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I despatched a messenger for Reigart. Fortunately he was at home, and in a few minutes followed my messenger to the hotel. He entered my room, and stood staring at me with a look of surprise. "My dear R , where have you been?" he inquired at length. "To the swamp." "And those wounds your clothes torn blood?" "Thorn-scratches that's all." "But where have you been?" "In the swamp."
Afterwards, when better acquainted with American types, I should have known it as a Pennsylvanian face, and such in reality it was. I saw before me a graduate of one of the great medical schools of Philadelphia, Dr Edward Reigart. The name confirmed my suspicion of German origin. Altogether my medical attendant made a pleasing impression upon me at first sight.
I have grown to esteem this man particularly since I made the discovery that he is not a friend of Gayarre. He is not his medical attendant either. There is another medico in the village, who has charge of Monsieur Dominique and his blacks, as also the slaves of the Besancon plantation. The latter chanced to be out of the way, and so Reigart was called to me.
Indeed, Reigart had heard some whisper that his debt had already been proved before the courts in New Orleans; that no opposition had been made; that he had obtained a verdict, and could seize upon her property, or as much of it as would satisfy his demands, at any moment!
Reigart himself, though a man of peace, was well-known to possess a cool and determined spirit; and there was the landlord of my hotel, and several of the planters who accompanied several of the young planters, behaved in a handsome manner; and the law prevailed. Yes! thank Heaven and half-a-dozen noble men, the law prevailed else I should never have gone out of that glade alive!
"In the swamp! but how came you to get such a mauling?" "I have been bitten by a rattlesnake." "What! bitten by a rattlesnake? Do you speak seriously?" "Quite true it is but I have taken the antidote. I am cured." "Antidote! Cured! And what cure? who gave you an antidote?" "A friend whom I met in the swamp!" "A friend in the swamp!" exclaimed Reigart, his astonishment increasing.
Without the letter on my New Orleans banker, I could not raise fifty pounds watch, jewels, and all. As to borrowing, I did not think of such a thing. Who was to lend me money? Who to an almost perfect stranger would advance such a sum as I required? No one I felt certain. Reigart could not have helped me to so large an amount, even had there been time to communicate with him.
Gayarre, too, was in my dreams; and the ruffian overseer, and Scipio, and the mild face of Reigart, and what I could remember of the good Antoine. Even the unfortunate Captain of the boat, the boat herself, the Magnolia, and the scene of the wreck all were reproduced with a painful distinctness! But my visions were not all of a painful character. Some were the very opposite scenes of bliss.
To prevent this, the sheriff mounted me upon a horse he himself riding upon one side, while an assistant of tried courage took the opposite. Reigart and the planters kept close to me before and behind; while the shouting, blaspheming mob followed both on horseback and afoot.
I spent most of my time in rambling through the fields and along the Levee boating upon the river fishing in the bayous hunting through the cane-breaks and cypress-swamps, and occasionally killing time at a game of billiards, for every Louisiana village has its billiard salon. The society of Reigart, whom I now called friend, I enjoyed when his professional engagements permitted.
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