take me by the arm, and
sign to me to go wid him.

"I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for a
slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. However, it was
no use to say anyting, and I went along wid my new massa. He was a nice
looking man, and I thought it might not be so bery bad after all. He
took me to a high carriage wid two wheels and a fine horse. A negro, who
was dressed up like a white man, was holding de horse. He showed me to
climb up behind, de oders climb up in front, and we dribe away."

CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE SLAVE

"Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia and Cuba,
but de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am good. My new
massa bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, work not too hard. At
night dance and sing bery much. Den I marry again, dis time to one ob
de girls in de house. She favorite ob missy, and so when we marry, missy
hab me taken off de fields and put to garden. Bery fine garden dat was.
Tree, four of us work dar, Sam jus' as happy as man could be. Sometime,
when der am party, Sam come into the house to help at de table, dat how
Sam know how to do tings proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob me,
and when dey want to go out hunting de coon or fishing in de riber, dey
always cry for Sam.

"So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole massa
die; missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him father. Me tink
de ole gentleman make mistake wid him when him chile, let him hab too
much his own way. I bery fond ob him because I had been wid him so much,
but I often shake my head when I tink de time come dat he be massa ob de
plantation. It was not dat his nature was bad; he get in rage sometime,
but dat all ober in no time, but he lub pleasure too much; go to de
races and 'top at de town weeks together, and play too much wid de
cards. Dere were two boys and two girls; de second boy, he go to West
Point and become officer in de army.

"After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. Before dat
time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, and all de fust
families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After dat always people
in de house. De young massa, when he go to Richmond, bring back six or
eight young men wid him, and dey laugh and drink and play cards half de
night. I tink de young missys speak to him about his ways. Anyhow, one
day dere great row, and dey off to lib wid an au