running a thousand miles for freedom-第4节

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；　retains　Some　quenchless　gleam　of　the　celestial　light。〃


On　Hoskens　fully　realizing　the　fact　that　his　victim　was　no　more；　he　exclaimed　〃By　thunder　I　am　a　used…up　man！〃　　The　sudden　disappointment；　and　the　loss　of　two　thousand　dollars；　was　more　than　he　could　endure：　so　he　drank　more　than　ever；　and　in　a　short　time　died；　raving　mad　with　delirium　tremens。

The　villain　Slator　said　to　Mrs。　Huston；　the　kind　lady　who　endeavoured　to　purchase　Antoinette　from　Hoskens；　〃Nobody　needn't　talk　to　me　'bout　buying　them　ar　likely　niggers；　for　I'm　not　going　to　sell　em。〃　　〃But　Mary　is　rather　delicate；〃　said　Mrs。　Huston；　〃and；　being　unaccustomed　to　hard　work；　cannot　do　you　much　service　on　a　plantation。〃　　〃I　don't　want　her　for　the　field；〃　replied　Slator；　〃but　for　another　purpose。〃　　Mrs。　Huston　understood　what　this　meant；　and　instantly　exclaimed；　〃Oh；　but　she　is　your　cousin！〃　　〃The　devil　she　is！〃　said　Slator；　and　added；　〃Do　you　mean　to　insult　me；　Madam；　by　saying　that　I　am　related　to　niggers？〃　〃No；〃　replied　Mrs。　Huston；　〃I　do　not　wish　to　offend　you；　Sir。　　But　wasn't　Mr。　Slator；　Mary's　father；　your　uncle？〃　　〃Yes；　I　calculate　he　was；〃　said　Slator；　〃but　I　want　you　and　everybody　to　understand　that　I'm　no　kin　to　his　niggers。〃　　〃Oh；　very　well；〃　said　Mrs。　Huston；　adding；　〃Now　what　will　you　take　for　the　poor　girl？〃　　〃Nothin'；〃　he　replied；　〃for；　as　I　said　before；　I'm　not　goin'　to　sell；　so　you　needn't　trouble　yourself　no　more。　If　the　critter　behaves　herself；　I'll　do　as　well　by　her　as　any　man。〃

Slator　spoke　up　boldly；　but　his　manner　and　sheepish　look　clearly　indicated　that



〃His　heart　within　him　was　at　strife　　　　　With　such　accursed　gains；　　For　he　knew　whose　passions　gave　her　life；　　　　　Whose　blood　ran　in　her　veins。〃

〃The　monster　led　her　from　the　door；　　　　　He　led　her　by　the　hand；　　To　be　his　slave　and　paramour　　　　　In　a　strange　and　distant　land！〃


Poor　Frank　and　his　sister　were　handcuffed　to…　gether；　and　confined　in　prison。　　Their　dear　little　twin　brother　and　sister　were　sold；　and　taken　where　they　knew　not。　　But　it　often　happens　that　mis…　fortune　causes　those　whom　we　counted　dearest　to　shrink　away；　while　it　makes　friends　of　those　whom　we　least　expected　to　take　any　interest　in　our　affairs。　　Among　the　latter　class　Frank　found　two　comparatively　new　but　faithful　friends　to　watch　the　gloomy　paths　of　the　unhappy　little　twins。

