THE FUGITIVE. 101 
Audubon—never unnecessarily suspicious—that 
he assented, with a slight emphasis, however, on 
the phrase that he would follow him. 
The negro, observing it, in order to put his 
companion at ease, then threw away the flint and 
priming of his gun. His knife he presented to 
Audubon, who, desirous of showing equal gen- 
erosity, refused it. On they went through the 
woods together, Audubon not failing to observe 
that the course they pursued was directly con- 
trary to his homeward road. After travelling 
some distance, the negro leading the way, with 
the accuracy of a redskin, over tangled swamps, 
and stagnant streams, Audubon was startled 
by a loud shriek from his companion. In- 
voluntarily he again levelled his gun, “No 
harm, master,” said the negro in answer, “I 
only give notice to my wife and children of 
my approach.” The signal was answered in 
gentler tones from female lips, when an expres- 
sion of delight, which disclosed his ivory teeth, 
_lightened across the negro’s countenance. “ Mas- 
ter,” he said, with a winning simplicity, “my wife, 
though black, is as beautiful to me as the Presi- 
dent’s wife is to him. She is my queen, and our 
young ones are our princes, But you shall see 
them, for here they all are, thank God.” They 
soon reached the very heart of a cane brake, and 
here the poor fugitives had formed their camp, 
* 
