ve one of these opportunities, in which I was finally
successful. I became acquainted with some persons who assisted slaves
to escape by the underground railroad. They were colored people. I was
to pretend going to church, and the man who was to assist and
introduce me to the proper parties was to linger on the street
opposite the house, and I was to follow at a short distance. On Sunday
evening I begged leave to attend church, which was reluctantly
granted if I completed all my work, which was no easy task. It
appeared as if my mistress used every possible exertion to delay me
from church, and I concluded that her old cloven-footed companion had
impressed his intentions on her mind. Finally, when I was ready to
start, my mistress took a notion to go out to ride, and desired me to
dress her little boy, and then get ready for church. Extensive hoops
were then worn, and as I had attached my whole wardrobe under mine by
a cord around my waist, it required considerable dexterity and no
small amount of maneuvering to hide the fact from my mistress. While
attending to the child I had managed to stand in one corner of the
room, for fear she might come in contact with me and thus discover
that my hoops were not so elastic as they usually are. I endeavored to
conceal my excitement by backing and edging very genteelly out of the
door. I had nine pieces of clothing thus concealed on my person, and
as the string which fastened them was small it caused me considerable
discomfort. To my great satisfaction I at last passed into the street,
and my master and mistress drove down the street in great haste and
were soon out of sight. I saw my guide patiently awaiting me. I
followed him at a distance until we arrived at the church, and there
met two young ladies, one of whom handed me a pass and told me to
follow them at a square's distance. It was now twilight. There was a
company of soldiers about to take passage across the ferry, and I
followed. I showed my pass, and proceeded up the stairs on the boat.
While thus ascending the stairs, the cord which held my bundle of
clothing broke, and my feet became entangled in my wardrobe, but by
proceeding, the first step released one foot and the next the other.
This was observed only by a few soldiers, who were too deeply engaged
in their own affairs to interfere with mine. I seated myself in a
remote corner of the boat, and in a few moments I landed on free soil
for the first time in my life, ex