secretly managed to get an interview
with his mother and one of his sisters, by whom he was persuaded to
return to his master. Taking their advice, he commenced service under
circumstances, compared with which, the diet, labor and comforts of an
ordinary penitentiary would have been luxurious. The chief food allowed
the slaves on the plantation consisted of the pot liquor in which the
pork was boiled, with Indian-meal bread. The merest glance at what he
experienced during his brief stay on the plantation must suffice. In the
field where John, with a number of others was working, stood a hill, up
which they were repeatedly obliged to ascend, with loads on their backs,
and the overseer at their heels, with lash in hand, occasionally
slashing at first one and then another; to keep up, the utmost physical
endurance was taxed. John, though a stout young man, and having never
known any other condition than that of servitude, nevertheless found
himself quite unequal to the present occasion. "I was surprised," said
he, "to see the expertness with which all flew up the hill." "_One
woman, quite_ LUSTY, _unfit to be out of the house, on_ RUNNING UP THE
HILL, fell; in a moment she was up again with her brush on her back, and
an hour afterwards the overseer was whipping her." "My turn came." "What
is the reason you can't get up the hill faster?" exclaimed the overseer,
at the same time he struck me with a cowhide. "I told him I would not
stand it." "Old Uncle George Washington never failed to get a whipping
every day."

So after serving at this only a few days, John made his last solemn vow
to be free or die; and off he started for Canada. Though he had to
contend with countless difficulties he at last made the desired haven.
He hailed from one of the lower counties of Maryland.

John was not contented to enjoy the boon alone, but like a true lover of
freedom he remembered those in bonds as bound with them, and so was
scheming to make a hazardous "adventure" South, on the express errand of
delivering his "family," as the subjoined letter will show:

GLANDFORD, August 15th, 1858.

DEAR SIR:--I received your letter and was glad to hear that your
wife and family was all well and I hope it will continue so. I
am glad to inform you that this leaves me well. Also, Mr. Wm.
Still, I want for you to send me your opinion respecting my
circumstances. I have made up my mind to make an adventure after
my famil