136 THE LIFE OF PHILIP HENRY GOSSE. 



" plishments ; Jones, the overseer, a wiry fellow, origin- 

 "ally from the far east (Connecticut, I believe), but 

 "grown a Southerner by a dozen years' experience in 

 " negro-driving ; and the humble individual who pens 

 u these lines, who begins at length to be known by his 

 " proper name, instead of ' the stranger.' We five were 

 " mounted on very capital steeds, and behind and around 

 " us marched on foot our sable ministers. 



" It was a lovely night. The sky, almost cloudless, had 

 " a depth of tint that was rather purple than blue, and 

 " the moon, near the full, was already approaching the 

 " zenith. A gentle breeze, warm and balmy, breathed in 

 "the summits of the trees, and wafted us the delicate 

 "perfumes from leaf, flower, and fruit, from gum and 

 " balsam, with which the night air is commonly loaded. 

 " Bright as was the night, however, it was thought requi- 

 " site to have artificial light, especially as we should have 

 " to explore some tall woods, whose gloomy recesses the 

 "moon's beams were quite insufficient to illuminate. The 

 "knots of the pitch-pine answer admirably for torches, 

 " being full of resin, and maintaining a brilliant flame for 

 " an hour or more. The glare of broad red light which 

 " these flambeaux cast on the leafy walls along which we 

 "rode, and the beautiful effect produced on the sur- 

 " rounding shrubs and intervening trees when the torch- 

 " bearers passed through some narrow belt of wood, or 

 "explored some little grove, was highly novel and 

 " picturesque ; the flames, seen through the chequering 

 "leaves, played and twinkled, and ever and anon 

 " frightened a troop of little birds from their roost, and 

 " illuminated their plumage as they fluttered by. 



"At length we reached the melon-patch, and having 

 "dismounted and tied our horses to the hanging twigs 

 " of the roadside trees, we crossed the rail-fence to beat 



