Chapter 9 - Page 2

free with our rum, and, as much as we
dared to be, with our money. These people never betrayed us.

The third night we left the bridge, guided by a young Indian. He led us
about two miles up the river, passing through the Maroon town in the
night, after which he left us. We wished him to keep on with us for some
distance further, but he refused. He quitted us near morning, and we
turned into a deserted log-house, on the banks of the river, where we
passed the day. The country was thinly populated, and the houses we saw
were poor and mean. We must now have been about five-and-twenty miles
from Halifax.

Our object was to cross the neck of land between the Atlantic and the Bay
of Fundy, and to get to Annapolis Royal, where we expected to be able to
procure a boat, by fair means if we could, by stealth if necessary, and
cross over to the American shore. We had still a long road before us, and
had some little difficulty to find the way. The Indians, however, gave us
directions that greatly assisted us; and we travelled a long bit, and
pretty fast all that night. In the morning, the country had more the
appearance of being peopled and cultivated, and I suspected we were
getting into the vicinity of Horton, a place through which it would be
indispensable to pass. The weather became bad again, and it was necessary
to make a halt. Coming near a log-house, we sent Littlefield ahead to make
some inquiries of a woman who appeared to be in it alone. On his return,
he reported well of the woman. He had told her we were deserters from the
Bulwark, and had promised to pay her if she would let us stay about her
premises that day, and get us something to eat. The woman had consented to
our occupying an out-house, and had agreed to buy the provisions. We now
took possession of the out-house, where the woman visited us, and getting
some money, she left us in quest of food. We were uneasy during her
absence, but she came back with some meat, eggs, bread, and butter, at the
end of an hour, and all seemed right. We made two comfortable meals in
this out-house, where we remained until near evening. I had the look-out
about noon, and I saw a man hanging about the house, and took the alarm.
The man did not stay long, however, and I got a nap as soon as he
disappeared. About four we were all up, and one of us taking a look, saw
this same man, and two others, go into the house. The woman had already
told us that a party of soldiers had gone ahead, in pursuit of three
Yankee runaways; that four had broken prison, but one had been retaken,
and the rest were still out. This left little doubt that she knew who we
were; and we thought it best to steal away, at once, lest the men in the
house should be consulting with her, at that very