gentleman addressed himself to me in
English, and I then learned that he was one of the magistrates on whom we
had called in the morning; I felt that another crisis was at hand. Using
his saddle as his bench, he put on an extremely stern and magisterial-like
face, holding up his horse not unlike a field-marshal in the act of
reviewing troops, and carried me through a most rigid examination in
reference to the statement I had made. I repeated carefully all I had
said; at the close, he said, "Well, you had better stay among us a few
months, until we see what is to be done with you." It was then agreed that
we should go back to the tavern, and there settle upon some further plan.
When we arrived at the tavern, the magistrate alighted from his horse, and
went into the bar-room. He took another close glance at me, and went over
some points of the former examination. He seemed quite satisfied of the
correctness of my statement, and made the following proposition: that I
should go and live with him for a short time, stating that he had a few
acres of corn and potatoes to get in, and that he would give me
twenty-five cents per day. I most cheerfully assented to this proposal. It
was also agreed that I should remain at the tavern with my captor that
night, and that he would accompany me in the morning. This part of the
arrangement I did not like, but of course I could not say so. Things being
thus arranged, the magistrate mounted his horse, and went on his way home.

It had been cloudy and rainy during the afternoon, but the western sky
having partially cleared at this moment, I perceived that it was near the
setting of the sun.

My captor had left his hired man most of the day to dig potatoes alone;
but the waggon being now loaded, it being time to convey the potatoes into
the barn, and the horses being all ready for that purpose, he was obliged
to go into the potatoe field and give assistance.

I should say here, that his wife had been driven away by the small-pox
panic about three o'clock, and had not yet returned; this left no one in
the house, but a boy, about nine years of age.

As he went out, he spoke to the boy in Dutch, which I supposed, from the
little fellow's conduct, to be instructions to watch me closely, which he
certainly did.

The potatoe lot was across the public road, directly in front of the
house; at the back of the house, and about 300 yards distant, there was a
thick wood. The circumstances of the ca