thus conveyed to Montgomery, a distance of five
hundred and fifty miles through solid slave territory. Again he was
captured and returned to his owners; one of whom always went for
immediate punishment, the other being mild thought persuasion the better
plan in such cases. On the whole, Joseph thus far had been pretty
fortunate, considering the magnitude of his offence.

A third time he summoned courage and steered his course homewards
towards Maryland, but as in the preceding attempts, he was again
unsuccessful.

In this instance Mr. Henry, the harsh owner, was exasperated, and the
mild one's patience so exhausted that they concluded that nothing short
of stern measures would cause Joe to reform. Said Mr. Henry; "_I had
rather lose my right arm than for him to get off without being punished,
after having put us to so much trouble_."

_Joseph_ will now speak for himself.

"He (master) sent the overseer to tie me. I told him I would not be
tied. I ran and stayed away four days, which made Mr. Henry very
anxious. Mr. Beans told the servants if they saw me, to tell me to come
back and I should not be hurt. Thinking that Mr. Beans had always stood
to his word, I was over persuaded and came back. He sent for me in his
parlor, talked the matter over, sent me to the steamboat (perhaps the
one he tried to escape on.) After getting cleverly on board the captain
told me, I am sorry to tell you, you have to be tied. I was tied and Mr.
Henry was sent for. He came; 'Well, I have got you at last, beg my
pardon and promise you will never run away again and I will not be so
hard on you.' I could not do it. He then gave me three hundred lashes
well laid on. I was stripped entirely naked, and my flesh was as raw as
a piece of beef. He made John (the companion who escaped with him) hold
one of my feet which I broke loose while being whipped, and when done
made him bathe me in salt and water.

"Then I resolved to 'go or die' in the attempt. Before starting, one
week, I could not work. On getting better we went to Ship Island; the
sailors, who were Englishmen, were very sorry to hear of the treatment
we had received, and counselled us how we might get free."

The counsel was heeded, and in due time they found themselves in
Liverpool. There their stay was brief. Utterly destitute of money,
education, and in a strange land, they very naturally turned their eyes
again in the direction of their native land. Accordingly their host, the
ke