knew suspicion would at once attach to him, he intended to lodge at a hotel in Jackson on the night it took place. He said he entertained no fears of the leader he had selected for the occasion, whom he pronounced "a second Cesar." The affair, as related, was surely one (laying aside all consideration of its consummate effrontery) of a character to appeal to the risibles of the gravest: that an individual should first lose his property, and afterward be punished by the thief for complaining. A recollection of his situation, however, aided by a struggle of indignation at the danger that threatened his friend, enabled Hues to restrain his feelings.

The day gradually wore away, and night at length succeeded. The prospect was still dark and lowering, and Murrell and his companion were once more obliged to call for quarters with Mr. Hargus.

CHAPTER VI.

THE morning of February 1st introduced the same gloomy prospect that had detained Hues and Murrell the preceding day (except, indeed, the wind had measurably subsided); the waves still rolled high and threatening, and the snow continued to fall, though in less quantities. They determined, however, to make an effort at crossing, though at great hazard. They had proceeded but a few hundred yards from shore when they became convinced that their apprehensions

were by no means unfounded. Their boat very soon began to show itself unequal to a contest with the waves and current; and they found it necessary to make a timely retreat from a struggle in which the chances appeared so evidently against them. They returned to the landing whence they had set out, resolved to seek a safer conveyance, or postpone their visit to Arkansas till fairer weather should remove the danger of crossing the river in the boat of which they were already in possession,

On their return, at the solicitation of Murrell, Mr. Hargus furnished them a safer boat, and sent his son with them to take it back (for it was one for which he had constant use). They landed at a point on the western shore of the river opposite the mouth of Old River, which joins the Mississippi at the Chickasaw Bend.

Murrell led the way, taking a northwestern course through the swamp, which was rendered almost impassable by a thick growth of luxuriant cane, and interspersed at no distant intervals with large collections of water, occasioned by the high tide of the Mississippi. When they had been travelling about half an hour, Hues found himself suddenly on the borders of an extensive lake, which, swollen by the overflowing waters of the Mississippi, had overtopped its banks, and stretched among the surrounding timber and cane beyond the reach of sight, and which seemed at first to bound the prospect; till, continuing a short distance along the shore, they discovered on their right a considerable bayou, which made out from the Mississippi and entered the lake above them. On the opposite

side of the bayou lived a friend of Murrell, who afforded them a ready conveyance across. They next proceeded in a western direction along the borders of what appeared to be an extensive tract of overflowed country, but which was most probably but a continuation of the lake they had just left. On their way Hues spied a small open hut at a distance, which, from the volumes of smoke that curled away from its chimney, he knew to be tenanted. It suddenly occurred to him that there might be deposited Parson Henning's negroes; and there too (betrayed by their recognition of him) he might experience the fatal consequences of his desperate experiment. Sensations of indescribable horror agitated his whole frame, as, preceded by Murrell, he advanced with almost trembling step towards the door of the hut. He had muffled his face with his pocket handkerchief, with a view of concealing, as far as possible, such of his features as would most likely betray him to the negroes, and, prepared for the worst, had cocked the two pistols which he carried in the pockets of his over-coat, determined, in the event of an attack, to discharge their contents among the as-' sailants before yielding to his fate. It had all along been his plan to keep somewhat in rear of Murrell, in order to take advantage of the first fire, whenever he should discover signs of hostility. On this occasion he deemed it of the utmost importance; for he had much reason to fear that the hut before him might be the spot on which was to be decided-perhaps with his blood-the fate of his undertaking. He accordingly entered with Murrell the fearful hovel, prepared to sell his life as dearly as possible. He found three

white men and two negroes (but not Mr. Henning's), eating together by the fire; and hope," which comes to all," once more visited him, and the possibility of success again dawned upon the prospect. The shanty, for such it was, appears to have been constructed for temporary use, as a shelter from the weather, till such time as discovery, or the operations of the clan,. might make it necessary to seek, in the depth of the morass, some more private retreat. One of the white men Murrell appeared to recognise, and called by the name of Rainhart; the others he had never before seen. He made several inquiries of Rainhart as to the prosperity of their cause, and parted with him, promising to meet him on the following day at the council-house; and proceeded on his journey, accompanied by Hues, still preserving a western course. They at length came to a second lake of considerable size; and, finding a skiff, embarked in it for the opposite shore. They had been on the water near an hour, when they descried a point of elevated land not far distant, which gave promise of a convenient landing-place. They directed their skiff thither, and were soon again on terra firma. They now travelled in a more northern direction (as well as can be recollected); though, in crossing the lake, they had faced nearly every point of the compass. They had proceeded but a short distance when their progress was again interrupted by a large bayou; which, making out from the Mississippi, crossed their path and entered the lake above them. On its bank stood a small filthy cabin, which proved the wretched abode of a white man and his family. They entered: Hues with feelings of re

turning apprehension and dread, lest he should meet the old parson's negroes. A man, his wife, and two children, who sat in drowsy silence by the fire, were the only inmates of this gloomy and comfortless habitation. Murrell recognised them with an air of familiarity and a carelessness of demeanour that bespoke them old acquaintances; and in a few moments withdrew to converse in private with the man of the house, leaving but little doubt on the mind of Hues that he was also a member of the clan; and he prepared himself (as from the beginning he had resolved) to shoot Murrell when he discovered any thing in his manner indicative of suspicion. When they re-entered the cabin he glanced a look of scrutiny at their countenances, but discovered in them any thing but that which he most dreaded, and felt once more secure.

They obtained here the loan of a canoe to carry them across the bayou that stretched before them. Owing to the overflow, which rendered the opposite shore impassable, they did not cross immediately, but turned down the bayou in a western direction, and soon found themselves entering a large body of water, formed by some recent overflow of the Mississippi or a neighbouring lake. They were near an hour crossing, and were at last obliged to land amid a thick growth of cane. After toiling their tedious and difficult way for a short time among the cane, a column of smoke rising before them indicated at length their near approach to the habitation of the living. They advanced to the spot whence proceeded the smoke, and found a camp, constructed of boards, and exhibiting any thing but the appearance of comfort. In it were