him to pay for; and, therefore, we cannot let any slave pass
here without receiving security to show, and to satisfy us, that it is
all right."

This conversation attracted the attention of the large number of
bustling passengers. After the officer had finished, a few of them
said, "Chit, chit, chit;" not because they thought we were slaves
endeavouring to escape, but merely because they thought my master was a
slaveholder and invalid gentleman, and therefore it was wrong to detain
him. The officer, observing that the passengers sympathised with my
master, asked him if he was not acquainted with some gentleman in
Baltimore that he could get to endorse for him, to show that I was his
property, and that he had a right to take me off. He said, "No;" and
added, "I bought tickets in Charleston to pass us through to
Philadelphia, and therefore you have no right to detain us here."
"Well, sir," said the man, indignantly, "right or no right, we shan't
let you go." These sharp words fell upon our anxious hearts like the
crack of doom, and made us feel that hope only smiles to deceive.

For a few moments perfect silence prevailed. My master looked at me,
and I at him, but neither of us dared to speak a word, for fear of
making some blunder that would tend to our detection. We knew that the
officers had power to throw us into prison, and if they had done so we
must have been detected and driven back, like the vilest felons, to a
life of slavery, which we dreaded far more than sudden death.

We felt as though we had come into deep waters and were about being
overwhelmed, and that the slightest mistake would clip asunder the last
brittle thread of hope by which we were suspended, and let us down for
ever into the dark and horrible pit of misery and degradation from
which we were straining every nerve to escape. While our hearts were
crying lustily unto Him who is ever ready and able to save, the
conductor of the train that we had just left stepped in. The officer
asked if we came by the train with him from Washington; he said we did,
and left the room. Just then the bell rang for the train to leave; and
had it been the sudden shock of an earthquake it could not have given
us a greater thrill. The sound of the bell caused every eye to flash
with apparent interest, and to be more steadily fixed upon us than
before. But, as God would have it, the officer all at once thrust his
fingers through his hair, and in a state of gr