ing farther and farther away.

It was a lovely day. The blue waves of Lake Erie danced, rippling and
sparkling, in the sunlight. Hour after hour the boat steamed on.

Night came; and in the morning, clear and beautiful before them, rose
the shores of Canada.

George and his wife stood arm in arm as the boat came near the little
town, where they were going to land. His breath came thick and short; a
mist gathered before his eyes; he silently pressed the little hand that
lay trembling on his arm.

The bell rang--the boat stopped.

[Illustration]

Scarcely seeing what he did, George looked out his luggage, and gathered
his little party.

They were landed on the shore, and stood still till the boat had
started again.

Then with tears of joy, the husband and wife, with their wondering
little boy in their arms, knelt down and lifted up their hearts to God.
They were free.

CHAPTER XIX

UNCLE TOM FINDS FREEDOM

The letter which Miss Ophelia wrote to Mrs. Shelby, telling her that Tom
was to be sold again, was delayed a long time in the post. When at last
it did arrive, Mr. Shelby was very ill, and though Mrs. Shelby felt
dreadfully sorry about Uncle Tom, she could do nothing, as her husband
was so ill. Soon Mr. Shelby died. Mrs. Shelby was very sad, but in her
sorrow she did not forget her promise to Aunt Chloe and Uncle Tom. As
soon as she could, she sold some land, and George Shelby, taking the
money with him, went off to try to find Uncle Tom and buy him back
again.

But by the time George Shelby, came to the place where Mr. St. Clare
used to live, Uncle Tom had been sold to Legree, and no one knew where
he had gone.

At last, after searching about for months, George Shelby found out where
Uncle Tom was, and followed him.

Two days after Legree had been so cruel, George Shelby drove up the
avenue and stopped at the door of the old house.

'I hear,' he said to Legree, 'that you bought a slave named Tom. He used
to belong to my father. I have come to buy him back again.'

Legree's face grew black with anger. 'Yes, I did buy such a fellow,' he
growled in rage. 'And a bad bargain it was, too! The most rebellious,
saucy, impudent dog! Set up my niggers to run away. He owned to it, and,
when I bid him tell me where they were, he said he knew, but wouldn't
tell. He stuck to it, too, though I gave him the very worst beating I
ever gave a nigger yet. I believe he is trying to die. I shouldn't
wonder i