ome recesses of its native swamp.

Scarcely had we recovered from the effects of this, when we heard in the
distance shouts and yells and the barking of dogs. Crouching in our
nest we listened intently. The sounds approached, but while those who
made them were yet at some distance we were startled by the sudden
approach of a dark object, running at full speed. It seemed like a man,
or rather a huge ape, for it was black, and as it came tearing towards
us, running on its hind-legs, we could see its eyes glaring in the
moonlight, and could hear its labouring breath. It was evidently hard
pressed by its pursuers, for it did not see what lay before it, and had
well-nigh run over our couch ere it observed Jack standing on one leg,
with the other limb raised in a threatening attitude above his head. It
was too late to turn to avoid the blow.

Uttering a terrible cry the creature fell on its knees, and, trembling
violently, cried--

"Oh, massa! oh, massa, spare me! Me no runaway agin. Mercy, massa!
mercy!"

"Silence, you noisy villain," cried Jack, seizing the negro by the hair
of the head.

"Yis, massa," gasped the man, while his teeth chattered and the whites
of his eyes rolled fearfully.

"What are you? Where d'ye come from? Who's after ye?"

To these abrupt questions, the poor negro replied as briefly, that he
was a runaway slave, and that his master and bloodhounds were after him.

We had guessed as much, and the deep baying of the hounds convinced us
of the truth of his statement.

"Quick," cried Jack, dragging the black to the edge of our log, "get
under there; lie flat; keep still;" so saying he thrust the negro under
the branches that formed our couch. We covered him well up and then sat
down on him. Before we had well finished our task the foremost of the
bloodhounds came bounding towards us, with its eyeballs glaring and its
white fangs glittering in the dim light like glow-worms in a blood-red
cavern. It made straight for the spot where the negro was concealed,
and would have seized him in another instant, had not Jack, with one
blow of his leg, beat in its skull.

"Shove him out of sight, Bob."

I seized the dead hound and obeyed, while my comrade prepared to receive
the second dog. But that animal seemed more timid. It swerved as the
blow was delivered, received on its haunches, and fled away howling in
another direction.

Jack at once laid down his leg and sat down on the negro, moti