Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-12-08
LIBERTY Or DEATH"-ESCApE OF THE
FUGIT1VE-A THRILLING SKETCH,

We give below an extract from tne new Anti.
Slavery novel, entitled "IIarrngtoD," just pu
lished by Thayor Eldridge, Boston. Antony q
slave, having been numerically scourged by his
owner, resolved on having liberty or DEATH" and
accordingly fed into an adjacent swamp. After
many perilous adventures
Rushing on, haggard with apprehension and
desperate resolution, with his teeth Set his large
nostrs dilated, and his glaring eyes rowing warily
about him, he came to plantation divided from
the one he was on by hedge Of the ossage-orange
and with similar hedge skrting the road. To
break through this would be difficult, so be took
the road and on, with the fresh wind of the
coming morning blowing upon him, and increasing
his fear with the thought of the new dangers the
daybreak would bring. 1t was large plantation,
and it took him time to arrive ut its termi-
nus, at which road diverged from .he one on
which he was journeying. lie reached this road,
and there clad 10 shabby light clothes and ceming
down the path, not three yards distant from lin
was q man!
Antony swung u his club, and stood with open
ed nostrils and glaring eyes, his black face alive
with fierce courage. The man halted, and looked
at him with q sullen scowl. In The blank pause,
all life seemed to have died from the air, and the
moon lay faded in Il vacant sky, aghast and gra Y
in the pale light of the morning The man was a
large, gaunt fellow, with a harsh and salow taci-
turn face, but to the dark half-demented fancy Of
the fugitive. he dmly seemed devil, and the
place was still vaguely hell.
See here Niger" he said, in q stern, ctrident
voice. ''Jer q runaway. There's their name as
owns yer on yer collar, and know Lafi,te Broth
ers, New Orleans, want yer I'm goin' down il
the first boat and yer comm with me, right away,
and no fuss. What ye' say, nigger?,
He drew revolver from his breast, and held it
idly watching the fugitive with scoHl. Sense
Aickered through the mind Of Autouy. Here was
a chance to get safely down the river-beyond,
chance TO give his captor the slip when he reached
the city. lie flung his club away.
'l'l! go with We, Marster." he said, sullenly
The man put up hs pistol.
What's yer name, boy?" be asked,
"Bl, Marster,"
"Bili, eh? You're the Fugitive Slave Bill,
suppose" said the man, with dull grin.
Yes Marster."
"WclI, Bill, collect bills for Ii7in, and
reckon I've collected you, Bill. Hope I'll collect
something yer, too. Come along"
Antony followed him. Not word further was
said on either side Meanwhile around them the
pallor Of the sky ligbtened into daybreak; horns
sounded over the plantations; the black gangs
were coming forth into the field on every side, the
birds darted and sang; the fragrant wind blew
freshly from the east, and the life of day began
anew.
Weary, and sore, and aching, with insane fam
cies fitting through the horrible lelhargy which
was creeping on his mind, Antony followed his
taciturn cepIor, and just ihe rising sun shot
Ow broad splendor over the landscape, they came
70 solitary landing-place, with shanty and
wOod-pile, on the border of the wide cleaning
river.
1t was all dim. dread dream. In ii came
huge monster, putting. and snVrEing, and clauking,
EOmiting clouds Of black smoke, and lifting and .
washing back the drifting trees and logs and refuse
IN the shining surge. Then a dream of hurry aud
umult great heaying mass, a swarm of people,
IN air blind With light and heavy with smoke,
roar of voices laughing, and talking, and halloo-
ng; the changing of bell, piles of cotton and
goods Of all sorts, the elank Of engines the wal
owing of water, ponderous snorting, and heaying,
md surgIng, all mixed together in inextricable
'onfusioD, and be who dreamed it vaguely knew
hat he was sitting, like one drugged on heaying
eck, with heaps OF merchandise around him.
GRADUALLY he sank away into a still heavier letbar
y, in which everything became even more dim
nd distant, and from thence hs slid into blank
nd stupid sleep.
Onee again the dream seemed to swim heavily
nto that death-like slumber--a vague, spectral ,
ream, in which some Oae gave him huneh of .
Orn bread, which he ate slowly in glimmeripg I
ght, remotely conscious Of dark figure staud- !
sg near of distant voices, a ar-Off sncrting aud
!auking, shutieIins m2.ian beneath him, aud ,
ormless bulks around him. Presently !, dE5vsi-.
} dissolved into darkness ard silence .