Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/283

Rh proceeded some distance on their way to Canada, when they stopped for the night at the house of a preacher of the gospel. They were, seemingly, well received by him, and the next morning they went on their way. I have heard it asserted that this man betrayed them. Whether this be true or not, on their leaving his house in the morning they were so closely pursued by their owner, that the man had to fly to the woods, leaving the woman and children in the buggy. The master took possession of the woman and children, got in the buggy and speedily drove to the Ohio river, where he could easily cross over to Kentucky. While crossing, the woman, preferring death rather than slavery, jumped overboard into the river; it was with very great difficulty they rescued her from a watery grave.

After traveling a short time they reached Louisville, where he placed her in the jail, stripped her of every piece of her clothing, and whipped her till the blood ran from her neck to her heels. This he did more than once, in a jail where there were men, women and children, till at length a trader, who had numerous slaves in this jail, waiting for a boat to take them to New Orleans, put a stop to it. He had so much conscience left him he could not stand and see a woman whipped before so many men. Her master removed her from the jail to the work-house; the people belonging to the work-house thought she was a white woman, till he told them she was a slave. When they found out what she was, and saw the stripes on her back, they threatened if he came there to whip her, they would make a complaint to the civil authorities.

Many persons wished to buy her but he would not