spicion and inquiry. Often relying on their
superior position and wisdom, they hector and torture the slave into a
confession, by affecting to know the truth of their accusations. "You
have got the devil in you," say they, "and we will whip him out of
you." I have often been put thus to the torture, on bare suspicion. This
system has its disadvantages as well as their opposite. The slave
is sometimes whipped into the confession of offenses which he never
committed. The reader will see that the good old rule--"a man is to
be held innocent until proved to be guilty"--does not hold good on the
slave plantation. Suspicion and torture are the approved methods of
getting at the truth, here. It was necessary for me, therefore, to keep
a watch over my deportment, lest the enemy should get the better of me.

But with all our caution and studied reserve, I am not sure that Mr.
Freeland did not suspect that all was not right with us. It _did_ seem
that he watched us more narrowly, after the plan of escape had been
conceived and discussed amongst us. Men seldom see themselves as
others see them; and while, to ourselves, everything connected with our
contemplated escape appeared concealed, Mr. Freeland may have, with the
peculiar prescience of a slaveholder, mastered the huge thought which
was disturbing our peace in slavery.

I am the more inclined to think that he suspected us, because, prudent
as we were, as I now look back, I can see that we did many silly things,
very well calculated to awaken suspicion. We were,{215} at times,
remarkably buoyant, singing hymns and making joyous exclamations, almost
as triumphant in their tone as if we reached a land of freedom and
safety. A keen observer might have detected in our repeated singing of

_O Canaan, sweet Canaan,
I am bound for the land of Canaan,_

something more than a hope of reaching heaven. We meant to reach the
_north_--and the north was our Canaan.

_I thought I heard them say,
There were lions in the way,
I don't expect to Star
Much longer here._

_Run to Jesus--shun the danger--
I don't expect to stay
Much longer here_.

was a favorite air, and had a double meaning. In the lips of some, it
meant the expectation of a speedy summons to a world of spirits; but, in
the lips of _our_ company, it simply meant, a speedy pilgrimage toward a
free s