When these remarks were reported to me, I smiled at Mrs. Flint’s saying that she should either kill my child or spoil her.  I thought to myself there was very little danger of the latter.  I have always considered it as one of God’s special providences that Ellen screamed till she was carried back to jail.

That same night Dr. Flint was called to a patient, and did not return till near morning.  Passing my grandmother’s, he saw a light in the house, and thought to himself, “Perhaps this has something to do with Linda.”  He knocked, and the door was opened.  “What calls you up so early?” said he.  “I saw your light, and I thought I would just stop and tell you that I have found out where Linda is.  I know where to put my hands on her, and I shall have her before twelve o’clock.”  When he had turned away, my grandmother and my uncle looked anxiously at each other.  They did not know whether or not it was merely one of the doctor’s tricks to frighten them.  In their uncertainty, they thought it was best to have a message conveyed to my friend Betty.  Unwilling to alarm her mistress, Betty resolved to dispose of me herself.  She came to me, and told me to rise and dress quickly.  We hurried down stairs, and across the yard, into the kitchen.  She locked the door, and lifted up a plank in the floor.  A buffalo skin and a bit of carpet were spread for me to lie on, and a quilt thrown over me.  “Stay dar,” said she, “till I sees if dey know ’bout you.  Dey say dey vil put thar hans on you afore twelve o’clock.  If dey did know whar you are, dey won’t know now.  Dey’ll be disapinted dis time.  Dat’s all I got to say.  If dey comes rummagin ’mong my tings, de’ll get one bressed sarssin from dis ’ere nigger.”  In my shallow bed I had but just room enough to bring my hands to my face to keep the dust out of my eyes; for Betty walked over me twenty times in an hour, passing from the dresser to the fireplace.  When she was alone, I could hear her pronouncing anathemas over Dr. Flint and all his tribe, every now and then saying, with a chuckling laugh, “Dis nigger’s too cute for ’em dis time.”  When the housemaids were about, she had sly ways of drawing them out, that I might hear what they would say.  She would repeat stories she had heard about my being in this, or that, or the other place.  To which they would answer, that I was not fool enough to be staying round there; that I was in Philadelphia or New York before this time.  When all were abed and asleep, Betty raised the plank, and said, “Come out, chile; come out.  Dey don’t know nottin ’bout you.  Twas only white folks’ lies, to skeer de niggers.”