146 EMBARKATION BY NIGHT. [CHAP. XXXI. 



retaining one mark of his ax. He concluded that some evil spirit 

 had, in a single night, undone all the labors of many weeks ; 

 and, seized with superstitious terror, he fled from the enchanted 

 wood, never to return. 



In order that I might not spend an indefinite time on the 

 Mississippi, I determined to be prepared for a start in the first 

 chance steamer which might be bound for Natchez, 140 miles 

 distant, whenever an opportunity should offer, whether by day or 

 night. I was told by my host that a trusty black servant had 

 been already appointed to look out for a steamer, which was to 

 convey some farm produce to a proprietor far off on the Pvecl 

 River. He proposed, therefore, to give orders to this negro to 

 wake me if any boat bound for Natchez should appear in sight 

 before morning. Accordingly, about an hour after midnight, I 

 was roused from rny slumbers, and went down over a sloping lawn 

 to the steam-boat landing on the river s bank. The sky was clear, 

 and it was bright moonlight, and the distant cries of the owls, and 

 other night birds around Lake Solitude, \vere distinctly heard, 

 mingled with the chirping of myriads of frogs. On the low bank 

 my watchman had lighted a signal fire, and I heard the puffing 

 of a steamer in the distance ascending the stream. She soon 

 neared us, and, on being hailed, answered, &quot; La Belle Creole, 

 bound for Bayou Sara.&quot; This port was far short of my destina 

 tion, and when we shouted &quot; Natchez,&quot; the captain first asked 

 if we had any wood to sell, and on learning there was none, 

 sailed away. I returned to the house, and took another nap of 

 several hours, when I received a second summons from my faith 

 ful sentinel. The scene was entirely changed ; it was nearly 

 day-break, and the fogs rising from the marshes had begun to 

 cover the river. I was in despair, fearing that our signal fire 

 would not be discerned through the mist. Soon, however, we 

 heard the loud gasping of the two steam-pipes sounding nearer 

 and nearer, and a large steamer coming suddenly close to the 

 landing, was announced as &quot; the Talma of Cincinnati.&quot; In a 

 few minutes I was crossing the narrow plank which led from 

 the steep bank to the vessel, which was actually in motion as I 

 walked over it, so that I was glad to find myself safe on deck. 



