second a motion to get rid of
bondage. In thus opening his mind to his friends, he soon found a
willing accord in each of their hearts, and they put their heads
together to count up the cost and to fix a time for leaving Egypt and
the host of Pharaoh to do their own "hewing of wood and drawing of
water." Accordingly George, Daniel, Benjamin and Maria, all of one heart
and mind, one "Saturday night" resolved that the next Sunday should find
them on the U.G.R.R., with their faces towards Canada.

Daniel was young, only twenty-three, good looking, and half white, with
a fair share of intelligence. As regards his slave life, he acknowledged
that he had not had it very rough as a general thing; nevertheless, he
was fully persuaded that he had "as good a right to his freedom" as his
"master had to his," and that it was his duty to contend for it.

Benjamin was twenty-seven years of age, small of stature, dark
complexion, of a pleasant countenance, and quite smart. He testified,
that "ill-treatment from his master," Henry Martin, who would give him
"no chance at all," was the cause of his leaving. He left a brother and
sister, belonging to Martin, besides he left two other sisters in
bondage, Louisa and Letty, but his father and mother were both dead.
Therefore, the land of slave-whips and auction-blocks had no charms for
him. He loved his sisters, but he knew if he could not protect himself,
much less could he protect them. So he concluded to bid them adieu
forever in this world.

Turning from the three male companions for the purpose of finding a
brief space for Maria, it will be well to state here that females in
attempting to escape from a life of bondage undertook three times the
risk of failure that males were liable to, not to mention the additional
trials and struggles they had to contend with. In justice, therefore, to
the heroic female who was willing to endure the most extreme suffering
and hardship for freedom, double honors were due.

Maria, the heroine of the party, was about forty years of age, chestnut
color, medium size, and possessed of a good share of common sense. She
was owned by George Parker. As was a common thing with slave-holders,
Maria had found her owners hard to please, and quite often, without the
slightest reason, they would threaten to "sell or make a change." These
threats only made matters worse, or rather it only served to nerve Maria
for the conflict. The party walked almost the entire di