UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

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that
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that
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KEY TO UNCLE TOMS CABIN. 159
security, lulled by the gentlerock of the would do the same." The man turned to a
vesseland the rippling of the waters. bystander
said, " Han't she got good
But at two o'clock at nighttheywere spunk?"
roused by terriblenoiseson deck,scuffling, But the most vehement excitement was
screaming,swearing and groaning. A againstDrayton and Sayres, the captainand
steamer had pursuedand overtaken them, mate of the vessel. Ruffians armed with
and the littleschooner was boarded by an dirk-knivesand pistols crowded around them,
infuriatedset of armed men. In a moment, with the most horridthreats. One of them
the captain, mate and allthe crew, were seized struck so near Drayton as to cut his ear,
and bound, amid oathsand dreadfulthreats. which Emily noticed as bleeding Ṃeanwhile
As they,swearing and yelling, tore open there mingled the crowd multitudes
the hatches on the defencelessprisoners below,
of the relativesof the captives,
Richard Edmondson steppedforward, on them as so
many doomed victims, bewailed
and in a calm voice said to them, " Gentlemen,
of
do yourselves no harm, for we are all the Edmondsons was so overcome when he
here." With this exception, all was still
among the slavesas despaircould make it ;
not a word was spokenin the whole company.
The men were all bound and placed
on board the steamer ; the women were leftknowing on board the schooner, to be towed after. probably
The explanation of theircapturewas this:
In the morning after they had
had listenedin the most complacent manner
to the announcement
was near hs close,
thatthe reign of slavery
in the city.The men were driven
through the streets bound with ropes, two
and two. Showers of taunts and jeersrained
upon them from all sides. One man asked
one of the girls if she " didn't feel pretty to
be caughtrunningaway," and anotherasked
her ' ' ' '
if she was n't sorry. She answered,
'No, if it was to do againto-morrow șhe
who,looking
and lamented them. A brother-in-law
saw them thathe fainted away and felldown
in the street, and was carried home insensible.
The sorrowful news spreadto the
and,
cottage of Paul and MillyEdmondson:
that all their children were now
doomed to the southern market,
theygave themselves up to sorrow. "
0 !
sailed, many what a day that was ! " said the old mother
familiesin Washingtonfound their slaves when describing that scene to the writer.
missing, and the event created as great an "
Never a morsel of anything could I put into
excitement as the emancipation of France my mouth. Paul and me we fasted and
had. two daysbefore. At that time theyprayedbefore the Lord,night and day, for
our
poor children."
The whole publicsentiment of the community
because they3 had not the
was roused to the most intense indignation
slightest idea that the language meant
It
anything
was repeatedfrom mouth to
; and they were utterly confounded by mouth that they had been kindlytreated
thispractical application of it. More than and never abused ; and what could have induced
a hundred men, mounted upon horses, determined
them to
try to get their liberty ! All
to push out intothe country, in pursuit
that Mr. Stanton had said of the insensible
of these new disciples of the doctrineof influence of American institutions, and all
universalemancipation. Here a colored man, Ins prettysimilesaboutthe cotton- wood seeds,
by the name of Judson Diggs,betrayed the seemed entirely to have escaped the memory
whole plotḤe had been provoked, because, of the community, and theycould see nothing
after havingtaken a
poor woman, with hei but the most unheard-of depravity in
luggage, down to the boatșhe was unable to the attempt of these peopleto secure freedom.
pay the twenty-five cents thathe demanded.
It was
strenuously advised by many
So he told these admirers of universal thattheir owners should not forgive them,
brotherhoodthattheyneed not rideintothe
no
mercy should be shown, but that
country, as theirslaveshad saileddown the theyshould be thrown into the hands of the
river, and were far enough off by thistime. traders, forthwith,
the southern market,
A steamer was
immediately manned by two
Siberia of the irresponsible despots
hundred armed men, and away theywent of America.
in pursuit.
When all the prisoners were lodged in
When the cortegearrivedwith the captured
jailțhe owners came to make oath to their
slavesțhere was a most furious excitement
property, and the property alsowas required
to make oath to their owners. Among them
came the married sistersof Mary and Emily,
but were not allowed to enter the prison!
The girlslooked throughthe iron grates of
the third-story windows, and saw their sisters
standingbelow in the yardweeping.
The guardianof the Edmondsons, "who
apparently
acted in the placeofthe real owner