wks, guns, butcher knives, and all the various implements of
death which are used by them. And what made them look still more
frightful, their faces were often painted red, and their heads muffled
with birds feathers, bushes, coons tails and owls heads. But all this
I had passed through, and my long enslaved limbs and spirit were then
in full stretch for emancipation. I felt as if one more short struggle
would set me free.

FOOTNOTES:

[4] This singular fact is corroborated in a letter read by the
publisher, from an acquaintance while passing through this country in
1849.

CHAPTER XV.

_Adventure on the Prairie.--I borrow a horse without leave.--Rapid
traveling one whole night.--Apology for using other men's horses.--My
manner of living on the road._

Early in the morning I left the Indian territory as I have already
said, for fear I might be pursued by the three white men whom I had
seen there over night; but I had not proceeded far before my fears
were magnified a hundred fold.

I always dreaded to pass through a prairie, and on coming to one which
was about six miles in width, I was careful to look in every direction
to see whether there was any person in sight before I entered it; but
I could see no one. So I started across with a hope of crossing
without coming in contact with any one on the prairie. I walked as
fast as I could, but when I got about midway of the prairie, I came to
a high spot where the road forked, and three men came up from a low
spot as if they had been there concealed. They were all on horse back,
and I supposed them to be the same men that had tried to get lodging
where I stopped over night. Had this been in timbered land, I might
have stood some chance to have dodged them, but there I was, out in
the open prairie, where I could see no possible way by which I could
escape.

They came along slowly up behind me, and finally passed, and spoke or
bowed their heads on passing, but they traveled in a slow walk and
kept but a very few steps before me, until we got nearly across the
prairie. When we were coming near a plantation a piece off from the
road on the skirt of the timbered land, they whipped up their horses
and left the road as if they were going across to this plantation.
They soon got out of my sight by going down into a valley which lay
between us and the plantation. Not seeing them rise the hill to go up
to the farm, excited greater suspicion in my mind, so I stepped ov