Page:William Wells Brown - The Escape Or, A Leap for Freedom; a Drama in Five Acts.pdf/55

 "Star of the North! upon that shield Thou shinest,—Oh, for ever shine! The negro, from the cotton field  Shall, then, beneath its orb recline, And feed the Lion, couched before it, Nor heed the Eagle, screaming o'er it!"

With the thoughts of servitude behind us, and the North Star before us, we will go forward with cheerful hearts. Come, Melinda, let's go on. [Exit,

Scene 3.—

Enter ,

Mr. White. I am glad to be once more in a free State. If I am caught again south of Mason and Dixon's line, I'll give them leave to lynch me. I came near losing my life. This is the way our constitutional rights are trampled upon. But what care these men about Constitutions, or any thing else that does not suit them? But I must hasten on.

[Exit,

Enter, in disguise,

Cato. I wonder ef dis is me? By golly, I is free as a frog. But maybe I is mistaken; maybe dis ain't me. Cato, is dis you? Yes, seer. Well, now it is me, an' I em a free man. But, stop! I muss change my name, kase ole massa might foller me, and somebody might tell him dat dey seed Cato; so I'll change my name, and den he won't know me ef he sees me. Now, what shall I call myself? I'm now in a suspectable part of de country, an' I muss have a suspectable name. Ah! I'll call myself Alexander Washington Napoleon Pompey Cæsar. Dar, now, dat's a good long, suspectable name, and every body will suspect me. Let me see; I wonder ef I can't make up a song on my escape? I'll try.

—"Dearest Mae."

Now, freemen, listen to my song, a story I'll relate, It happened in de valley of de ole Kentucky State: Dey marched me out into de fiel', at every break of day, And work me dar till late sunset, widout a cent of pay.

Chorus.—Dey work me all de day, Widout a bit of pay, And thought, because dey fed me well, I would not run away.