so
him run 'way and say him find de good cap'n, de only white man who eber
say one kind word to poor Dio. Him wander in de wood, and at last, when
he hab noting to eat, him sink down and tink him die. Den come de tall
doctor and de young gentleman, dey put new life into dis niggar. Ah!
massa, let Dio stay here, him ready to be always your slave, an' nebber,
nebber want run 'way."

"Though I cannot let you be my slave, I will gladly protect you and
allow you to remain here until you have sufficiently recovered to make
your way northward into Canada, where alone you can be safe," said my
father.

"Dis niggar wish always to be de cap'n's slave, no want to go to
Canada," answered Dio.

"But, my poor fellow, if you remain here, you will be recaptured to a
certainty, as your former master would find you out before long, and
would place men on the watch to seize you out of doors, even though I
might protect you in the house."

Still Dio entreated that even when he had recovered his strength he
should not be sent away; but my father was firm in declining to make any
promise both on his own account and for the sake of the black himself.
It was in fact an illegal act to assist a slave in escaping, and much
more to harbour one, and my father knew full well that possibly a party
of Kentuckian slaveholders would come across and capture Dio. The
black, although much recovered, was still somewhat weak. My father
seeing this, and considering that it would be imprudent to allow him to
sleep in the huts with the other negroes, ordered a small inner room to
be prepared for him where he could remain in tolerable security even
should any of those in search of him come our way. Peter was charged to
be cautious not to mention that he had brought Dio to the house, while
fortunately none of the other farm hands, (as far as we knew), had seen
him arrive. Mr Tidey was fully alive to the importance of keeping the
matter secret, and was as anxious as any of us to prevent the fugitive
being retaken. The negro himself seemed perfectly satisfied that he was
safe from capture now that he was with us.

My father's intention was, as soon as he had recovered, to supply him
with a suit of clothes and some money, and to carry him off during the
night northward. He was then to make his way through Indiana to Ohio,
whence he could cross Lake Erie into Canada. My father was acquainted
with a quaker family residing not much more than a hundred