complained of hunger and thirst, she
sat down behind a large rock, which hid them from the road, and gave him
a breakfast out of her little package. The boy wondered and grieved that
she could not eat, and when putting his arms round her neck he tried to
force some of his cake into her mouth, it seemed to her that the rising
in her throat would choke her.

"No, no, Harry, darling! mother can't eat till you are safe! We must go
on--on--till we come to the river." And she hurried again into the road
and proceeded on her journey.

When the trader came to take away Harry, he was in a great rage, because
neither the boy nor his mother could be found. The master who sold him
was also very angry, and ordered two of his negroes, called Andy and
Sam, to bring out two of the swiftest horses, and help the trader to
pursue Eliza, and take Harry from her. Andy and Sam did not like that
work, but being slaves, they dare not disobey. However, they did what
they could to detain the trader; for, pretending to be in great haste,
they squalled for this and that, and frightened the horses, till they
ran off over hedges and ditches, with Andy and Sam after them, laughing
till their sides ached as soon as they got out of sight. The trader all
the while stood cursing and swearing, like a wicked man as he was.

When the horses were caught, they were so tired with their race, that he
was fain to let them stay and rest till dinner-time. But when
dinner-time came, Chloe the cook, of whom you will hear more in the
course of the story, spilled one dish, kept another long in baking; and
so the trader did not get his dinner till it was late in the afternoon.

The horses were brought out at last, and he set off with Sam and Andy in
pursuit of poor Harry and his mother. They had gone a great way by this
time, and Eliza's feet were sore with walking all the night and day, and
Harry was ready to lie down and sleep on the snow. As the sun was
setting, they came in sight of the great river Ohio. There was no bridge
over it. People crossed in boats in the summer time, and in winter on
the thick ice, with which it was always covered. Now it was the month of
February. The ice had broken, because spring was near. The river was
swollen over all its banks, and no boatman would venture on it. There
was a little inn hard by, and there poor Eliza hoped to get a little
rest for herself and Harry, who was now fast asleep in her arms. She had
just sat down by the f