University of Virginia Library

9. CHAPTER IX.
Robin Day escapes from slavery, is chased by a bloody-minded
pursuer, and relieved by an unexpected friend.

The extraordinary fatality which had attended all
my previous efforts to escape from the different misfortunes
that had befallen me, plunging me only
from one difficulty into another, had now taught me
a lesson of prudence; and I resolved, this time, to
act with the greatest circumspection, and arrange
such a plan of escape as should, besides most certainly
restoring me to freedom, result in as few inconvenient
consequences as possible. To run away, I perceived,
was not of itself sufficient to secure my
liberty; the fugitive slave always expects pursuit;
and from my uncommon value, it was but reasonable
to suppose my master would take uncommon pains
to recover me. It was necessary I should make myself
acquainted with the country through which I
was to fly, so as to decide upon a route the most
advantageous for my purpose; it was necessary to
anticipate every possible danger that might arise, and
the means of avoiding it:—in short, it was necessary,
to think, and do, a great many things; none of which
could be thought, or done, in a moment.

While arranging these indispensable preliminaries,
I submitted—or seemed to submit—with great gravity
and resignation, to my lot of servitude, and

played the part of the Indian doctor to perfection.
The servitude itself was no great matter, and but for
the name would have been nothing, since my learned
character, and perhaps my complexion, which favourably
distinguished me from the sons of Africa,
(and which, by the way, I was obliged to renew
every day,) prevented my receiving the treatment of
a common blackey. Without being flattered by any
particular marks of respect, I was neither kicked nor
cuffed; and I had the happiness of not being compelled
to any kind of slavish occupations. It is true,
I heard my master once talk of making me wait at
table; but he came to the conclusion that I was unfit
for such service, while incapable of understanding a
word of English.

My only business was to physic the sick, to attend
upon the hospital, where I spent nearly all my time,
as much to deceive Mr. Feverage with an appearance
of zeal, as to keep out of the sight of his family.
What good I did the patients I am not yet learned
enough in the medical art to say; but I physicked
away at them with the best intentions. All that is
certain is, that some died and some got well; but
whether I killed the former, or cured the latter, I
was not so sure, even at the time of practice. And,
indeed, I did not trouble myself greatly to inquire,
or to think upon the subject: my mind was, all the
time, engaged with the thought of escape.

As in most sudden transformations of character,
or changes of conduct, one commonly jumps into
extremes; so it happened with me upon this unlucky
occasion. I was determined, as I have said, to act,
in my project of escape, with the utmost prudence
and circumspection; and so prudently and circumspectly
I did act, that I was like never to have put
my project into execution. To provide against difficulties

and dangers, it was necessary to anticipate all
that could happen: and I anticipated so many that I
was almost afraid to encounter them. My imagination,
as I dwelt upon them, drew them in such formidable
colours as frightened herself: and the enterprise
looked daily more doubtful and dreadful. I
trembled, faltered, vacillated, and the beginning of
the seventh week from the desertion of Captain
Brown found me, to my own astonishment and affliction,
still a slave. And it is not improbable I might
have consumed still seven weeks longer in hesitation,
had not a circumstance arisen, which frighted me
out of fear, and desperately nerved me to action.
This was nothing less than a project my master suddenly
formed of selling me—for, I believe he was
now tired of his bargain, being a fickle-minded man
—to a Carolina planter, who had a higher opinion of
my abilities, or greater need of my services. The
subject was freely discussed in my presence (who
was still ignorant of the English language—and,
truly, that same ignorance caused me to hear a great
many conversations I should not otherwise have been
made privy to,) in the hospital, whither my master
brought the purchaser, to examine me and my proceedings
among the sick.

The effect of their discussion upon my mind did
not tend, I fear, to the benefit of my patients; for
such was the consternation into which I was thrown,
that I, from that moment, began to lay about me
among the sick with a maniacal activity and forgetfulness
of consequences; which, however, only recommended
me more strongly to the stranger's regard:
he observed “I was a bold practitioner, and knew
how to treat negro constitutions.” He then, with
Mr. Feverage, left the hospital, the one agreeing to
purchase, the other to sell, the only subject of controversy

being the price, which I had no doubt they
would soon agree upon.

It was then late in the afternoon, and they adjourned
from the hospital to supper; “after which,” I heard
Mr. Feverage say, “we will be able to settle the matter
to our mutual satisfaction.”—“You may settle it
to your satisfaction,” quoth I to myself; “but I
doubt whether either will be so well satisfied in
the morning.” In truth, I resolved to run away that
very night.

I stole back to the house, and into the housekeeper's
room, where my presence never caused any surprise,
as, indeed, the medicine-chest was kept there, to which
I had, of course, continual access; and the yellow
lady, the mistress of the place, had accommodated
me with a little table in the corner, where I used to
measure out, and sometimes compound, (for I grew
bold with practice,) the drugs that so insufficiently
supplied the place of the Magian medicines. I entered
the room for no other purpose than to fill my
pockets with food to sustain me in the flight; but
the housekeeper being there at the time, engaged
making a pot of chocolate, I was obliged to conceal
my object, and pretend to busy myself with the medicine-chest.

