g to jail; who do you belong to, and where did you come
from?"

The facts here demanded were in my breast. I knew according to the law of
slavery, who I belonged to and where I came from, and I must now do one of
three things--I must refuse to speak at all, or I must communicate the
fact, or I must tell an untruth. How would an untutored slave, who had
never heard of such a writer as Archdeacon Paley, be likely to act in such
a dilemma? The first point decided, was, the facts in this case are my
private property. These men have no more right to them than a highway
robber has to my purse. What will be the consequence if I put them in
possession of the facts. In forty-eight hours, I shall have received
perhaps one hundred lashes, and be on my way to the Louisiana cotton
fields. Of what service will it be to them. They will get a paltry sum of
two hundred dollars. Is not my liberty worth more to me than two hundred
dollars are to them?

I resolved therefore, to insist that I was free. This not being
satisfactory without other evidence, they tied my hands and set out, and
went to a magistrate who lived about half a mile distant. It so happened,
that when we arrived at his house he was not at home. This was to them a
disappointment, but to me it was a relief; but I soon learned by their
conversation, that there was still another magistrate in the
neighbourhood, and that they would go to him. In about twenty minutes, and
after climbing fences and jumping ditches, we, captors and captive, stood
before his door, but it was after the same manner as before--he was not at
home. By this time the day had worn away to one or two o'clock, and my
captors evidently began to feel somewhat impatient of the loss of time. We
were about a mile and a quarter from the tavern. As we set out on our
return, they began to parley. Finding it was difficult for me to get over
fences with, my hands tied, they untied me, and said, "Now John," that
being the name they had given me, "if you have run away from any one, it
would be much better for you to tell us!" but I continued to affirm that I
was free. I knew, however, that my situation was very critical, owing to
the shortness of the distance I must be from home: my advertisement might
overtake me at any moment.

On our way back to the tavern, we passed through a small skirt of wood,
where I resolved to make an effort to escape again. One of my captors was
walking on either side of me; I made a sudd