The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-11-25

them, and started on another cruise.
la consequence OF the observance Of thanks
giving here, business has been suspended for
the day.
a scene IN virginia.
While travelling not long ago in one OF the
southwestern counties in Virginia, the fol-
lowing thrilling incident took place. Start
ing in the stage coach, soon after breakfast,
the morning being delightful one in the lat
ter part OF the month Of May, took my
seat on the box by the side of the driver, and
behind me, on the top, was seated bright,
intelligent looking mulatto boy, apparently
of Is or IL years of age. After being on
the road q few minutes, turned about aud
asked him whore he was going. He replied
he was going down few miles to live with
Master 49,, who kept the stage house atthe
west stand that he had lived with him the
last Summer, and that his master had sent
him down to live with him the coming sea-
son.
Turning from the boy, the driver remarked
to me in an under tene, s'the,boy is deceived
am taking him down to the slave pen, q
few miles on, where slaves are kept prepare.
tory to being sent to Louisiana; this decep-
ton is practiced to get him from his home
on the place."
| Shortly after we drew near to the place
where the boy supposed be was to stop; he
began to gather up, preparatory to leaving the
stage, the few articles he had brought away
/ from his home. The driver said TO him in
decided tone Of voice, "Ycu are not to get of
the stage hcre.n The boy, IN nstonishment,
replied: eyes, Is; Pse cot n letter for
Master --. Pse going to live there this
Summer" BY this time we had reached the
house, and Master -- making his appear
| ance, John (for that was the name of the
boy1, delivered his letter and appealed to
Master 49, to bs delivered from the com !.
mand Of the driver. The Master made no
reply, as this kind Of deception was no new
thing to him. After reading the letter and
folding it up, he was about putting it in his
pocket, when it flashed on the mind of the
boy that he was sold and was bound for the
slave-pen. lie exclaimed, in agony, "Tel
me Master, il Use soldl No reply was made.
He exclaimed again, "Tell me If pse sold ~
This last appeal brought the response: eyes,
John, you are sold.'
/ The boy threw himself back on the top Of
the stage, and rolling in agony, sent up such
wall Of woe rs no ono in the stage could
endure; even the hotel-keeper walked away
in shame, and the driver hurried into his box
and drove of in haste, to drown the noise of
his cry.
The passengers were all deeply moved by
the distress Of the boy, and tried in various
ways to sootLe bis wounded and crushed spir-
il, but his agony was beyond the reach Of
their sympathy.
When his agony had somewhat abated, he
exclaimed, go, il they had only let me bid
my mother goot-bye. They have lied to
me! They have lied to mel Ii they had a.
told me WAS sold and | could a. bid my
mother goodbye, I'D gone without making
/ them trouble, hard AS IL isl BY this time
we had passed on some two or three miles
since leaving the last stand; when drawing
near to a pretty thick wood, the boy became
tranquil Waiting till We had entered the
wood a few rods, he darted from the top Of
the stage and ran into the woods, ms agile as
a deer, no doubt with the feeling that il was
for his life. The driver Instantly dropped
his reins and pursued the boy. Proving
himself no match, he returned, exclaiming,
"fon see, have done what could, to catch
/ him.
lie mounted his box aud drove on mile
or so, when he refined up his horses to house,
and calling to the keeper, asked, sWhers
are your sons?o He replied, they left home
this morning, with the dogs, to hunt negro,
and would not be home before night. The
driver said TO him that Mr.. had sent his
boy JOHN on the stage that morning to be
delivered at the pen, and that lac had jump
cd from the top Of the stage and taken to The
woods. Ills reply Was: eve will hunt him
for you Tomorrow The driver said he
wished only to notify him Of his being in the
woods.
As we drove on, | made the inquiry, ssHow
long have you driven a stage on this road 20
lie replied, ''About fifteen years. ssDo
you frequently take negroes down to the
slave pcn2v eyes, frequently" "What
will become Of this boy, John 2' He repl-
ed, 'sile will skulk about the woods until he
is nearly starved, and will some night make
his way up to his masters house, and in
about two weeks | shall bring him down
again to the slavo-pcn in hand .cufFs.n AZ
tor pauseSevcn this driver, feeling his de-
graduation in being the instrument Of such
misery, broke out in the exclamation: .sThis
is cursed business, but in this case this il
not the worst feature 10 ii. The man who
sold him 10 his own father. - New York In
dependent.