$46 UNCLE TOM’S CABIN; OR,

and gales and breezes, not of earth, show that the gates of day
are unclosing.

The escape of Oassy and Emmeline irritated the before surly
temper of Legree to the last degree; and his fury, as was to be
expected, fell upon the defenceless head of Tom. When he
hurriedly announced the tidings among his hands, there was a
sudden light in Tom’s eye, & sudden upraising of his hands, that
did not escape him. He saw that he did not join the muster of
the pursuers. He thought of forcing him to do it; but, having
had, of old, experience of his inflexibility when commanded to
take part in any deed of inhumanity, he would not, in his hurry,
stop to enter into any conflict with him.

Tom, therefore, remained behind, with a few who had learned
of him to pray, and offered up prayers for the escape of the
fugitives.

en Legree returned, baffled and disappointed, all the long-
working hatred of his soul towards his slave began to gather in a
deadly and desperate form. Had not this man braved him—
steadily, powerfully, resistlessly — ever since he bought him?
Was there not a spirit in him which, silent as it was, burned on
him like the fires of perdition ?

“TJ hate him!” said Legree, that night, as he sat up in his
bed; “Lhate him! And isn’t he MINE? Can’t I do what I
like with him? Who's to hinder, I wonder?” And Legree
clenched his fist and shook it as if he had something in his hands
that he could rend in pieces.

But then Tom was a faithful, valuable servant; and although
Legree hated him the more for that, yet the consideration was still
somewhat of a restraint to him. :

The next morning he determined to say nothing, as yet; to
assenible a party from some neighbouring plantations, with dogs
and guns; to surround the swamp, and go about the hunt systema-
tically. If it succeeded, well and good ; if not, he would summon
Tom before him, and—his teeth clenched and his blood boiled—

he would break that fellow down, or—there was a dire
inward whisper, to which his soul assented.

Ye say that the interest of the master is a sufficient safeguard
for the slave. In the fury of man’s mad will, he will wittingly,
and with open eye, sell his own soul to the devil to gain his ends ;
and will he be more careful of his neighbour's body ?

«“ Well,” said Cassy, the next day, from the garret, as she re-
connoitred through the knot-hole, ‘“ the hunt’s going to begin
again to-day !""

Three or four mounted horsemen were curvetting about, on the
space in front of the house ; and one or two leashes of strange
dogs were struggling with the negroes who held them, baying and
barking at each other.

The men are, two of them, overseers of plantations in the