uld have piled on to him, for in Toronto
Yankee slavehunters are detested. Mr Bambray, on being told of what had
occurred, made her case his own. He consulted Jabez who suggested
burying her in the bush with the master's family until the search was
given up. Tilly was modest and eager to help, and at worship showed she
had a beautiful voice. The day passed quietly and so did Sunday. The
master had meant to go to Toronto to church, being the first Sunday
after New Year's day, but the frost was too intense for an ox-drive.
Tilly had a great collection of hymns, and in the afternoon we sat and
listened. It was a peaceful Sabbath and we went to bed happy and feeling
secure. I was lying awake, thinking of the poor slave-girl so
unexpectedly thrown among us, when I thought I heard the crunching of
the frozen snow under horse's feet and sleighrunners. I jumped out of
bed and looking through the window that faced our road, saw a sleigh
with two men. I hurried down stairs and wakened the master. He had just
got on his feet when the door was forced in with a crash. A tall fellow
entered, whom we could see distinctly, for the fire was glowing bright.
'I have come for my nigger, and it will be worse for you if you make a
fuss.' Without a word, the master rushed at the fellow and was thrusting
him out of the door, when he used a trick, doubtless learned in a
hundred barroom fights, of thrusting his foot forward and tripping the
master, who fell on his back. In a flash the fellow had him by the
throat, forcing back his head with his left hand while his right fumbled
under his coat. I guessed he was after his bowie-knife. I gripped his
arm and gave it a twist that made him let out a yell. Jumping straight
up, he made to grab me, when Allan, who had just appeared, swung out his
right arm and dealt him a terrific blow on the face. He fell like a
tree that had got its last cut. The other man now looked in, and seeing
his comrade insensible and bleeding, cried out to us, 'You will hang for
this!' 'Take the brute away and begone,' shouted the master, 'or you
will answer for this if there be law in Canada.' Taking hold of the
fallen man he dragged him to the sleigh. Lifting his head in first, he
got into the sleigh and pulled the rest of the body into the box.
Hurriedly pitching a robe over him he drove off, afraid we would arrest
him. Just as the sleigh got on to the road, there was a shot above our
heads, it was Robbie who had loaded his gu