voyage of the paper canoe-第36部分

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from　the　forest。　This　sound　was　indeed　pleasant　to　my　ears；　for　I　knew　the　upland　was　near；　and　that　a　warm　fire　awaited　my　benumbed　limbs　in　the　cabin　of　this　unknown　man。　　Pushing　the　canoe　towards　the　sound；　and　feeling　the　submerged　border　of　the　swamp　with　my　paddle；　I　struck　the　upland　where　it　touched　the　water；　and　　disembarking；　felt　my　way　along　a　well…trodden　path　to　a　little　clearing。　　Here　a　drove　of　hogs　were　crowding　around　their　owner；　who　was　scattering　kernels　of　corn　about　him　as　he　　vociferated；　〃pe…ig　　pe…ig　…　pe…ig　…　pig　…　pig　…　pig。〃　　We　stood　face　to　face；　yet　neither　could　see　the　face　of　the　other　in　the　darkness。　　I　told　my　tale；　and　asked　where　I　could　find　a　sheltered　spot　to　camp。

〃Stranger；〃　slowly　replied　the　Cracker；　〃my　cabin's　close　at　hand。　　Come　home　with　me。　It's　a　bad　night　for　a　man　to　lay　out　in；　and　the　niggers　would　steal　your　traps　if　they　knew　you　had　anything　worth　taking。　　Come　with　me。〃

In　the　tall　pines　near　at　hand　was　a　cabin　of　peeled　rails；　the　chinks　between　them　being　stuffed　with　moss。　　A　roof　of　cypress　shingles　kept　the　rain　out。　　The　log　chimney；　which　was　plastered　with　mud；　was　built　outside　of　the　walls　and　against　an　end　of　the　rustic…looking　structure。　　The　wide…mouthed　fireplace　sent　forth　a　blaze　of　light　as　we　entered　the　poor　man's　home。　　I　saw　in　the　nicely　swept　floor；　the　clean　bed…spreads；　and　the　general　neatness　of　the　place；　the　character　of　Wilson　Edge's　wife。

〃Hog　and　hominy's　our　food　here　in　the　piny　woods；〃　said　Mr。　Edge；　as　his　wife　invited　us　to　the　little　table；　〃and　we've　a　few　eggs　now　and　then　to　eat　with　sweet　potatoes；　but　it's　up…hill　work　to　keep　the　niggers　from　killing　every　fowl　and　animal　we　have。　The　carpet…bag　politicians　promised　them　every　one；　for　his　vote；　forty　acres　of　land　and　a　mule。　　They　sed　as　how　the　northern　government　was　a…going　to　give　it　to　um；　but　the　poor　devils　never　got　any　thanks　even　for　their　votes。　　They　had　been　stuffed　with　all　sorts　of　notions　by　the　carpet…baggers；　and　I　don't　blame　um　for　putting　on　airs　and　trying　to　rule　us。　　It's　human　natur；　that's　all。　We　don't　blame　the　niggers　half　so　much　as　those　who　puts　it　in　their　heads　to　do　so；　but　it's　hard　times　we've　had；　we　poor　woods　folks。　They　took　our　children　for　the　cussed　war；　to　fight　fur　niggers　and　rich　people　as　owned　um。

〃We　never　could　find　out　what　all　the　fuss　was　about；　but　when　Jeff　Davis　made　a　law　to　exempt　every　man　from　the　army　who　owned　fifteen　niggers；　then　our　blood　riz　right　up；　and　we　sez　to　our　neighbors；　'This　ere　thing's　a…getting　to　be　a　rich　man's　quarrel　and　a　poor　man's　fight。'　　After　all　they　dragged　off　my　boy　to　Chambersburg；　Pennsylvania；　and　killed　him　a　fighting　for　what？　　Why；　for　rich　nigger　owners。　　Our　young　men　hid　in　the　swamps；　but　they　were　hunted　up　and　forced　into　the　army。　　Niggers　has　been　our　ruin。　Ef　a　white　man　takes　a　case　before　a　nigger　justice；　he　gives　the　nigger　everything；　and　the　white　man　has　to　stand　one　side。　Now；　would　you　folks　up　north　like　to　have　a　nigger　justice　who　can't　read　nor　count　ten　figgurs？〃

