he said--

"Oh, I say, Mass' George, I so dreffle cold. Water right up a-top."

The next moment I was seated again on the ridge, feeling that the water
really was right up to the top, as Sarah's cold arms closed round me,
and her wet face was pressed to mine as she kissed me.

"Good-bye; God bless you, my darling!"

"Don't, don't talk like that," I said. "We'll all mount the tree, and
the water will go down."

A piteous, despairing sigh came into my ear, and I felt Morgan's hand
seek mine, and give me what I knew was meant for a farewell grip.

A bad preparation for a swim to save one's life, and the chill of the
rising water began now to increase as I fancied it made a leap at us, as
if to snatch us off and bear us away to the far-off dark shores beyond
which there was a newer life.

"Come, George, my lad. Back with you," cried my father; "I want to come
there. Be ready every one; we must start in a few minutes."

"Yes, father," I said; and I was on my way back, passing Pomp, who began
to follow me, and together we crept, splashing through the water,
holding tight by Hannibal, and then by my father.

"You too, my lad?" he said, kindly.

"Yes, massa," replied Pomp.

"Swim steadily, both of you. The distance is very short, and there is
nothing to mind." Then as if to himself--"Oh, if I could only tell when
morning would come!"

"Massa want know when time to get up to go to work?" said Pomp, sharply.

"Yes."

"Oh, quite soon, sah. Sun come up dreckly, and warm poor little nigger;
I so dreffle cold."

"How do you know?" cried my father, clinging as it were like a drowning
man to a straw of hope.

"Oh, Pomp know, sah. Dah! You ope bofe ear, and listum to lil bird.
Dat him. Lil blackum yallow bird, go _pinkum-winkum-wee_."

A dead silence fell upon us, and what had been inaudible to me, but
quite plain to the boy, came faintly from the distance--the twittering
cry of a bird in one of the trees at the edge of the forest; and
directly after it was answered from far away, and I felt my father's
cold wet hand grasp mine as he exclaimed hoarsely--"Thank God."

I could hear him breathing hard, and the tears ran down my cheeks as my
head rested on his breast, and I clung to him for a few seconds.

Then he drew another deep breath, and his voice and manner were entirely
changed, as he cried out--

"Do you hear, Morgan? Daybreak in a few minutes, and the sun before
long. I think we could hold out