Page:The White Slave, or Memoirs of a Fugitive.djvu/422

 stiletto was just dropping from her hand, when Montgomery, pushing open the door, which stood ajar, himself entered the room.

On reaching the street, before Mr Gilmore's door, we had found the faithful Colter on the watch. He had obtained from the servants a knowledge of the room in which Eliza was imprisoned. The whole three of us, late as it was, on pretence of urgent business with Mr Gilmore, gained entrance into the house; and while Colter and myself waited by the door below to secure an egress, Montgomery, who knew the house, proceeded directly to the room where Eliza was. As he trod lightly, he had approached the door, and pushed it open without attracting the attention of Mr Gilmore, who sat with his back towards it, quite engrossed in watching the effects on poor Eliza of the falsehoods he was telling, and of the law and theology which he was endeavoring to impress upon her.

As she saw Montgomery, she uttered a slight scream; and as Mr Gilmore turned his head to see what might be the matter, he found himself seized by the throat. Montgomery pitched him head foremost into the corner where the mattress lay, and tumbling the chair and table upon him, caught Eliza by the hand, and in the twinkling of an eye had her down the stairs, and out 'at the door. We followed in the rear; the whole thing being done in the briefest, most quiet, and most orderly manner, and without the slightest noise or confusion.

In half an hour our whole rescued, happy family were united — Eliza, Montgomery, Cassy, and myself. But we were still in New Orleans; and neither in that city, nor elsewhere in the United States of America, that country meanly boasting to be free, but sunk beneath the dark flood of despotism, was there any olive tree rising above the waters, any rest to be found for the soles of our feet.