“I saw,” said he, “a man and woman passing rapidly along the road, but do not know whether they were fugitives, as I did not see their faces.”  The human blood-hound, thanked the gentleman for the information, and immediately set out in pursuit; but, just as the informant had intended, in a direction opposite to that the slaves had taken.  That night, Joe and Rosa visited the house of their benefactor, where they were supplied with clothing and as much food as they could carry; and next day they went on their way rejoicing.  They settled in Cincinnati, where they lived happily, until the mob drove them with others, to the Wilberforce settlement, where they are in no danger of the auction block, or of a Southern market; and are as much devoted to each other as ever.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PLEASANT RE-UNION OF OLD AND TRIED FRIENDS.

It is well known to those who have assisted in clearing land in a new country, that bears, who are not Jews, are very troublesome, and levy a heavy tax on the settlers, to supply themselves with pork-their favorite food.  One old bear in particular, had for a long time annoyed the colonists, by robbing their hog-stys almost every night.  We failed in all our plans to destroy his life, until a woman saw him one day, walking at ease through the settlement.  A half dozen of us gave chase immediately, and came up with him after traveling two miles.  So anxious was I to kill him, that I fired at first sight and missed him, which gave us another two miles chase.  When, however, we came up, he was seated on a branch of a tree, leisurely surveying us and the dogs, with great complacency.  The contents of my rifle brought him to the ground, and stirred his blood for battle.  One blow from his powerful paw, sent my fine greyhound some yards distant, sprawling upon the ground, and when he renewed the attack, Bruin met him with extended jaws, taking and munching his head in his mouth.  My rifle was now reloaded, and the second shot killed him on the spot.  We tied his legs together, and lifting him on a pole, marched in triumph into the settlement, where guns were discharged and cheers given, in approbation of our success.

One winter’s evening we had drawn closely around the blazing fire, for the air was piercing cold without, and the snow four feet deep on a level.  Now and then, a traveler might be seen on snow-shoes; but though our cabin was situated on the king’s highway, we seldom saw company on such a night as this.  While the wind whistled, and the snow drifted about our dwelling, we piled the wood higher in our ample fire-place, and seated ourselves again, to resume the conversation, when I was startled by a loud and furious knocking at the door.  I opened it to what I supposed to be three Indians.  Their costume was that of the red man; but the voice of him who addressed me was not that of an Indian.  “Can you keep three poor devils here to-night?” said he, and when I made farther inquiry, he repeated the same question; “we can sleep,” he continued, “on the soft side of a board; only give us poor devils a shelter.”