knock the cubs on the head," I answered, although I
knew that was more easily said than done.

Dan and I called to Dio in vain. Again I shouted, "Dio, Dio, answer us,
pray do, if you are here."

"Listen! I hear a voice; it's very faint, but not far off," said Dan.

I stopped shouting, and distinctly heard the words--

"Here, massa, here, all in de dark; dis niggar bery sick."

On this I struck a match, and by its faint light I saw a figure lying on
the ground in a recess of the cave. There were a number of sticks
collected for fire-wood piled up close to him, so putting the match to
some dry leaves which we swept up together, we quickly had a blaze.

"What has happened, Dio?" I asked, kneeling down by his side.

"No matches, massa," answered Dio; "and him eat up all de food Massa
Tidey left. For two days him had noting to put in him mouth."

"You shall have something then without delay," I said, giving him a
bottle, which I had fortunately filled at the last spring we had passed.
He eagerly swallowed a draught, and we then produced the provisions we
had brought. Though weak from his previous illness, the poor black was
not so far gone as to be unable to eat a hearty meal. This quickly
revived him. He told us that his fear of being captured by the
emissaries of his old master had prevented him going out in search of
food, and that he had imprudently on the first day consumed the
provisions left by Mr Tidey, which, eked out, might have lasted almost
to the present time. His joy at hearing that the Kentuckians had been
defeated, greatly assisted to recover him, although he expressed his
regret that we should have been exposed to danger on his account. When
we told him we had come to escort him on his way to Mr Grey's, his
countenance fell.

"But my father says we may take you back, if you are willing to
accompany us to the west, where we shall be at a distance from the
slave-states," I added.

"With all dis niggar's heart," exclaimed Dio; "me go whar' massa go;
right 'way to de Rocky Mountains, if him like."

We spent the night in the cavern, neither wolves nor bears showing their
noses, and the next morning Dio, after a good breakfast, declared that
he was well able to go back to Uphill. On seeing him attempt to walk,
however, I judged that it would be prudent to let him take another day's
rest, while we went in search of game and obtained some more water from
a spring which rose at some distance f