conclusion of the prayer, betook themselves
to a pine thicket with the joint resolution of giving their dark friend
no peace until he started with them to the Federal lines.

About one o'clock in the morning, Wright, impatient of delay, proceeded
to the hut, and arousing Dasher, told him that day had just begun to
break. He came to the door, and pointing to the stars in the unclouded
sky, remarked, with a good-tempered smile, "I reck'n it's good many
hours yet till break ob day, massa. Yer can't fool March on de time; his
clock neber breaks down. It's jest right ebery time." Wright returned to
his lair in the thicket, remarking irritably, as he threw himself down,
"Glazier, you might as well undertake to move a mountain, as to get the
start of that colored individual!"

At the first peep of dawn, punctual to his promise, Dasher thrust his
black, good-humored face into the thicket, and announced:

"Now I'ze ready, gemmen, to take you right plum into Mr. Sherman's
company by 'sun-up;'" and as Sol began to gild the tree-tops and the
distant eastern hills, the trio came within sight of the Federal camp,
and witnessed the "Stars and Stripes," floating triumphantly in the
breeze!

What pen can describe their emotions, when--after more than fourteen
long months' suffering from imprisonment, starvation, nakedness, bodily
and mental prostration, and every inhumanity short of being murdered,
like many of their imprisoned comrades, in cold blood--they again hailed
_friends_ and found _freedom_ at last within their grasp! Words would
fail to tell their joy. Let us leave it to the reader to imagine.

On first approaching the camp they were supposed, by their motley
attire, to be deserters from the enemy; and, as true soldiers and
deserters never fraternize, no signal of welcome was offered by the
"boys in blue." The suspicions of the latter, however, were allayed on
seeing Glazier and his companion wave their caps: then they were
beckoned to come forward. And when it was discovered that they were
_escaped prisoners_, an enthusiastic grip was given to each by every
soldier present, accompanied by cordial congratulations on their
successful escape from the barbarous enemy who had had them in custody.

"Each man," writes Glazier, "took us by the hand, congratulating us on
our eventful and successful escape, while we cheered the boys for the
glorious work they had accomplished for the Union. Haversacks were
opened and placed at o