A brief stay in the city was thought prudent lest the hunters might be on the pursuit.  They were, therefore, retained in safe quarters.

In the meantime, Arrival No. 2 reached the Committee.  It consisted of a colored man, a white woman and a child, ten years old.  This case created no little surprise.  Not that quite a number of passengers, fair enough to pass for white, with just a slight tinge of colored blood in their veins, even sons and daughters of some of the F.F.V., had not on various occasions come over the U.G.R.R.  But this party was peculiar.  An explanation was sought, which resulted in ascertaining that the party was from Leesburg, Virginia; that David, the colored man, was about twenty-seven years of age, intelligent, and was owned, or claimed by Joshua Pusey.  David had no taste for Slavery, indeed, felt that it would be impossible for him to adapt himself to a life of servitude for the special benefit of others; he had, already, as he thought, been dealt with very wrongfully by Pusey, who had deprived him of many years of the best part of his life, and would continue thus to wrong him, if he did not make a resolute effort to get away.  So after thinking of various plans, he determined not to run off as a slave with his “budget on his back,” but to “travel as a coachman,” under the “protection of a white lady.”  In planning this pleasant scheme, David was not blind to the fact that neither himself nor the “white lady,” with whom he proposed to travel, possessed either horse or carriage.

But his master happened to have a vehicle that would answer for the occasion.  David reasoned that as Joshua, his so called master, had deprived him of his just dues for so many years, he had a right to borrow, or take without borrowing, one of Joshua’s horses for the expedition.  The plan was submitted to the lady, and was approved, and a mutual understanding here entered into, that she should hire a carriage, and take also her little girl with them.  The lady was to assume the proprietorship of the horse, carriage and coachman.  In so doing all dangers would be, in their judgment, averted.  The scheme being all ready for execution, the time for departure was fixed, the carriage hired, David having secured his master Joshua’s horse, and off they started in the direction of Pennsylvania.  White people being so accustomed to riding, and colored people to driving, the party looked all right.  No one suspected them, that they were aware of, while passing through Virginia.

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On reaching Chambersburg, Pa., in the evening, they drove to a hotel, the lady alighted, holding by the hand her well dressed and nice-looking little daughter, bearing herself with as independent an air as if she had owned twenty such boys as accompanied her as coachman.  She did not hesitate to enter and request accommodations for the night, for herself, daughter, coachman, and horse.  Being politely told that they could be accommodated, all that was necessary was, that the lady should show off to the best advantage possible.  The same duty also rested with weight upon the mind of David.