I　tried　to　comfort　the　poor　man；　by　assuring　him　that　outside　of　the　political　enemies　of　our　peace；　the　masses　in　the　north　were　honestly　inclined　towards　the　south　now　that　slavery　was　at　an　end；　and　that　wrong　could　not　long　prevail；　with　the　cheerful　prospect　of　a　new　administration；　and　the　removal　of　all　　unconstitutional　forces　that　preyed　upon　the　south。

The　two　beds　in　the　single　room　of　the　cabin　were　occupied　by　the　family；　while　I　slept　upon　the　floor　by　the　fire；　with　my　blankets　for　a　couch　and　a　roll　of　homespun　for　a　pillow；　which　the　women　called　〃heading。〃　　They　often　said；　〃Let　me　give　you　some　heading　for　your　bed。〃　　We　waited　until　eight　o'clock　the　next　day　for　the　mists　to　rise　from　the　swamps。　My　daily　trouble　was　now　upon　me。　How　could　I　remunerate　a　southerner　for　his　cost　of　　keeping　me；　when　not；　in　the　true　sense　of　the　word；　an　invited　guest　to　his　hospitality？

Wilson　Edge　sat　by　the　fire；　while　his　wife　and　little　ones　were　preparing　to　accompany　me　to　see　the　paper　boat。　　〃Mr。　Edge；〃　I　　stammered；　〃you　have　treated　me　with　great　kindness；　your　wife　has　been　put　to　some　　inconvenience　as　I　came　in　so　unexpected　a　manner；　and　you　will　really　oblige　me　if　you　will　accept　a　little　money　for　all　this；　though　money　cannot　pay　for　your　hospitality。　　Grant　my　wish；　and　you　will　send　me　away　with　a　light　heart。〃　The　poor　Cracker　lowered　his　head　and　slowly　ran　his　fingers　through　his　coal　black　hair。　　For　a　moment　he　seemed　studying　a　reply；　and　then　he　spoke　as　though　HE　represented　the　whole　generous　heart　of　the　south。

〃Stranger；〃　he　slowly　articulated；〃Stranger；　I　have　known　white　men　to　be　niggers　enough　to　take　a　stranger's　money　for　lodgings　and　vittles；　but　I　am　not　that　man。〃

We　found　the　canoe　as　it　had　been　left　the　night　before；　and　I　was　soon　pulling　down　the　river。　The　great　wilderness　was　traversed　thirty　miles　to　the　county　town　of　Conwayborough；　where　the　negroes　roared　with　laughter　at　the　working　of　the　double　paddle；　as　I　shot　past　the　landing…place　where　cotton　and　naval　stores　were　piled；　waiting　to　be　lightered　nine　miles　to　Pot　Bluff；　　so　called　from　the　fact　of　a　pot　being　lost　from　a　vessel　near　it；　　which　place　is　reached　by　vessels　from　New　York　drawing　twelve　feet　of　water。　　Though　still　a　long　　distance　from　the　ocean；　I　was　beginning　to　feel　its　tidal　influences。　At　Pot　Bluff；　the　landing　and　comfortable　home　of　its　owner；　Mr。　Z。　W。　　Dusenberry；　presented　a　pleasant　relief　after　the　monotony　of　the　great　pine　forests。　　This　　enterprising　business　man　made　my　short　stay　a　very　pleasant　one。

Wednesday；　January　20th；　was　cold　for　this　latitude；　and　ice　formed　in　thin　sheets　in　the　water…pails。　Twenty…two　miles　below　Pot　Bluff；　Bull　Creek　enters　the　Waccamaw　from　the　　Peedee　River。　　At　the　mouth　of　this　connecting　watercourse　is　Tip　Top；　the　first　rice　plantation　of　the　Waccamaw。　　The　Peedee　and　its　sister　stream　run　an　almost　parallel　course　from　Bull　Creek　to　Winyah　Bay；　making　their　debouchure　close　to　the　city　of　Georgetown。　　Steam　　sawmills　and　rice　plantations　take　the　place　of　the　forests　from　a　few　miles　below　Tip　Top　to　the　vicinity　of　Georgetown。