In　a　day　or　two　after　the　sale；　Slator　had　two　fast　horses　put　to　a　large　light　van；　and　placed　in　it　a　good　many　small　but　valuable　things　belonging　to　the　distressed　family。　　He　also　took　with　him　Frank　and　Mary；　as　well　as　all　the　money　for　the　spoil；　and　after　treating　all　his　low　friends　and　bystanders；　and　drinking　deeply　himself；　he　started　in　high　glee　for　his　home　in　South　Carolina。　　But　they　had　not　proceeded　many　miles；　before　Frank　and　his　sister　discovered　that　Slator　was　too　drunk　to　drive。　　But　he；　like　most　tipsy　men；　thought　he　was　all　right；　and　as　he　had　with　him　some　of　the　ruined　family's　best　brandy　and　wine；　such　as　he　had　not　been　accustomed　to；　and　being　a　thirsty　soul；　he　drank　till　the　reins　fell　from　his　fingers；　and　in　attempting　to　catch　them　he　tumbled　out　of　the　vehicle；　and　was　unable　to　get　up。　　Frank　and　Mary　there　and　then　contrived　a　plan　by　which　to　escape。　　As　they　were　still　handcuffed　by　one　wrist　each；　they　alighted；　took　from　the　drunken　assassin's　pocket　the　key；　undid　the　iron　bracelets；　and　placed　them　upon　Slator；　who　was　better　fitted　to　wear　such　ornaments。　　As　the　demon　lay　unconscious　of　what　was　taking　place；　Frank　and　Mary　took　from　him　the　large　sum　of　money　that　was　realized　at　the　sale；　as　well　as　that　which　Slator　had　so　very　meanly　obtained　from　their　poor　mother。　　They　then　dragged　him　into　the　woods；　tied　him　to　a　tree；　and　left　the　inebriated　robber　to　shift　for　himself；　while　they　made　good　their　escape　to　Savannah。　　The　fugitives　being　white；　of　course　no　one　suspected　that　they　were　slaves。

Slator　was　not　able　to　call　any　one　to　his　rescue　till　late　the　next　day；　and　as　there　were　no　rail…　roads　in　that　part　of　the　country　at　that　time；　it　was　not　until　late　the　following　day　that　Slator　was　able　to　get　a　party　to　join　him　for　the　chase。　　A　person　informed　Slator　that　he　had　met　a　man　and　woman；　in　a　trap；　answering　to　the　description　of　those　whom　he　had　lost；　driving　furiously　towards　Savannah。　　So　Slator　and　several　slavehunters　on　horseback　started　off　in　full　tilt；　with　their　blood…　hounds；　in　pursuit　of　Frank　and　Mary。

On　arriving　at　Savannah；　the　hunters　found　that　the　fugitives　had　sold　the　horses　and　trap；　and　embarked　as　free　white　persons；　for　New　York。　Slator's　disappointment　and　rascality　so　preyed　upon　his　base　mind；　that　he；　like　Judas；　went　and　hanged　himself。

As　soon　as　Frank　and　Mary　were　safe；　they　endeavoured　to　redeem　their　good　mother。　　But；　alas！　she　was　gone；　she　had　passed　on　to　the　realm　of　spirit　life。

In　due　time　Frank　learned　from　his　friends　in　Georgia　where　his　little　brother　and　sister　dwelt。　So　he　wrote　at　once　to　purchase　them；　but　the　persons　with　whom　they　lived　would　not　sell　them。　After　failing　in　several　attempts　to　buy　them；　Frank　cultivated　large　whiskers　and　moustachios；　cut　off　his　hair；　put　on　a　wig　and　glasses；　and　went　down　as　a　white　man；　and　stopped　in　the　neighbourhood　where　his　sister　was；　and　after　see…　ing　her　and　also　his　little　brother；　arrangements　were　made　for　them　to　meet　at　a　particular　place　on　a　Sunday；　which　they　did；　and　got　safely　off。

I　saw　Frank　myself；　when　he　came　for　the　little　twins。　　Though　I　was　then　quite　a　lad；　I　well　remember　being　highly　delighted　by　hearing　him　tell　how　nicely　he　and　Mary　had　served　Slator。

Frank　had　so　completely　disguised　or　changed　his　appearance　that　his　little　sister　did　not　know　him；　and　would　not　speak　till　he　showed　their　mother's　likeness；　the　sight　of　which　melted　her　to　tears；for　she　knew　the　face。　　Frank　might　have　said　to　her



