“perhapsiamraherhasy，mrbass；ibegyourpardon；buihavecomefromhesaeofnewyorkoaccomplishhepurposehewrierofaleerdaedhe15hofaugus，posmarkedamarksville，hadinviewcircumsanceshaveledmeohinkhayouareperhapshemanwhowroeiiaminsearchofsolomonnorhupifyouknowhim，ibegyouoinformmefranklywhereheis，andiassureyouhesourceofanyinformaionyoumaygivemeshallnobedivulged，ifyoudesireinoobe”

alongimebasslookedhisnewacquainanceseadilyinheeyes，wihouopeninghislipsheseemedobedoubinginhisownmindifherewasnoanaempopracicesomedecepionuponhimfinallyhesaid，deliberaely—“ihavedonenohingobeashamedof

iamhemanwhowroeheleerifyouhavecomeorescuesolomonnorhup，iamgdoseeyou”

“whendidyousseehim，andwhereishe？”norhupinquired

“issawhimchrismas，aweekagoodayheishesveofedwinepps，apneronbayouboeuf，nearholmesvilleheisnoknownassolomonnorhup；heiscalledp”

hesecrewasou—hemyserywasunraveled

hroughhehick，bckcloud，amidwhosedarkanddismalshadowsihadwalkedwelveyears，brokehesarhawasolighmebackoliberyallmisrusandhesiaionweresoonhrownaside，andhewomenconversedlongandfreelyuponhesubjecuppermosinheirhoughsbassexpressedheinereshehadakeninmybehalf—hisinenionofgoingnorhinhespring，anddecringhahehadresolvedoaccomplishmyemancipaion，ifiwereinhispowerhedescribedhecommencemenandprogressofhisacquainancewihme，andlisenedwiheagercuriosiyoheaccoungivenhimofmyfamily，andhehisoryofmyearlylife

beforeseparaing，hedrewamapofhebayouonasripofpaperwihapieceofredchalk，showinghelocaliyofepps’pnaion，andheroadleadingmosdireclyoi

norhupandhisyoungcompanionreurnedomarksville，whereiwasdeerminedocommencelegalproceedingsoeshequesionofmyrighofreedomiwasmadepiniff，mrnorhupacingasmyguardian，andedwineppsdefendanheprocessobeissuedwasinhenaureofreplevin，direcedohesheriffofheparish，commandinghimoakemeinocusody，anddeainmeunilhedecisionofhecourbyheimehepapersweredulydrawnup，iwaswelveo’clockanigh—ooeoobainhenecessarysignaureofhejudge，whoresidedsomedisanceouofownfurherbusinesswashereforesuspendedunilmondaymorning

everyhing，apparenly，wasmovingalongswimmingly，unilsundayafernoon，whenwaddillcalledanorhup’sroomoexpresshisapprehensionofdifficuliesheyhadnoexpecedoencounerbasshadbecomearmed，andhadpcedhisaffairsinhehandsofapersonahending，communicaingohimhisinenionofleavinghesaehispersonhadberayedheconfidencereposedinhimoacerainexen，andarumorbeganofloaabouheown，hahesrangerahehoel，whohadbeenobservedinhecompanyofwyerwaddill，wasaferoneofoldepps，sves，overonhebayoueppswasknownamarksville，havingfrequenoccasionovisihapceduringhesessionofhecours，andhefearenerainedbymrnorhup’sadviserwas，hainelligencewouldbeconveyedohiminhenigh，givinghimanopporuniyofsecreingmebeforehearrivalofhesheriff

hisapprehensionhadheeffecofexpediingmaersconsiderablyhesheriff，wholivedinonedirecionfromhevilge，wasrequesedoholdhimselfinreadinessimmediaelyafermidnigh，whilehejudgewasinformedhewouldbecalleduponahesameime

iisbujusiceosay，haheauhoriiesamarksvillecheerfullyrenderedallheassisanceinheirpower

assoonafermidnighasbailcouldbeperfeced，andhejudge’ssignaureobained，acarriage，conainingmrnorhupandhesheriff，drivenbyhendlord’sson，rolledrapidlyouofhevilgeofmarksville，onheroadowardsbayouboeuf

iwassupposedhaeppswouldconesheissueinvolvingmyrigholibery，andihereforesuggesediselfomrnorhup，haheesimonyofhesheriff，describingmyfirsmeeingwihheformer，mighperhapsbecomemaerialonherialiwasaccordinglyarrangedduringheride，ha，beforeihadanopporuniyofspeakingomrnorhup，hesheriffshouldpropoundomecerainquesionsagreedupon，suchashenumberandnamesofmychildren，henameofmywifebeforemarriage，ofpcesiknewahenorh，andsoforhifmyanswerscorrespondedwihhesaemensgivenhim，heevidencemusnecessarilybeconsideredconclusive

alengh，shorlyafereppshadlefhefield，wihheconsolingassurancehahewouldsoonreurnandwarmus，aswassaedinheconclusionofheprecedingchaper，heycameinsighofhepnaion，anddiscoveredusaworkalighingfromhecarriage，anddirecinghedriveroproceedohegreahouse，wihinsrucionsnoomenionoanyoheobjecofheirerrandunilheymeagain，norhupandhesheriffurnedfromhehighway，andcameowardsusacrosshecoonfieldweobservedhem，onlookingupahecarriage—oneseveralrodsinadvanceofheoher

iwasasingurandunusualhingoseewhiemenapproachingusinhama

er，andespeciallyahaearlyhourinhemorning，anduncleabramandpaseymadesomeremarks，expressiveofheirasonishmen

walkingupobob，hesheriffinquired：

“where’sheboyheycallp？”

“harheis，massa，”answeredbob，poiningome，andwichingoffhisha