From 18 to 27 I was considered one of the most devout Christians among the
whole Black population, and under this impression I firmly believed to run
away from my master would be to sin against the Holy Ghost--for such we
are taught to believe--but from the time of my wife's being sent away, I
firmly made up my mind to take the first opportunity to run away. I had
learned that if a Black man wished to escape he will have no chance to do
so unless he be well supplied with money; to attain this I arranged with a
Dutchman to steal small pigs, chickens, and any poultry that was possible
to lay my hands on, and thus I proceeded for nine or ten months, when I
found my accumulation to be 124 dollars. Among the plantations I visited
was Mr. Rogers', and he had three large bloodhounds let loose about nine
at night, but I had made them acquainted with me by feeding them at
intervals quietly, unknown to him or his people, and this enabled me to
carry on my depredations on his plantation quietly and unmolested. Rogers
having suspected these depredations, and not being able to find the thief,
set a patrol to watch, who, armed with a double-barreled gun, fixed
himself under a fence about seven feet high, surrounded with bushes; but
this happened to be my usual way of going to his plantation, and as I made
my usual spring to go over, I fell right on the top of his head, and he
shouted lustily, and I shouted also, neither of us knowing what really had
occurred, and our fears imagining the worst and causing him to run one way
and me another. After travelling about a quarter of a mile I thought of my
bag, which had been dropped during my fright, and knowing that my master's
initials were on the bag, and the consequences of the bag being found
would be fearful, I determined to return for the bag and recover it, or
die in the attempt. I searched for and found a club, then I returned to
the spot and found the bag there, and by the side of it lay the gun of the
patrol, and I picked the bag up and went home, and this narrow escape
caused me to determine to give up my thieving expeditions for the
obtaining of money from that time. About one week after the occurrence