the excited gentleman as if moved by
steam--through the cars, looking for his property; not finding it, he
passed out of the cars, and to the delight of Charlotte and Harriet soon
disappeared. Fair business men would be likely to look at this conduct
on the part of the two girls in the light of a "sharp practice." In
military parlance it might be regarded as excellent strategy. Be this as
it may, the Underground Rail Road passengers arrived safely at the
Philadelphia station and were gladly received.

A brief stay in the city was thought prudent lest the hunters might be
on the pursuit. They were, therefore, retained in safe quarters.

In the meantime, Arrival No. 2 reached the Committee. It consisted of a
colored man, a white woman and a child, ten years old. This case created
no little surprise. Not that quite a number of passengers, fair enough
to pass for white, with just a slight tinge of colored blood in their
veins, even sons and daughters of some of the F.F.V., had not on various
occasions come over the U.G.R.R. But this party was peculiar. An
explanation was sought, which resulted in ascertaining that the party
was from Leesburg, Virginia; that David, the colored man, was about
twenty-seven years of age, intelligent, and was owned, or claimed by
Joshua Pusey. David had no taste for Slavery, indeed, felt that it would
be impossible for him to adapt himself to a life of servitude for the
special benefit of others; he had, already, as he thought, been dealt
with very wrongfully by Pusey, who had deprived him of many years of the
best part of his life, and would continue thus to wrong him, if he did
not make a resolute effort to get away. So after thinking of various
plans, he determined not to run off as a slave with his "budget on his
back," but to "travel as a coachman," under the "protection of a white
lady." In planning this pleasant scheme, David was not blind to the fact
that neither himself nor the "white lady," with whom he proposed to
travel, possessed either horse or carriage.

But his master happened to have a vehicle that would answer for the
occasion. David reasoned that as Joshua, his so called master, had
deprived him of his just dues for so many years, he had a right to
borrow, or take without borrowing, one of Joshua's horses for the
expedition. The plan was submitted to the lady, and was approved, and a
mutual understanding here entered into, that she should hire a carriage,
and take also h