At the expiration of the period of his hiring with Walker, William returned to his master rejoiced to have escaped an employment so repugnant to his feelings.  But this joy was not of long duration.  One of his sisters who, although sold to another master had been living in the same city with himself and mother, was again sold to be sent away south, never in all probability to meet her sorrowing relatives.  Dr. Young also, wanting money, intimated to his young kinsman that he was about to sell him.  This intimation determined William, in conjunction with his mother, to attempt their escape.  For ten nights they travelled northwards, hiding themselves in the woods by day.  The mother and son at length deemed themselves safe from re-capture, and, although weary and foot-sore, were laying down sanguine plans for the acquisition of a farm in Canada, the purchase of the freedom of the six other members of the family still in slavery, and rejoicing in the anticipated happiness of their free home in Canada.  At that moment three men made up to and seized them, bound the son and led him, with his desponding mother, back to slavery.  Elizabeth was sold and sent away south, while her son became the property of a merchant tailor named Willi.  Mr. Brown’s description of the final interview between himself and his mother, is one of the most touching portions of his narrative.  The mother, after expressing her conviction of the speedy escape from slavery by the hand of death, enjoined her child to persevere in his endeavours to gain his freedom by flight.  Her blessing was interrupted by the kick and curse bestowed by her dehumanized master upon her beloved son.

After having been hired for a short time to the captain of the steam-boat Otto, William was finally sold to Captain Enoch Price for 650 dollars.  That the quickness and intelligence of William rendered him very valuable as a slave, is favoured by the evidence of Enoch Price himself, who states that he was offered 2000 dollars for Sanford (as he was called), in New Orleans.  William was strongly urged by his new mistress to marry.  To facilitate this object, she even went so far as to purchase a girl for whom she fancied he had an affection.  He himself, however, had secretly resolved never to enter into such a connexion while in slavery, knowing that marriage, in the true and honourable sense of the term, could not exist among slaves.  Notwithstanding the multitude of petty offences for which a slave is severely punished, it is singular that one crime—­bigamy—­is visited upon a white with severity, while no slave has ever yet been tried for it.  In fact, the man is allowed to form connections with as many women, and the women with as many men, as they please.