own sword.[F]

One day, while living at Dr. Dengy's, I was working in the barn-yard,
when a man came to the fence, and, looking at me intently, went away.
The Doctor's son, observing him, said,--

"Parker, that man, from his movements, must be a slaveholder or
kidnapper. This is the second time he has been looking at you. If not a
kidnapper, why does he look so steadily at you and not tell his errand?"

I said,--

"The man must be a fool! If he should come back and not say anything to
me, I shall say something to him."

We then looked down the road and saw him coming again. He rode up to the
same place and halted. I then went to the fence, and, looking him
steadily in the eye, said,--

"Am I your slave?"

He made no reply, but turned his horse and rode off, at full speed,
towards the valley. We did not see him again; but that same evening word
was brought that kidnappers were in the valley, and if we were not
careful, they would "hook" some of us. This caused a great excitement
among the colored people of the neighborhood.

A short while prior to this, a number of us had formed an organization
for mutual protection against slaveholders and kidnappers, and had
resolved to prevent any of our brethren being taken back into slavery,
at the risk of our own lives. We collected together that evening, and
went down to the valley; but the kidnappers had gone. We watched them
for several nights in succession, without result; for so much alarmed
were the tavern-keepers by our demonstration, that they refused to let
them stop over night with them. Kidnapping was so common, while I lived
with the Doctor, that we were kept in constant fear. We would hear of
slaveholders or kidnappers every two or three weeks; sometimes a party
of white men would break into a house and take a man away, no one knew
where; and, again, a whole family would be carried off. There was no
power to protect them, nor prevent it. So completely roused were my
feelings, that I vowed to let no slaveholder take back a fugitive, if I
could but get my eye on him.

One day word was sent to me that slaveholders had taken William Dorsey,
and had put him into Lancaster jail to await a trial. Dorsey had a wife
and three or four children; but what was it to the slaveholder, if the
wife and children should starve? We consulted together, as to what
course to take to deliver him; but no plan that was proposed could be
worked. At last we separated, determining to g