opinions as were white men.  Others still desired freedom, thinking they could then reclaim a wife, or husband, or children.  The mother would again see her child.  All these promptings of the heart made them yearn for freedom.  New Year’s was always a heart-rending time, for it was then the slaves were bought and sold; and they stood in constant fear of losing some one dear to them—­a child, a husband, or wife.

* * * * *

My first break for freedom.

In the new home my duties were harder than ever.  The McGees held me with tighter grip, and it was nothing but cruel abuse, from morning till night.  So I made up my mind to try and run away to a free country.  I used to hear Boss read sometimes, in the papers, about runaway slaves who had gone to Canada, and it always made me long to go; yet I never appeared as if I paid the slightest attention to what the family read or said on such matters; but I felt that I could be like others, and try at least to get away.  One morning, when Boss had gone to town, Madam had threatened to whip me, and told me to come to the house.  When she called me I did not go, but went off down through the garden and through the woods, and made my way for the city.  When I got into Memphis, I found at the landing a boat called the Statesman, and I sneaked aboard.  It was not expected that the boat would stay more than a few hours, but, for some reason, it stayed all night.  The boat was loaded with sugar, and I hid myself behind four hogsheads.  I could see both engineers, one each side of me.  When night came on, I crept out from my hiding place, and went forward to search for food and water, for I was thirsty and very hungry.  I found the table where the deck hands had been eating, and managed to get a little food, left from their meal, and some water.  This was by no means enough, but I had to be content, and went back to my place of concealment.  I had been on board the boat three days; and, on the third night, when I came out to hunt food, the second mate saw me.  In a minute he eyed me over and said:  “Why, I have a reward for you.”  In a second he had me go up stairs to the captain.  This raised a great excitement among the passengers; and, in a minute, I was besieged with numerous questions.  Some spoke as if they were sorry for me, and said if they had known I was a poor runaway slave they would have slipped me ashore.  The whole boat was in alarm.  It seemed to me they were consulting slips of paper.  One said:  “Yes, he is the same.  Listen how this reads:” 

“Ran away from Edmund McGee, my mulatto boy Louis, 5 feet 6 inches in height, black hair, is very bright and intelligent.  Will give $500 for him alive, and half of this amount for knowledge that he has been killed.”