMONG THE LOWLY.
75
his old mother, who clungto his arm, and looked
anxiouslyabout, as if she expected the pursuer
among the buffalo-skins. The old woman was
next handed in and seated,and George and
Jim placedon a rough board seat front of them,
and Phineas mounted in front.
"
Farewell, my friends,"said Simeon, from
"
"
isolated ridge ov clump in a largelot, which was,,
all around it,quiteclear and smooth. This isolated
without.
"
God
pile, range of rocks, rose up
black and
heavyagains the brightening sky,and seemed
to promiseshelter and concealment. It was a
bless !" answered all from within.
And the
you
wagon druve off,rattling and jolting placewell known to Phineas, who had been
over the frozen road.
familiar with the spot in his huntingdays; and
There was no opportunity for conversation,on it was to gain this point he had been racing his
account of the roughness of the way and the.noise horses.
of the wheels. The vehiclețherefore,rumbled
"
Now for it!" said he,suddenlycheckinghis
on, throughlong,dark stretches of woodland," horses,and springing his seat to the ground.
over Avide,drearyplains, up hills,and down
"
Out with you, in a twinkling, every one, and
valleys, and on, on, on theyjogged, hour after
up into these rocks with me. Michael, thee tie
hour. The child soon fellasleep, and layheavilythy wagon, and drive ahead to Amariah's,and
get him and his boys to come back
in his mother's lap. The
poor, frightened woman at last forgother fears ; and even Eliza, and talk to these fellows."
as the nightwaned, found all her anxietiesinsufficient
In a twinklingtheywere all out of the carriage.
know the sound of his gallop;" and he rose up
and stretched his head anxiously back over the
road.
A man riding in hot haste was now dimly descried
with brandy,swearing and foaminglike so
many
wolves."
And, just as he spoke,a breeze broughtthe
faintsound
"
In with you,
of galloping
horsemen towards them.
/" said Phineas.
"If you must fight, wait tillI get you a
pieceahead." And with the word, both jumped
in, and Phineas lashed the horses to a run, tht
horseman keepingclose beside them. The wage
i
rattled,jumped, almost flew, over the frozen
ground; but
and still plainer,came tli8
plainer,
noise of pursuing horsemen behind. The women
heard it,and, lookinganxiously out, saw, far in
the rear, on the brow of a distant hill,a party of
men looming up against the red-streaked sky of
every moment,
i
"
Jim, are your pistols all in order V said
George, in a low, firm voice.
"
Yes, indeed,"said Jim.
" And you 've no doubt what you shall do, if early dawn. Another hill, and their pursuers
' '
theycome 1
had evidently caughtsight of their wagon, whose
" I rather think I have n't,"said Jim,throwingwhite cloth-covered top made it conspicuous at
open his broad chest, and taking a deep breath. some distance,and a loud yell of brutal triumph
" J"o you think I '11let them get mother again V came forward on the wind. Eliza sickened,and
During this brief colloquy, Eliza had been taking
strained her child closer to her bosom ; the old
her leave of her kind friend,Rachel, and was woman prayedand groaned,and Georgeand Jim
handed into the carriage by Simeon,and, creeping
clenched their pistolswith the grasp of despair.
into the back part with her boy, sat down The pursuers gained on them fast ; the carriage
made a sudden turn, and broughtthem near a
ledge of a steepoverhanging rock,that rose in an
to keep her eyes
from closing.Phineas
seemed, on the whole,the briskest of the company,
"
There," said Phineas,catchingup Harry,
and beguiledhis long drive with "
whistling you, each of you, see to the women ; and run,
certain very unquaker-like songs, as he went on. now, if you
ever did run !""
But about three o'clock George'sear caught There needed no exhortation. Quicker than
the hastyand decided click of a horse's hoof coining
we can say it,the whole partywere over the
behind them at some distance,and joggedfence,makingwith all speed for the rocks,while
Phineas by the -elbow. Phineas pulledup his Michael,throwinghimself from his horse,and
horses,and listened.
fastening wagon, begandriving
" "
That must be Michael,"he said ; I think I itrapidly away.
"
C'ome ahead,"said Phineas,as they reached
the rocks,and saw, in the mingledstarlight and
dawn, the traces of a rude but plainly marked
foot-pathleadingup among them ; "this is one
at the top of a distant hill.
of our old hunting-dens.Come up !"
"There he is,I do believe!" said Phineas. Phineas went before,springing ur tr.e rocks
George and Jim both sprang out of the wagon, like a goat, with the boy in his arms. Jim came
before they knew what they were doing. All second,bearinghis trembling old mother over his
stood intensely silent,with their faces turned shoulder,and George and Eliza broughtup the
towards the expectedmessenger. On he came. rear. The party of horsemen came up to the
Now he went down into a valley, where they fence,and,with mingledshouts and oaths,were
could not see him ; but they heard the sharp, dismounting țo prepare to follow them. A few
haslytramp, rising nearer and nearer ; at last moments' scramblingbrough them to the topof
they saw him emerge on the topof an eminence, the ledge: the path then passedbetween a narrow
within hail.
defile,where onlyone could walk at a time,
"
Yes, that ' s Michael!" said Phineas; and, tillsuddenlythey came to a riftor chasm more
than a yard in breadth,and beyond which laya
pileof rocks,separate from the rest of the ledge,
"
raising Ids voice, "
Hulloa,there,Michael!"
"
Phineas ! is that thee?"
theycoming?"
standing full thirty feet high, with
"
Yes ; what news
"
Right on behind,eightor ten of them,hot and perpendicular as those of a castle. Phineas
easilyleaped the chasm, and sat down the boy on
a smooth, flat platform of crispwhite moss,
covered the top of the rock.
itssides steep
that
"Over with you!" he called;"spring,now,
once, for your lives!" said he, as one after another
sprang
across. Several fragments of loose stone
formed a kind of breast-work,which sheltered
their position from the observation of those bolow.