The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-08

went afoot. 1 found that it was danger
GUS to attempt to conceal both myself
and the horse during the daytime.
In a few days my provisions gave
out, then, for the first time, L began to
fully realize the awful condition that L
was in. 1 was still several hundred
miles from any possibility of striking
the underground railroad. 1 had fully
determined to kill anyone who attempt
ed to capture me The chances of find
ing friendly white man in that part
of Missouri We're as a hundred to one
against me. To steal food was to ex-
pose myself to great danger; to beg of
the slaves was also very dangerous, so
1 struggled on for four nights without
anything to eat; had not been a man
of great strength and endurance /
should certainly have died of hunger.
I became so weak that often fell down
While attempting to walk; L became
dizzy, and almost lost my mind. Finally
in my desperation L determined to beg
of the slaves. L approached a, slave hut,
where a light was burning, about il
o'clock at night; 1 walked like drum
ken man; an old black woman saw me
coming, and set two great vicious dogs
upon me, but instead of running away
L kept straight on towards the hut;
without stopping to knock, or ask leave.
/ rushed in; there were four or five
slaves in the hut, some asleep on the
floor, some awake; l told them that
was travelling; that 1 had had nothing
to eat for four days; 1 begged them to
have mercy on me and to give me
something to eat; they knew what that
meant; they knew 1 was a fugitive
slave, and while expressing sympathy
for me, they said they dared not give
me anything to eat, and that must
not stay in there; that / must go out a t
once, so out again went into the night,
with nothing to eat.
Il now realized that I must steal some
thing to eat die of hunger. This L
was fortuna tely able to do without get
ting into trouble, except that ate so
much that 1 was sick for three days.
and unable to travel. After having sue
cessfully stolen something to eat once
1 stole regularly thereafter, and though
several times detected was able to get
away without being caught
Il intended to cross the Mississippi
river above st. Louis, but so far missed
my course that when L found the river
1 was 40 miles below. I had left my
master about the middle of June, and
is was the the middle of July before l
reached the Mississippiriver- For whole
month I wandered at night, and hid in
the brush and corn fields by day. Sew
eral times pursued, once almost captur-
ed. AS / was along the road one night.
half dozen men or more, with guns
in their hands, suddenly arose from the
side Of the road, and followed Stop
there, young man. j did not stop, but
ran as hard as I could. left the road,
and it being dark, 1 got away wan
dered in the woods until I thought
was about three miles from the place
where had been halted, and coming to
a farm craWled into the barn, Went
into the loft, and lay down and went TO
Sleep When I woke up the sun was
shining. In a few minutes heard men
talking and one said to the other L
wonder where that d niger is this
morning. This frightened me. look
ed out through the cracks in the barn.
and was more frightened than had
been at any time before since left my
master, because found that 1 was less
than a. hundred rods from the place
had been halted during the night. In
trying to get away had gone in cir
Gle through the woods, and come back
to the same place.
Il slipped out of the barn, got into
corn field and for the second time tried