_Pike_ No. 3, the same vessel before spoken of, was nearly ready for
starting and I got a gentleman's trunk on my shoulder and went on board,
and when I had been paid six cents for carrying the trunk I watched a
chance, and jumped down the cotton hold and stowed myself away among the
cotton bags and the next day was in Cincinnati, Ohio, where I arrived
about daylight in the morning. I waited until the passangers had left the
boat and saw neither officer nor engineer about when I ventured to go on
shore. On starting up the hill I met my master's nephew, who at once
seized hold of me, and a sharp struggle ensued. He called for help but I
threw him and caught a stone and struck him on the head, which caused him
to let go, when I ran away as fast my legs could carry me, pursued by a
numerous crowd, crying "stop thief." I mounted a fence in the street, and
ran though an alley into an Irishman's yard, and through his house,
knocking over the Irishman's wife and child, and the chair on which she
sat, the husband at the time sat eating at the table, jumped into a cellar
on the opposite side of the street without being seen by any one, I made
my way into the back cellar and went up the chimney, where I sat till
dark, and at night came down and slept in the cellar. In the morning the
servant girl came down into the cellar, and when I saw she was black I
thought it would be best to make myself known to her, which I did, and she
told me I had better remain where I was and keep quiet, and she would go
and tell Mr. Nickins, one of the agents of the underground Railway. She
brought me down a bowl of coffee and some bread and meat, which I relished
very much, and that night she opened the cellar door gently, and called to
me to come out, and introduced me to Mr. Nickins and two others, who took
me to a house in Sixth street, where I remained until the next night, when
they dressed me in female's clothes, and I was taken to the railway depot
in a carriage--was put in the car, and sent to Cleveland, Ohio where I was
placed on board a steam boat called the _Indiana_, and carried down Lake
Erie to the city of Buffalo, New York, and the next day placed on the car