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Show 54 THE MONTHLY OFFERING. of the remainder of the ni o-ht, pursuing his lonely course towards Chilicothe. The l1eavy rain was much in his favor, defacing his tracks, and washing away the blood that dripped from his flowing wounds. By day dawn _he became extremely stiff and sore, and by reason of fawtness from hunger, loss of blood, and over action, he found it e xceeding-ly difficult to proceed any further, and yet _he trembled at the thought of stopping, lest he should fall ~nto the hands of enemies, and be doomed to that state which was more intolerable than dea th itself. At length he came to a house, turned tremblingly through the gate, and discovered a man at the door in plain attire, with a broad brimmed hat. The first sight of the lnoad brim, and the beckoning hand, attended with the sweet soothing voice of humanity, nt once i~spired hope and revived his drooping spirits. The Quaker took him in, bound up his wounds, and good Samaritan-like, poured into his bleeding bosom the balm of consolation. He there received the kindest treatment for the space of two weeks, when his health was recovered and his limbs were ~ufficiently sound to admit of his proceeding on his way. His generous host .having interested others in his case, supplied him with provisions and money, conducted him to the Ohio canal, put him on the tow path, and gave him directions to Cleaveland. About this time he fell in with another man of the sable hue, whose face was set Canada-ward in search of personal liberty. They travelled together to Newark, where his companion stopped to buy a drink of whiskey, which he feared would endanger them both. So he left his whiskey drinking companion behind, and proceeded alone, thinking sobriety the surer passport to freedom. After travelling many days upon the tow-path, he became sore and lame, and concluded to seek an easier mode of conveyance. So after spending near Massillon a night with a colored man, who generou sly entertained him, he made known his intention to take passage in a line boat for Cleaveland. Accordingly he availed himself of the first boat, and came without interruption to Akran. While JH!ES MAJOR MONROE- A FUGITIVE SLAVE. 55 passing down through the locks there, he looked out of the cabin window and discovered two men on the bank m search of him. The y imml'diaa,ly inquired if there wasa colored man in the boat. The poor fu gitive w~s now Jn trouble· his countenance fell; he knew not what to do. One or' the pursuers he recognized as the co lored ·~an with whom he had stoppetl over n1ght. He thought ':·nh; in himself,-Can Jt be posstble he IS actmg the tra1 tor. " Leap off the boat," said one of the pas>cngers, on learning that he was a fugiti ve slU\·e. "Jump into the canal," said others, " tf you can do no better, and make your escape from the o'ther side in to the woo?s." "No, no;, said one in whom wisdom and human1ty were blended, "ju&t be quiet, and I'll go ashore and see what th?se ~en want." So he leaped upon the tow-path, and tnq~ned what they wanted of the colored man in the boat,- l.• ora moment all was anxiety and solemn suspense. 1 hen said he to the white man pursuing, Are you in favor of liberty? .Are you a friend to the slave 1 " Yes I am," smd he. " T-Vell so am I," responded the inquir_er. At tlus announcement the scene was changed, and In a moment, Jn· stead of the painful anxiety which had pervaded the company, joy beamed from many a countenance .. It appeared that the pursuers were followmg. the poor captive out of regard for his safety, hopmg to dtrcct hun throu o-h a more obscure route ; whereupon he was conveyed to ~l\1edina thence to Oberlin, and thence to Cleaveland, where I had ;he pleasure of embarking with him for the Canada shore. He found a few generous hearted friends in each of the above places, but at this time, whirh was near the meridian of Harriet Martineau's " 1\lartyr age in America," the most daring abolitionists wer~ obliged to hold in "their breath, except in secret places, whlie consulting the best inte rests of the panting capti1·e. On our passage up the lake, we were we~ther~bound two days at the mouth of Black rive r. Becommg tired of the boat, I conducted my sable companion to the hou ~e of Mr. R. whom I knew to be a trusty fri end. I mtroduced |