From Dixie to Canada: Romances and Realities of the Underground RailroadJohnson, H. U. (Homer Uri)
History
From Dixie to Canada: Romances and Realities of the Underground Railroad
Johnson, H. U. (Homer Uri)
Fugitive slaves -- United States; Underground Railroad
Meanwhile the letter addressed to Mr. Jones was speeding on its way, and
in due time on an editorial derived therefrom, the compositors in the
office of the _Liberty Press_ at Albany were busy, and on Friday Col.
Hardy received a marked copy of that paper which informed him that his
“chattels” arrived safe in Albany on Tuesday evening, and of course all
farther effort for their recovery was stopped, though the atmosphere was
for some time blue from the effects of the forcible vocabulary which
this piece of news, manufactured specially for a southern market,
eliminated from the old Colonel’s tongue.
IV.
All imminent danger from direct pursuit being now over, early on
Saturday evening Ben led the boys forth and placed them in charge of a
sprightly colored boy about thirteen years of age, whom they were to
keep constantly in sight as they passed through Baltimore, and, as he
bestowed on them a little money, he said: “Now, boys, follah yer guide,
and feah no danjah, and de good Lor’ bress you and bring you safe to
freedom.”
With nimble steps they passed over the road to the city, and there
stopped for a short time at a meeting of colored Methodists, of which
faith were Jo and Harry, and joined lustily in the “Hallelujahs” and
songs of praise. The meeting over, they fell in with the departing
congregation, and as they passed through the principal streets were
vociferous in their praise of “the pow’fu’ preachin’ ob dat ’sidin’
eldah, and de snipshus singin’ ob de yaller gal wid de red rib’n,”
stopping occasionally to buy a few nuts or apples at some grocer’s
stand, ever keeping their little woolly headed conductor in sight, and
before the hour forbidding the presence of colored people on the
streets, were beyond the city limits, and again in company with Kate and
Nancy, who had been brought to a place of rendezvous by a gentleman who
proceeded to give the party specific instructions for the night. This
done, fleetly they sped forward as directed until well towards day-dawn,
when conductor Harry espied two flickering lights placed side by side in
an upper window, and exclaimed: “Bress de Lor’ dah am de sign of rest.”
“Yes, bress de Lor’, O my sou’,” ejaculated the thoroughly wearied Kate,
“an if dis be de unner groun’ railroad whar ebery one furnish his cah
hisself, I’d radder ride wid ol’ Lijah in a charyot ob fiah.”
“Hush, honey, what foah you complain? dis am gwine ober Jordan to de
lan’ ob res’.”
“Yes, an’ Jordan am a hard road to trabel, shu——” but the sentence was
abruptly broken by the clear enunciation of “Thee will tarry here for
the Sabbath.”
The words proceeded from beneath a broad-brimmed hat which emerged from
among some shrubbery, and the party were quickly conducted into a
spacious Quaker kitchen where a bountiful repast was in waiting for
them, after partaking of which they were consigned to safe quarters for
the day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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