looking out of
the window fronting the road; but did not suppose, that he had come "to
spy out the land."

The wagon and the persons walking with it, had been observed from his
house, and he had reported the fact in Middletown. Accordingly, in half
an hour, another sleigh came up, containing a constable of Middletown,
William Hardcastle, of Queen Ann's county, Maryland, and William
Chesnut, of the same neighborhood. I met them at the gate, and the
constable handed me an advertisement, wherein one thousand dollars
reward was offered for the recovery of three runaway slaves, therein
described.

The constable asked me if they were in my house? I said they were not!
He then asked me if he might search the house? I declined to allow him
this privilege, unless he had a warrant for that purpose. While we stood
thus conversing, the husband of the woman with the six children, came
out of a house near the barn, and ran into the woods. The constable and
his two companions immediately gave chase, with many halloos! After
running more than a mile through the snow, the fugitive came toward the
house; I went to meet him, and found him with his back against the
barn-yard fence, with a butcher's knife in his hand. The man hunters
soon came up, and the constable asked me to get the knife from the
fugitive. This I declined, unless the constable should first give me his
pistol, with which he was threatening to shoot the man. He complied with
my request, and the fugitive handed me the knife. Then he produced a
pass, properly authenticated, and signed by a magistrate of Queen Ann's
county, Maryland, certifying that this man was free! and that his name
was Samuel Hawkins.

William Hardcastle now advanced, and said that he knew the man to be
free; but that he was accused of running away with his wife and children
who were slaves. He also said, that this man had two boys with him, who
belonged to a neighbor of his, named Charles Wesley Glanding, and that
the four other children and mother belonged to Catharine Turner, of
Queen Ann's county, Maryland. Hardcastle further expressed his belief,
that this man knew where his wife and children were at that time, and
insisted that he should go before a magistrate in Middletown, and be
examined in regard thereto. He also expressed doubts as to the
genuineness of this pass, and wished the man to go to Middletown on that
account also. As there was no other course to pursue under the
circumstances, I