aferreadingheleersanddocumenspresenedhim，andliseningoarepresenaionofhecircumsancesunderwhichihadbeencarriedawayinocapiviy，mr

waddillaonceprofferedhisservices，andeneredinoheaffairwihgreazealandearnesnesshe，incommonwihohersoflikeelevaedcharacer，lookeduponhekidnappedwihabhorrenceheileofhisfellowparishionersandcliensoheproperywhichconsiuedhergerproporionofheirwealh，noonlydependeduponhegoodfaihinwhichsvesaleswereransaced，buhewasamaninwhosehonorablehearemoionsofindignaionwerearousedbysuchaninsanceofinjusice

marksville，alhoughoccupyingaprominenposiion，andsandingouinimpressiveialicsonhemapoflouisiana，is，infac，buasmallandinsignificanhamle

asidefromheavern，kepbyajollyandgenerousboniface，hecourhouse，inhabiedbywlesscowsandswineinheseasonsofvacaion，andahighgallows，wihisdisseveredropedanglinginheair，hereislileoaracheaenionofhesranger

solomonnorhupwasanamemrwaddillhadneverheard，buhewasconfidenhaifherewasasvebearinghaappelioninmarksvilleorviciniy，hisbckboyomwouldknowhimomwasaccordinglycalled，buinallhisexensivecircleofacquainancesherewasnosuchpersonage

heleeroparkerandperrywasdaedabayouboeufahispce，herefore，heconclusionwas，imusbesoughbuhereadifficulysuggesediself，ofaverygravecharacerindeedbayouboeuf，aisnearespoin，waswenyhreemilesdisan，andwashenameappliedohesecionofcounryexendingbeweenfifyandahundredmiles，onbohsidesofhasream

housandsandhousandsofsvesresideduponisshores，heremarkablerichnessandferiliyofhesoilhavingaracedhiheragreanumberofpnersheinformaioninheleerwassovagueandindefinieasorenderidifficuloconcludeuponanyspecificcourseofproceedingiwasfinallydeermined，however，asheonlypnhapresenedanyprospecofsuccess，hanorhupandhebroherofwaddill，asudeninheofficeofheer，shouldrepairohebayou，andravelinguponesideanddownheoheriswholelengh，inquireaeachpnaionformemrwaddillenderedheuseofhiscarriage，andiwasdefinielyarrangedhaheyshouldsaruponheexcursionearlymondaymorning

iwillbeseenaoncehahiscourse，inallprobabiliy，wouldhaveresuledunsuccessfullyiwouldhavebeenimpossibleforhemohavegoneinohefieldsand272

examineallhegangsaworkheywerenoawarehaiwasknownonlyasp；andhadheyinquiredofeppshimself，hewouldhavesaedrulyhaheknewnohingofsolomonnorhup

hearrangemenbeingadopedhowever，herewasnohingfurherobedoneunilsundayhadepsedheconversaionbeweenmessrsnorhupandwaddill，inhecourseofheafernoon，urneduponnewyorkpoliics

“icanscarcelycomprehendhenicedisincionsandshadesofpoliicalpariesinyoursae，”observedmr

waddill“ireadofsofshellsandhardshells，hunkersandbarnburners，woollyheadsandsilvergrays，andamunableoundersandheprecisedifferencebeweenhempray，whaisi？”

mrnorhup，refillinghispipe，eneredinoquieaneboraenarraiveofheoriginofhevarioussecionsofparies，andconcludedbysayingherewasanoherparyinnewyork，knownasfreesoilersoraboliioniss

“youhaveseennoneofhoseinhisparofhecounry，ipresume？”mrnorhupremarked

“never，buone，”answeredwaddill，ughingly“wehaveonehereinmarksville，aneccenriccreaure，whopreachesaboliionismasvehemenlyasanyfanaicahenorhheisagenerous，inoffensiveman，bualwaysmainaininghewrongsideofanargumeniaffordsusadealofamusemenheisanexcellenmechanic，andalmosindispensableinhiscommuniyheisacarpenerhisnameisbass”

somefurhergoodnauredconversaionwashadaheexpenseofbass’peculiariies，whenwaddillaloncefellinoareflecivemood，andaskedforhemyseriousleeragain

“lemesee—lemesee！”herepeaed，houghfullyohimself，ru

inghiseyesoverheleeroncemore

“‘bayouboeuf，augus15’augus15—posmarkedhere

‘hehaiswriingforme—’wheredidbassworkssummer？”heinquired，urningsuddenlyohisbroher

hisbroherwasunableoinformhim，burising，lefheoffice，andsoonreurnedwihheinelligenceha“bassworkedssummersomewhereonbayouboeuf”

“heisheman，”‘bringingdownhishandemphaicallyonheable，’“whocanellusallabousolomonnorhup，”

excimedwaddill

basswasimmediaelysearchedfor，bucouldnobefoundafersomeinquiry，iwasascerainedhewasahendingonredriverprocuringaconveyance，youngwaddillandnorhupwerenolonginraversinghefewmilesoheerpceonheirarrival，basswasfound，jusonhepoinofleaving，obeabsenafornighormoreaferaninroducion，norhupbeggedheprivilegeofspeakingohimprivaelyamomenheywalkedogeherowardsheriver，whenhefollowingconversaionensued：

“mrbass，”saidnorhup，“allowmeoaskyouifyouwereonbayouboeufsaugus？”

“yes，sir，iwashereinaugus，”washereply

“didyouwriealeerforacoloredmanashapceosomegenlemaninsaraogasprings？”

“excuseme，sir，ifisayhaisnoneofyourbusiness，”

answeredbass，soppingandlookinghisinerrogaorsearchinglyinheface