Дванадцять років рабства

           Atlength,tomygreatjoy,Icametoawidebayou,andplungingin,hadsoonstemmeditssluggishcurrenttotheotherside. There,certainly,thedogswouldbeconfounded—thecurrentcarryingdownthestreamalltracesofthatslight,mysteriousscent,whichenablesthequick-smellinghoundtofollowinthetrackofthefugitive. 

           AftercrossingthisbayouthewaterbecamesodeepIcouldnotrun. IwasnowinwhatIafterwardslearnedwasthe"GreatPacoudrieSwamp." Itwasfilledwithimmensetrees—thesycamore,thegum,thecottonwoodandcypress,andextends,Iaminformed,totheshoreoftheCalcasieuriver. Forthirtyorfortymilesitiswithoutinhabitants,savewildbeasts—thebear,thewild-cat,thetiger,andgreatslimyreptiles,thatarecrawlingthroughiteverywhere. LongbeforeIreachedthebayou,infact,fromthetimeIstruckthewateruntilIemergedfromtheswamponmyreturn,thesereptilessurroundedme. Isawhundredsofmoccasinsnakes. Everylogandbog—everytrunkofafallentree,overwhichIwascompelledtosteporclimb,wasalivewiththem. Theycrawledawayatmyapproach,butsometimesinmyhaste,Ialmostplacedmyhandorfootuponthem. Theyarepoisonousserpents—theirbitemorefatalthantherattlesnake’s. Besides,Ihadlostoneshoe,thesolehavingcomeentirelyoff,leavingtheupperonlydanglingtomyankle. 

           Isawalsomanyalligators,greatandsmall,lyinginthewater,oronpiecesoffloodwood. ThenoiseImadeusuallystartledthem,whentheymovedoffandplungedintothedeepestplaces.