Chapter 17

           Theyear1850,downtowhichtimeIhavenowarrived,omittingmanyoccurrencesuninterestingtothereader,wasanunluckyyearformycompanionWiley,thehusbandofPhebe,whosetaciturnandretiringnaturehasthusfarkepthiminthebackground. NotwithstandingWileyseldomopenedhismouth,andrevolvedinhisobscureandunpretendingorbitwithoutagrumble,neverthelessthewarmelementsofsocialitywerestronginthebosomofthatsilent"nigger." Intheexuberanceofhisself-reliance,disregardingthephilosophyofUncleAbram,andsettingthecounselsofAuntPhebeutterlyatnaught,hehadthefool-hardinesstoessayanocturnalvisittoaneighboringcabinwithoutapass. 

           Soattractivewasthesocietyinwhichhefoundhimself,thatWileytooklittlenoteofthepassinghours,andthelightbegantobreakintheeastbeforehewasaware. Speedinghomewardasfastashecouldrun,hehopedtoreachthequartersbeforethehornwouldsound;but,unhappily,hewasspiedonthewaybyacompanyofpatrollers. 

           Howitisinotherdarkplacesofslavery,Idonotknow,butonBayouBœufthereisanorganizationofpatrollers,astheyarestyled,whosebusinessitistoseizeandwhipanyslavetheymayfindwanderingfromtheplantation. Theyrideonhorseback,headedbyacaptain,armed,andaccompaniedbydogs. Theyhavetheright,eitherbylaw,orbygeneralconsent,toinflictdiscretionarychastisementuponablackmancaughtbeyondtheboundariesofhismaster’sestatewithoutapass,andeventoshoothim,ifheattemptstoescape.