Return to Bayou Sara. 115 



been known. When I arrived, the desolation was so great 

 that one large hotel was deserted, and I walked in, find- 

 ing the doors all open, and the furniture in the house, but 

 not a living person. The inmates had all gone to the 

 pine woods. I walked to the post-office, roused the post- 

 master, and learned to my joy that my wife and son were 

 well at Mrs. Percy's. He had no accommodation for me, 

 but recommended me to a tavern where I might find a 

 bed. The atmosphere was calm, heavy, and suffocating, 

 and it seemed to me as if I were breathing death while 

 hunting for this tavern ; finding it, the landlord told me 

 he had not a spare bed, but mentioned a German at the 

 end of the village who might take me in ; I walked over 

 there, and was kindly received. The German was a man 

 of cultivation and taste, and a lover of natural science, 

 and had collected a variety of interesting objects. He 

 gave me some refreshment, and offered me a horse to 

 ride to Mrs. Percy's. The horse was soon at the door, 

 and with many thanks I bade him adieu. My anxiety to 

 reach my beloved wife and child was so great that I 

 resolved to make a straight course through the woods, 

 which I thought I knew thoroughly, and hardly caring 

 where I should cross the bayou. In less than two hours 

 I reached its shores, but the horse refused to enter the 

 water, and snorting suddenly, turned and made off 

 through the woods, as if desirous of crossing at some 

 other place, and when he reached the shore again walked 

 in, and crossed me safely to the other side. The sky 

 was overcast, and the mosquitoes plentiful ; but I thought 

 I recognized the spot where I had watched the habits of 

 a wild cat, or a deer, as the clouds broke away, and the 

 stars now and then peeped through to help me make my 

 way through the gloomy forests. But in this I was mis- 

 taken, for when day dawned I found myself in woods 

 which were unknown to me. However, I chanced to 



