Down the River; Or, Buck Bradford and His Tyrants

because the barn was a sort of sanctuary to me, whither I fled when the house was too warm to hold me. I went there to nurse my wrath; to think what I

which were to intervene before the coming of Clarence, and the end of my misery, looked like so many years to me. If it

ing to ride. I was just ugly enough then to disobey; in fact, to cast off all allegiance to my tyrants. I felt as though I could not lift my finger to do

a dense swamp-the only one I knew of in that part of the state. In the early spring its surface was overflowed with water. It

her fond of exploring out-of-the-way places, and this deep and dark morass had early attracted my attention. The year before I had made a small raf

ot of the slope, as I descended to the low land, I came across the raft on which Sim and I had voyaged through the avenues of the dismal swamp the preceding year. It was in a dilap

down from the saw-mills, miles up in the country. I seated myself on this heap of lumber, to think of the present and the future. I noticed that one end of a log had been driven ashore by the cur

ordered about like a servant, and made to do three times as much work as had been agreed with my guardian. I felt that it was right to resist. There was no one to fight my battle, and that of my poor sister, but myself. I am well aware that I took up

soon gathers many other vices, sins, and errors around or upon it. As this log had caught a score of others, so one false s

aching that first log, all the rest would be cast loose, and carried away by the stream-just as I had known old Cameron to become an honest, Christian man by cutting away the log of intemperance. I was about to use my setting

ecided at once not to waste my time for his benefit, and was on the point of detaching the mischievous stick which had seduced all th

oppressors. I could not see through the dense thicket of the swamp; but another repet

ou?" said he, when I ha

ng, Sim!"

and soon propelled the raft

I waited for you a while," said he, s

ou sing out b

ied, with more embarrassment in his manne

go, Sim?" I asked, a

fference to me now where I go,"

matter? Are you

e been waiting t

at

ff work y

t's

to see y

st man in Torrentville, if not in the county. Sim was a great, stout, bow-legged fellow, as good-natured as the day was long. He always looked as though he had recently escape

hy don't you tell me what

, Buck," he repeated

u want to s

he, fumbling his fingers together, and loo

beginning to have a suspicion that he h

something," he adde

, ask

ted to see you," said Sim, poking about his trousers pockets, jus

Sim was sort of choking, and exhibited some signs

't got many friends, and

eat baby. I pushed the raft up to a fallen tree, whose trunk was above th

again, seating myself on the log. "

eason I wanted to see you," blubber

inued, in the kindest tones I could command,

that's the reason I wanted to see you," sobb

overed his self-possession before I asked any more questions. When the silence had continued fo

e lost your senses

piteous look, which alone prevented me from laughing at his lu

er with your stom

in it," w

sharply, rather to quicken hi

work yes

said b

's the reason I wanted to see you," said he, blu

" I asked

rking in the garden, and when I saw Mis' Barkspear go out to the barn to look for eggs, I went into the house. In the buttery I found a piece of cold b'iled pork, abo

you qui

she knowed I did it. She told the old man I'd eat up the dinner for that day. Barkspear

t back to the la

on me, Buck-will

to get you so

s wil