Дванадцять років рабства

           Eachofuswasexamined,touchinganyknowledgewemighthavethatcouldthrowlightuponhissuddendisappearanceorpresentwhereabouts. Eppsravedandstormed,andmountinghishorse,gallopedtoneighboringplantations,makinginquiriesinalldirections. Thesearchwasfruitless. Nothingwhateverwaselicited,goingtoshowwhathadbecomeofthemissingman. Thedogswereledtotheswamp,butwereunabletostrikehistrail. Theywouldcircleawaythroughtheforest,theirnosestotheground,butinvariablyreturnedinashorttimetothespotfromwhencetheystarted. 

           Wileyhadescaped,andsosecretlyandcautiouslyastoeludeandbaffleallpursuit. Daysandevenweekspassedaway,andnothingcouldbeheardofhim. Eppsdidnothingbutcurseandswear. Itwastheonlytopicofconversationamonguswhenalone. Weindulgedinagreatdealofspeculationinregardtohim,onesuggestinghemighthavebeendrownedinsomebayou,inasmuchashewasapoorswimmer; another,thatperhapshemighthavebeendevouredbyalligators,orstungbythevenomousmoccasin,whosebiteiscertainandsuddendeath. Thewarmandheartysympathiesofusall,however,werewithpoorWiley,whereverhemightbe. ManyanearnestprayerascendedfromthelipsofUncleAbram,beseechingsafetyforthewanderer. 

           Inaboutthreeweeks,whenallhopeofeverseeinghimagainwasdismissed,tooursurprise,heonedayappearedamongus. Onleavingtheplantation,heinformedus,itwashisintentiontomakehiswaybacktoSouthCarolina—totheoldquartersofMasterBuford.