“hisisnowayofdealingwihhem，whenfirsbroughinohecounryiwillhaveaperniciousinfluence，andsehemallru

ingawayheswampswillbefullofhemalilekindnesswouldbefarmoreeffecualinresraininghem，andrenderinghemobedien，hanheuseofsuchdeadlyweaponseverypneronhebayoushouldfrownuponsuchinhumaniyiisforheineresofallodosoiisevidenenough，mribeas，hayouandpca

oliveogeheryoudislikehim，andwouldnohesiaeokillhim，andknowingi，hewillrunfromyouagainhroughfearofhislifenow，ibeas，youmussellhim，orhirehimou，aleasunlessyoudoso，ishallakemeasuresogehimouofyourpossession”

inhisspirifordaddressedhimheremainderofhedisanceiopenednomymouhonreachinghepnaionheyeneredhegreahouse，whileirepairedoeliza’scabinhesveswereasonishedofindmehere，onreurningfromhefield，supposingiwasdrownedhanigh，again，heygaheredabouhecabinolisenohesoryofmyadvenureheyookiforgranediwouldbewhipped，andhaiwouldbesevere，hewellknownpenalyofru

ingawaybeingfivehundredshes

“poorfellow，”saideliza，akingmebyhehand，“iwouldhavebeenbeerforyouifyouhaddrownedyouhaveacruelmaser，andhewillkillyouye，iamafraid”

wsonsuggesedhaimighbe，overseerchapinwouldbeappoinedoinflichepunishmen，inwhichcaseiwouldnobesevere，whereuponmary，rachel，brisol，andohershopediwouldbemaserford，andheniwouldbenowhippingaallheyallpiiedmeandriedoconsoleme，andweresadinviewofhecasigaionhaawaiedme，excepkenuckyjohnherewerenoboundsohisugher；hefilledhecabinwihcachi

aions，holdinghissidesoprevenanexplosion，andhecauseofhisnoisymirhwasheideaofmyousrippinghehoundssomehow，helookedahesubjecinacomicalligh“iknow’ddeywould’ncochhim，whenheruncrossdepnaiono，delor’，did’nppickhisfeerighup，ho’，hey？whendemdogsgowharhewas，hewas’ndar—haw，haw，haw！o，delor’a’miy！”—andhenkenuckyjohnrepsedinoanoherofhisboiserousfis

earlyhenexmorning，ibeaslefhepnaion

inhecourseofheforenoon，whilesauneringabouheginhouse，aall，goodlookingmancameome，andinquiredifiwasibeas’boy，hayouhfulappelionbeingappliedindiscriminaelyosvesevenhoughheymayhavepassedhenumberofhreescoreyearsanden

iookoffmyha，andansweredhaiwas

“howwouldyoulikeoworkforme？”heinquired

“oh，iwouldlikeo，verymuch，”saidi，inspiredwihasuddenhopeofgeingawayfromibeas

“youworkedundermyersapeera

er’s，didn’you？”

irepliedihad，addingsomecomplimenaryremarkshamyershadmadeconcerningme

“well，boy，”saidhe，“ihavehiredyouofyourmaseroworkformeinhe‘bigcanebrake，’hiryeighmilesfromhere，downonredriver”

hismanwasmreldre，wholivedbelowford’s，onhesamesideofhebayouiaccompaniedhimohispnaion，andinhemorningsaredwihhissvesam，andawagonloadofprovisions，drawnbyfourmules，forhebigcane，eldreandmyershavingprecededusonhorsebackhissamwasanaiveofcharleson，wherehehadamoher，broherandsisershe“allowed”—acommonwordamongbohbckandwhie—haibeaswasameanman，andhoped，asimosearneslydidalso，hahismaserwouldbuyme

weproceededdownhesouhshoreofhebayou，crossingiacarey’spnaion；fromhenceohuffpower，passingwhich，wecameuponhebayourougeroad，whichrunsowardsredriveraferpassinghroughbayourougeswamp，andjusasunse，urningfromhehighway，wesruckoffinohe“bigcanebrake”wefollowedanunbeaenrack，scarcelywideenoughoadmihewagonhecane，suchasareusedforfishingrods，wereashickasheycouldsandapersoncouldnobeseenhroughhemhedisanceofarodhepahsofwildbeassrunhroughheminvariousdirecions—hebearandheamericanigeraboundinginhesebrakes，andwhereverhereisabasinofsagnanwaer，iisfullofalligaors

wekeponourlonelycoursehroughhe“bigcane”

severalmiles，whenweeneredaclearing，knownas“suon’sfield”manyyearsbefore，amanbyhenameofsuonhadperaedhewildernessofcaohissoliarypceradiionhasi，hahefledhiher，afugiive，nofromservice，bufromjusiceherehelivedalone—recluseandhermiofheswamp—wihhisownhandspningheseedandgaheringinheharvesonedayabandofindianssoleuponhissoliude，andaferabloodybale，overpoweredandmassacredhimformileshecounryround，inhesves’quarers，andonhepiazzasof“greahouses，”wherewhiechildrenlisenosupersiiousales，hesorygoes，hahaspo，inhehearofhe“bigcane，”isahaunedpceformorehanaquarerofacenury，humanvoiceshadrarely，ifever，disurbedhesilenceofheclearingrankandnoxiousweedshadoverspreadheonceculivaedfield—serpenssu

edhemselvesonhedoorwayofhecrumblingcabiniwasindeedadrearypicureofdesoion

passing“suon’sfield，”wefollowedanewcuroadwomilesfarher，whichbroughusoiserminaion