〃'O；　Emma！　　O；　my　sister；　speak　to　me！　　Dost　thou　not　know　me；　that　I　am　thy　brother？　　Come　to　me；　little　Emma；　thou　shalt　dwell　　With　me　henceforth；　and　know　no　care　or　want。'　　Emma　was　silent　for　a　space；　as　if　　'Twere　hard　to　summon　up　a　human　voice。〃　Frank　and　Mary's　mother　was　my　wife's　own　dear　aunt。

After　this　great　diversion　from　our　narrative；　which　I　hope　dear　reader；　you　will　excuse；　I　shall　return　at　once　to　it。

My　wife　was　torn　from　her　mother's　embrace　in　childhood；　and　taken　to　a　distant　part　of　the　country。　　She　had　seen　so　many　other　children　separated　from　their　parents　in　this　cruel　man…　ner；　that　the　mere　thought　of　her　ever　becoming　the　mother　of　a　child；　to　linger　out　a　miserable　existence　under　the　wretched　system　of　American　slavery；　appeared　to　fill　her　very　soul　with　horror；　and　as　she　had　taken　what　I　felt　to　be　an　important　view　of　her　condition；　I　did　not；　at　first；　press　the　marriage；　but　agreed　to　assist　her　in　trying　to　devise　some　plan　by　which　we　might　escape　from　our　unhappy　condition；　and　then　be　married。

We　thought　of　plan　after　plan；　but　they　all　seemed　crowded　with　insurmountable　difficulties。　We　knew　it　was　unlawful　for　any　public　convey…　ance　to　take　us　as　passengers；　without　our　master's　consent。　　We　were　also　perfectly　aware　of　the　startling　fact；　that　had　we　left　without　this　consent　the　professional　slave…hunters　would　have　soon　had　their　ferocious　bloodhounds　baying　on　our　track；　and　in　a　short　time　we　should　have　been　dragged　back　to　slavery；　not　to　fill　the　more　favour…　able　situations　which　we　had　just　left；　but　to　be　separated　for　life；　and　put　to　the　very　meanest　and　most　laborious　drudgery；　or　else　have　been　tortured　to　death　as　examples；　in　order　to　strike　terror　into　the　hearts　of　others；　and　thereby　pre…　vent　them　from　even　attempting　to　escape　from　their　cruel　taskmasters。　　It　is　a　fact　worthy　of　remark；　that　nothing　seems　to　give　the　slaveholders　so　much　pleasure　as　the　catching　and　torturing　of　fugitives。　　They　had　much　rather　take　the　keen　and　poisonous　lash；　and　with　it　cut　their　poor　trembling　victims　to　atoms；　than　allow　one　of　them　to　escape　to　a　free　country；　and　expose　the　infamous　system　from　which　he　fled。

The　greatest　excitement　prevails　at　a　slave…hunt。　The　slaveholders　and　their　hired　ruffians　appear　to　take　more　pleasure　in　this　inhuman　pursuit　than　English　sportsmen　do　in　chasing　a　fox　or　a　stag。　Therefore；　knowing　what　we　should　have　been　compelled　to　suffer；　if　caught　and　taken　back；　we　were　more　than　anxious　to　hit　upon　a　plan　that　would　lead　us　safely　to　a　land　of　liberty。

But；　after　puzzling　our　brains　for　years；　we　were　reluctantly　driven　to　the　sad　conclusion；　that　it　was　almost　impossible　to　escape　from　slavery　in　Georgia；　and　travel　1；000　miles　across　the　slave　States。　　We　therefore　resolved　to　get　the　consent　of　our　owners；　be　married；　settle　down　in　slavery；　and　endeavour　to　make　ourselves　as　comfortable　as　possible　under　that　system；　but　at　the　same　time　ever　to　keep　our　dim　eyes　steadily　fixed　upon　the　glimmering　hope　of　liberty；　and　earnestly　pray　God　mercifully　to　assist　us　to　escape　from　our　unjust　thraldom。

We　were　married；　and　prayed　and　toiled　on　till　December；　1848；　at　which　time　（as　I　have　stated）　a　plan　suggested　itself　that　proved　quite　success…　ful；　and　in　eight　days　after　it　was　first　thought　of　we　were　free　f