16 FORTY-FOUR YEARS OF 



Here was despair and weeping from a mother, in a dense 

 wood, with no help but her little Joshua, the old man, 

 and that hateful negro. The wagon was broken to pieces, 

 the left hind-wheel smashed, and entirely useless. The 

 man applied the spilling rum to use in handsful, until life 

 began to return ; and as mother saw hopes of my return- 

 ing to her bosom again, she became quieted. 



The loading was found to be greatly damaged, with the 

 loss of two barrels of rum, and a great quantity of sugar 

 mixed with dirt and trash. The next task was to prepare 

 some shelter for the night, and in the meantime to mend 

 the broken wheel : it was, however, soon found that the 

 wheel was so badly broken that it could not be mended ; 

 and then it was that the old gentleman struck on the fol- 

 lowing plan : he told the negro to cut down a small tree, 

 put the butt on the foremost axle-tree, leave the top 

 end on the ground, and lash the axle-tree fast on the 

 dragging tree. Thus we made a substitute for the broken 

 rrheel. By this time night had come on us ; a large fire 

 was made, and my mother took her place by the root of 

 a tree, with Joshua by her side, who was about twelve 

 years old, and myself in her arms : she has often told me 

 that she never closed her eyes until day-light appeared next 

 morning ; when we made a breakfast of bread, cheese, and 

 molasses gathered from the smashed barrels, and flat and 

 hollowing stones, where it was in puddles. 



This hasty breakfast done, and everything made ready, 

 the whip cracked again, and off we started, Joshua walk- 

 ing and my mother carrying me on her back : we had 

 twelve or fifteen miles to travel before we would be in 

 Oldtown. We proceeded on our journey slowly, reached 

 our destination, and found ourselves in Oldtown. Mother 

 much fatigued, worn down, and in low spirits ; the wagon, 

 old gentleman, and negro all gone off, and we three left 

 alone in a strange country. But in the morning a neigh- 



