he windows, evidently
considered that it would not be prudent to attempt any act of violence.
After some time the overseer again rode forward. He must have felt sure
that my father would not commence hostilities, or he would have kept at
a distance.

"Captain, I give you warning that you are bringing down destruction on
yourself and family," he shouted; "you have either helped a runaway
slave to escape, or you have still got him in hiding. It would never do
for us Kentuckians to let such an act pass unpunished; we should have
half the slaves in the state bolting for the borders, and claiming the
protection of emancipists like yourself and others." The speaker
bestowed an epithet on my father which I need not repeat. "I ask you,
once more, have you got the slave, and if you have, will you give him
up?"

"I again answer that if I had the slave I would not give him up,"
replied my father in a firm tone; "if you or your master attempt to
injure my family or my property, I shall defend myself as I have a right
to do, and should any of you be killed, your blood will be upon your own
heads."

"I call no man master, but if you mean Silas Bracher, he is not the
person to change his intentions, so I shall give him your answer,"
replied the overseer, who, without more ado, turned his horse's head,
and rejoined his companions, when the three rode away in the direction
from whence they had come. Though pretty confident that the men had
gone away, my father thought it prudent to keep a watch on their
movements. Before they could have got to any great distance I hurried
out to follow them. From a hill, a short distance to the south of the
house a view could be obtained along the road they would probably take.
A grove of trees, with some thick brushwood, enabled me to watch them
without the risk of being discovered should they turn their heads.

I soon made them out, and saw them riding on without stopping until out
of sight. Convinced that they had really gone away, I was on the point
of returning when I saw two of them, as I supposed, coming back,
spurring their horses over the level road. It was a question whether I
could reach the house before them. I ran as fast as my legs could carry
me until I got to another point whence I could take a look at them
without being seen. I then saw by their dress and the colour of their
horses that they were not the men I fancied, but that one of them was
Uncle Denis, while the othe