s immediately made to give the
fugitives a kind reception, and at the same time to destroy their
plagues, root and branch, without mercy.

They arrived according to appointment. The cleansing process was carried
into effect most thoroughly, and no vermin were left to tell the tale of
suffering they had caused. Straightway the passengers were made
comfortable in every way, and the spirit of freedom seemed to be burning
like "fire shut up in the bones." The appearance alone of these men
indicated their manhood, and wonderful natural ability. The examining
Committee were very desirous of hearing their story without a moment's
delay.

As Harry, from having suffered most, was the hero of this party, and
withal was an intelligent man, he was first called upon to make his
statement as to how times had been with him in the prison house, from
his youth up. He was about forty-six years of age, according to his
reckoning, full six feet high, and in muscular appearance was very
rugged, and in his countenance were evident marks of firmness. He said
that he was born a slave in North Carolina, and had been sold three
times. He was first sold when a child three years of age, the second
time when he was thirteen years old, and the third and last time he was
sold to Jesse Moore, from whom he fled. Prior to his coming into the
hands of Moore he had not experienced any very hard usage, at least
nothing more severe than fell to the common lot of slave-boys, therefore
the period of his early youth was deemed of too little interest to
record in detail. In fact time only could be afforded for noticing very
briefly some of the more remarkable events of his bondage. The examining
Committee confined their interrogations to his last taskmaster.

"How did Moore come by you?" was one of the inquiries. "He bought me,"
said Harry, "of a man by the name of Taylor, nine or ten years ago; he
was as bad as he could be, couldn't be any worse to be alive. He was
about fifty years of age, when I left him, a right red-looking man, big
bellied old fellow, weighs about two hundred and forty pounds. He drinks
hard, he is just like a rattlesnake, just as cross and crabbed when he
speaks, seems like he could go through you. He flogged Richmond for not
ploughing the corn good, that was what he pretended to whip him for.
Richmond ran away, was away four months, as nigh as I can guess, then
they cotched him, then struck him a hundred lashes, and then they split