Mr。　M。　L。　Blakely；　of　New　York；　one　of　the　largest　shingle　manufacturers　of　the　south；　　occupied　as　his　headquarters　the　Bates　Hill　　Plantation；　on　the　Peedee。　This　gentleman　had　invited　me；　through　the　medium　of　the　post…office；　to　visit　him　in　the　rice…growing　regions　of　South　Carolina。　　To　reach　his　home　I　took　the　short　〃cut…off〃　which　Bull　Creek　offered；　and　entered　upon　the　strongest　of　head…currents。　　The　thick　yellow；　muddy　torrent　of　the　Peedee　rushed　through　Bull　Creek　with　such　volume；　that　I　wondered　if　it　left　much　water　on　the　other　side　to　give　character　to　the　river；　as　it　followed　its　own　channel　to　Winyah　Bay。

One　and　a　half　miles　of　vigorous　paddling　brought　me　to　a　branch　of　the　watercourse；　which　is　much　narrower　than　the　main　one；　and　is　consequently　called　Little　Bull　Creek。　　This　also　comes　from　the　Peedee　River；　and　its　source　is　nearer　to　the　Bates　Hill　plantation　than　the　main　Bull　Creek。　　To　urge　the　canoe　up　this　narrow　stream　three　miles　and　a　half　to　the　parent　river　Peedee；　was　a　most　trying　ordeal。　At　times　the　boat　would　not　move　a　hundred　feet　in　five　minutes；　and　often；　as　my　strength　seemed　failing　me；　I　caught　the　friendly　branches　of　trees；　and　held　on　to　keep　the　canoe　from　being　whirled　down　the　current　towards　the　Waccamaw。　　After　long　and　persistent　efforts　had　exhausted　my　strength；　I　was　about　to　seek　for　a　resting…place　in　the　swamp；　when　a　view　of　the　broad　Peedee　opened　before　me；　and　with　vigorous　strokes　of　the　paddle　the　canoe　slowly　approached　the　mighty　current。　　A　moment　more　and　it　was　within　its　grasp；　and　went　flying　down　the　turbulent　stream　at　the　rate　of　ten　miles　an　hour。

A　loud　halloo　greeted　me　from　the　swamp；　where　a　party　of　negro　shingle…makers　were　at　work。　　They　manned　their　boat；　a　long　cypress　dug…out；　and　followed　me。　Their　employer；　who　proved　to　be　the　gentleman　whose　abiding…place　I　was　now　rapidly　approaching；　sat　in　the　stern。　We　landed　together　before　the　old　　plantation　house；　which　had　been　occupied　a　few　years　before　by　members　of　the　wealthy　and　powerful　rice…planting　aristocracy　of　the　Peedee；　but　was　now　the　temporary　home　of　a　northern　man；　who　was　busily　employed　in　guiding　the　labors　of　his　four　hundred　freedmen　in　the　swamps　of　North　and　South　Carolina。

The　paper　canoe　had　now　entered　the　regions　of　the　rice…planter。　Along　the　low　banks　of　the　Peedee　were　diked　marshes　where；　before　the　civil　war；　each　estate　produced　from　five　　thousand　to　forty　thousand　bushels　of　rice　annually；　and　the　lords　of　rice　were　more　powerful　than　those　of　cotton；　though　cotton　was　king。　　The　rich　lands　here　produced　as　high　as　fifty…five　bushels　of　rice　to　the　acre；　under　forced　slave　labor；　now　the　free　blacks　cannot　wrest　from　nature　more　than　twenty…five　or　thirty　bushels。

Fine　old　mansions　lined　the　river's　banks；　but　the　families　had　been　so　reduced　by　the　ravages　of　war；　that　I　saw　refined　ladies；　who　had　been　educated　in　the　schools　of　Edinburgh；　Scotland；　overseeing　the　negroes　a