290 



RETURN TO ENGLAND. 



course of years had become a wealthy man, by 

 the purchase of lands which were overrun with 

 cattle. He had, on one occasion, collected in 

 pens great numbers of oxen which he was ar- 

 ranging with his herdsmen to dispatch to dif- 

 ferent parts for sale, when a stranger who came 

 quite alone made his appearance, and rode up 

 and spoke to him, saying that he wished to have 

 some private conversation with him. After a 

 little time they retired together, and when they 

 were alone the owner of the estate said, " I 

 thank you for not mentioning the connection 

 between us, whilst my people were present." 

 It was his master, who had fallen into distressed 

 circumstances, and had now made this visit in 

 hopes of obtaining some trifle from him. He 

 said that he should be grateful lor any thing his 

 slave chose to give to him. To reclaim him, he 

 well knew, was out of the question — he was in 

 the man's power, who might order him to be 

 assassinated immediately. The slave gave his 

 master several hundred oxen, and directed some 

 of his men to accompany him with them to a 

 market, giving out among his herdsmen that he 

 had thus paid a debt of old standing for which 

 he had only now been called upon. A man who 

 could act in this manner well deserved the free- 

 dom which he had resolved to obtain. 



As it was my intention to pass the ensuing 

 summer in England, and no ships arrived from 



