governor offered her his hand, and they became united in wedlock. By
this circumstance, William was brought into his unhappy relations with
the Chief Magistrate of the State of North Carolina. This was the third
time the governor had been married. Thus it may be seen, that the
governor was a firm believer in wives as well as slaves. Commonly he was
regarded as a man of wealth. William being an intelligent piece of
property, his knowledge of the governor's rules and customs was quite
complete, as he readily answered such questions as were propounded to
him. In this way a great amount of interesting information was learned
from William respecting the governor, slaves, on the plantation, in the
swamps, etc. The governor owned large plantations, and was interested in
raising cotton, corn, and peas, and was also a practical planter. He was
willing to trust neither overseers nor slaves any further than he could
help.

The governor and his wife were both equally severe towards them; would
stint them shamefully in clothing and food, though they did not get
flogged quite as often as some others on neighboring plantations.
Frequently, the governor would be out on the plantation from early in
the morning till noon, inspecting the operations of the overseers and
slaves.

In order to serve the governor, William had been separated from his wife
by sale, which was the cause of his escape. He parted not with his
companion willingly. At the time, however, he was promised that he
should have some favors shown him;--could make over-work, and earn a
little money, and once or twice in the year, have the opportunity of
making visits to her. Two hundred miles was the distance between them.

He had not been long on the governor's plantation before his honor gave
him distinctly to understand that the idea of his going two hundred
miles to see his wife was all nonsense, and entirely out of the
question. "If I said so, I did not mean it," said his honor, when the
slave, on a certain occasion, alluded to the conditions on which he
consented to leave home, etc.

Against this cruel decision of the governor, William's heart revolted,
for he was warmly attached to his wife, and so he made up his mind, if
he could not see her "once or twice a year even," as he had been
promised, he had rather "die," or live in a "cave in the wood," than to
remain all his life under the governor's yoke. Obeying the dictates of
his feelings, he went to the woods. F