ked.
Before he could get to the back yard by another door, the wall was
scaled, the clothes-horse thrown down, and the fugitive was beyond his
reach. Of course, he returned very much disappointed and enraged;
declaring his firm belief that a trick had been played upon him
purposely. After he had given vent to his anger some little time, Friend
Hopper asked for a private interview with him. When they were alone
together in the parlor, he said, "I admit this was an intentional trick;
but I had what seemed to me good reasons for resorting to it. In the
first place, thou didst not keep the agreement made with me, but sought
to gain an unfair advantage. In the next place, I knew that man was thy
own son; and I think any person who is so unfeeling as to make traffic
of his own flesh and blood, deserves to be tricked out of the chance to
do it."

"What if he is my son?" rejoined the Virginian. "I've as good a right to
sell my own flesh and blood as that of any other person. If I choose to
do it, it is none of your business." He opened the door, and beckoning
to his friend, who was in waiting, he said, "Hopper admits this was all
a trick to set the slave free." Then turning to Friend Hopper, he added,
"You admit it was a trick, don't you?"

"Thou and I will talk that matter over by ourselves," he replied. "The
presence of a third person is not always convenient."

The Colonel went off in a violent passion, and forgetting that he was
not in Virginia, he rushed into the houses of several colored people,
knocked them about, overturned their beds, and broke their furniture,
in search of the fugitive. Being unable to obtain any information
concerning him, he cooled down considerably, and went to inform Friend
Hopper that he would give a deed of manumission for two hundred dollars;
but his offer was rejected.

"Why that was your own proposal!" vociferated the Colonel.

"Very true," he replied; "and I offered thee the money; but thou refused
to take it."

After storming awhile, the master went off to obtain legal advice from
the Hon. John Sergeant. Meanwhile, several of the colored people had
entered a complaint against him for personal abuse, and damage done to
their furniture. He was obliged to give bonds for his appearance at the
next court, to answer their accusations. This was a grievous humiliation
for a proud Virginian, who had been educated to think that colored
people had no civil rights. In this unpleasant dilemma, hi