had some knowledge of small boats, skiffs in particular, but of
course they were not the possessors of one. Feeling that there was no
time to lose, they concluded to borrow a skiff, though they should never
return it. So one Saturday evening, toward the latter part of January,
the four young slaves stood on the beach near Lewes, Delaware, and cast
their longing eyes in the direction of the Jersey shore. A fierce gale
was blowing, and the waves were running fearfully high; not daunted,
however, but as one man they resolved to take their lives in their hands
and make the bold adventure.

With simple faith they entered the skiff; two of them took the oars,
manfully to face uncertain dangers from the waves. But they remained
steadfast, oft as they felt that they were making the last stroke with
their oars, on the verge of being overwhelmed with the waves. At every
new stage of danger they summoned courage by remembering that they were
escaping for their lives.

[Illustration: ]

Late on Sunday afternoon, the following day, they reached their much
desired haven, the Jersey shore. The relief and joy were unspeakably
great, yet they were strangers in a strange land. They knew not which
way to steer. True, they knew that New Jersey bore the name of being a
Free State; but they had reason to fear that they were in danger. In
this dilemma they were discovered by the captain of an oyster boat whose
sense of humanity was so strongly appealed to by their appearance that
he engaged to pilot them to Philadelphia. The following account of them
was recorded:

William Thomas was a yellow man, twenty-four years of age, and
possessing a vigorous constitution. He accused Shepherd P. Houston of
having restrained him of his liberty, and testified that said Houston
was a very bad man. His vocation was that of a farmer, on a small scale;
as a slave-holder he was numbered with the "small fry." Both master and
mistress were members of the Methodist Church. According to William
Thomas' testimony his mistress as well as his master was very hard on
the slaves in various ways, especially in the matter of food and
clothing. It would require a great deal of hard preaching to convince
him that such Christianity was other than spurious.

John stated that David Henry Houston, a farmer, took it upon himself to
exercise authority over him. Said John, "If you didn't do the work
right, he got contrary, and wouldn't give you anything to eat for a