to him, and that he had a right
to do as he pleased with me and all my earnings, as his own property,
until he had taken me to the court house, and given me my free papers,
and until, besides that, I had been a year and a day in the Northern
States to gain my residence.

So I was forced to go to Mr. Trewitt. He agreed that, if I would pay
him the same wages as I paid my late master, and the $600 he gave for
me, he would give me my free papers. He bought two canal boats, and,
taking me out of Mr. Grice's employment, set me to work them on the
same terms as I did for my former master. I was two years and a half
in earning $600 to pay for myself the second time. Just when I had
completed the payment, he failed. On Christmas eve he gave me a letter
to take to Mr. Mews, at Newbegun Creek. I was rather unwilling to take
it, wishing to go to my wife; I told him, too, I was going to his
office to settle with him. He offered to give me two dollars to take
the letter, and said he would settle when I came back: then Mr. Shaw
came from another room, and said his vessel was ready loaded, but he
had nobody he could trust with his goods; he offered me five dollars
to take the vessel down, and deliver the goods to Mr. Knox, who also
was at Newbegun Creek. The wind was fair, and the hands on board, so I
agreed; it being Christmas eve, I was glad of something to carry to my
wife. I ran the vessel down to the mouth of the creek, and anchored;
when the moon rose, I went up the river. I reached the wharf, and
commenced taking out the goods that night, and delivered them all
safely to Mr. Knox next morning. I then took the letter to Mr. Mews,
who read it, and, looking up at me, said, 'Well, you belong to me.' I
thought he was joking, and said, 'How? What way?' He said, 'Don't you
recollect when Trewitt chartered Wilson Sawyer's brig to the West
Indies?' I said, I did. He told me Trewitt then came to him to borrow
$600, which he would not lend, except he had a mortgage on me: Trewitt
was to take it up at a certain time, but never did. I asked him
whether he really took the mortgage on me. He replied that he
certainly thought Trewitt would have taken up the mortgage, but he had
failed, and was not worth a cent, and he, Mews, must have his money. I
asked him whether he had not helped me and my young mistress in the
court house, when master James fooled me before. He said he did help
me all he could, and that he should not have taken a mortgage