Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/304

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leaving Mr Mason's hospitable mansion, where I had protracted my stay beyond all reason, I felt like parting with an old friend. As he pressed my hand and said farewell, he bade me remember that much had passed between us in confidence; and that any hint, dropped incautiously, as to his opinions and intentions, might affect him most injuriously, endangering his peaceful residence in the country, and it might be his life.

Returning to the stage tavern, whence I had made this agreeable side visit, I prepared to pursue my southern journey. I resolved, however, while forwarding my baggage to Charleston by the stage coach, to proceed myself leisurely on horseback; for I had some curiosity to strike upon, if I could, and to retrace the road which I had followed in my escape from slavery. It being made known that I wished to purchase a horse, I soon found myself beset by a dozen jockeys or more, who did their best to impose upon me, one after the other, animals lame, halt, blind, and broken-winded. But I succeeded, by the aid and assistance of my friend, the Yankee stage driver, — whom I found very knowing ‘on the subject of horse flesh, and who, to explain the fact that so many broken-down animals were offered, observed to me aside, and with a knowing wink, that these southern folks treated their horses almost as bad as they did their niggers, — in mounting myself to my satisfaction; and with a few shirts and other necessaries stuffed into my saddle-bags, I started afresh on my journey.

A few days' travelling, without the occurrence of any thing remarkable, brought me into the vicinity of Camden; and as I carefully scrutinized the road, I did not fail presently to recognize that very same little hedge tavern where Thomas and myself had