circumstances. Here was
old Tom, your father, and myself, bent on a legal operation, as is to be seen in
the words of the law and the proclomation; thinking no harm; when we were set
upon by critturs that were more like a pack of hungry wolves, than mortal
savages even, and there they had us tethered like two sheep, in less time than
it has taken me to tell you the story.«
    »You are free, now, Hurry,« returned Hetty, glancing timidly at the fine
unfettered limbs of the young giant - »You have no cords, or withes, to pain
your arms, or legs, now.«
    »Not I, Hetty. Natur' is natur', and freedom is natur', too. My limbs have a
free look, but that's pretty much the amount of it, sin' I can't use them in the
way I should like. Even these trees have eyes; ay, and tongues too; for was the
old man, here, or I, to start one single rod beyond our gaol limits, sarvice
would be put on the bail afore we could gird up our loins for a race, and, like
as not, four or five rifle bullets would be travelling arter us, carrying so
many invitations to curb our impatience. There is'n't a gaol in the colony as
tight as this, we are now in; for I've tried the vartues of two or three on 'em,
and I know the mater'als they are made of, as well as the men that made 'em;
takin' down being the next step in schoolin', to puttin' up, in all such
fabrications.«
    Lest the reader should get an exaggerated opinion of Hurry's demerits, from
this boastful and indiscreet revelation, it may be well to say that his offences
were confined to assaults and batteries, for several of which he had been
imprisoned, when, as he has just said, he often escaped by demonstrating the
flimsiness of the constructions in which he was confined, by opening for himself
doors, in spots where the architects had neglected to place them. But Hetty had
no knowledge of gaols, and little of the nature of crimes, beyond what her
unadulterated and almost instinctive perceptions of right and wrong taught her,
and this sally of the rude being who had spoken, was lost upon her. She
understood his general meaning, however, and answered in reference to that
alone.
    »It's so best, Hurry,«