ot help witnessing,
that he felt he could not possibly stand it any longer, let the cost be
what it might. In this state of mind he met with Captain B. Only one
obstacle stood in his way--material aid. It occurred to Robert that he
had frequent access to the money drawer, and often it contained the
proceeds of fresh sales of flesh and blood; and he reasoned that if some
of that would help him and his brother to freedom, there could be no
harm in helping himself the first opportunity.

The captain was all ready, and provided he could get three passengers at
$100 each he would set sail without much other freight. Of course he was
too shrewd to get out papers for Philadelphia. That would betray him at
once. Washington or Baltimore, or even Wilmington, Del., were names
which stood fair in the eyes of Virginia. Consequently, being able to
pack the fugitives away in a very private hole of his boat, and being
only bound for a Southern port, the captain was willing to risk his
share of the danger. "Very well," said Robert, "to-day I will please my
master so well, that I will catch him at an unguarded moment, and will
ask him for a pass to go to a ball to-night (slave-holders love to see
their slaves fiddling and dancing of nights), and as I shall be leaving
in a hurry, I will take a grab from the day's sale, and when Slater
hears of me again, I will be in Canada." So after having attended to all
his disagreeable duties, he made his "grab," and got a hand full. He did
not know, however, how it would hold out. That evening, instead of
participating with the gay dancers, he was just one degree lower down
than the regular bottom of Captain B's. deck, with several hundred
dollars in his pocket, after paying the worthy captain one hundred each
for himself and his brother, besides making the captain an additional
present of nearly one hundred. Wind and tide were now what they prayed
for to speed on the U.G.R.R. schooner, until they might reach the depot
at Philadelphia.

The Richmond _Dispatch_, an enterprising paper in the interest of
slaveholders, which came daily to the Committee, was received in advance
of the passengers, when lo! and behold, in turning to the interesting
column containing the elegant illustrations of "runaway negroes," it was
seen that the unfortunate Slater had "lost $1500 in North Carolina
money, and also his dark orange-colored, intelligent, and good-looking
turnkey, Bob." "Served him right, it is no stealing