While I was thus occupied tumbling the drugs
about, the housekeeper stepped for a moment out of
the room; when the devil (for I know not how else
to account for the desperate prompting,) put it into
my head, that, as nothing would more certainly facilitate
my escape than the soundest slumber on the
part of every member of the family, including also
my intended purchaser, so nothing would more
manifestly secure them a sound nap than a dose of
opium thrown into their chocolate.

This brilliant idea was no sooner formed than put

into execution; and without thinking, (for, verily, I
had no time to think,) of the consequences that
might result, I snatched up a huge mass of the narcotic,
enough to physic the whole household, and
with trembling hand tumbled it into the pot. In
another instant the housekeeper returned, gave her
chocolate the finishing stir, and carried it off into
the parlour. I took advantage of her second sortie
to gather up a hasty supply of eatables; and then
retreated to my medicine-chest again, to await the
period of my own supper, which I thought it necessary
to take, to avoid suspicion; for I had planned
to begin my flight in the dead of night, after a pretence
of going to bed: and Chowder Chow, with all
his bothers and afflictions, never went to bed in Mr.
Feverage's house without his supper.

But by and by, there arose a great scolding in the
parlour; and I could hear my master and his family
finding fault with the chocolate, declaring that it had
a very odd and unaccountable taste; and her ladyship
the housekeeper was forthwith summoned to
the room to explain the mystery.

I was terribly frightened at this unexpected turn
of affairs; and scarce doubting but that the inquiry
thus instituted must result in a discovery of the
liberty I had taken, I saw no hope but in immediate
flight. I slipped from the pantry and the back
door, and fled through the fields to a wood not far
off, which I reached without difficulty or notice, it
being then almost dark.

One of the chief, and, as I esteemed it, most necessary
preparations for escape consisted in the study
of a large state map of Virginia, which my master
had hanging up in the hall or main passage of his
house, where I had many opportunities of viewing
it unobserved. And I pored over it so often and

long, that I had fairly committed to memory all the
roads, rivers, towns and mountains in that part of
the state through which I designed to fly; nay, I
had even taken the pains to construct in secret a
little rude but sufficient map of my own, on which
I could better rely than on my memory alone. My
course I had long determined should be westward,
towards the interior; which I flattered myself would
be precisely the direction in which no fugitive slave
would be believed to bend his steps. In that quarter,
I should soon reach the mountains, among which, in
case of extremity, I might find hiding places and
rocks of safety in abundance; and, following among
their sequestered valleys, or along their wild
ridges, I must soon penetrate to the great West,
whose name associated the most agreeable ideas of
freedom and independence.

My course thus resolved upon, a map of the
country in my head, and an itinerary in my pocket,
I struck boldly through the woods, seeking for a road,
which, I knew, led to a ferry over the Roanoke,
some seven or eight miles from Mr. Feverage's
house. The road I found, and the ferry also; where
not having the courage to call the ferryman to my
assistance, I helped myself to a canoe, which I discovered
on the bank, and paddled across the river.

The bank being gained, I immediately removed
from my person every vestige of my late Magian
character and servitude. The vile complexion,
which I had been compelled daily to renew, to avoid
detection, I washed away in the river; into which I
also threw the detestable bandanna and the horrid
yarns that bound my hair. Then, drawing my cap
from its concealment in my pocket, to be remounted
upon my head, and securing the canoe, so that the
owner could get it again if he pleased, I resumed

my steps, walking with such diligence and speed,
that, if my map was to be relied on, I had by morning
put at least thirty miles between me and my
master's house.

And this was exactly what I had calculated upon,
in my plan of escape; I had always esteemed it a
matter of the first necessity to get over the greatest
possible distance the first night; and thirty miles
was just what I assigned myself, besides thirty more
to be accomplished during the day.

Unfortunately, however, in thus calculating the
distance, I forgot to calculate the strength necessary
to carry me through it, as I soon discovered to my
cost; for I had scarce congratulated myself upon having
done so much, when I found I was unable to do any
more. I was, in a word, completely exhausted, worn
out, knocked up, incapable of proceeding further,
compelled to come to a stand, when every moment
of delay, I knew, was big with danger. The inactive
life of Chowder Chow had melted away the
strength of Robin Day; and, besides, Robin Day had
overtasked his powers.

I sat down upon a stump on the roadside, to draw
breath, and consider what was to be done; and I had
just come to the conclusion I could do nothing better
than hunt up some hiding-place in the woods, and there
sleep till night, at which period I hoped to be able
to continue my journey; when I perceived a traveller,
in a military garb, come riding up from behind
on a sorrel horse.

I had no particular reason to apprehend a pursuer
in the person of a gentleman of the army, regular or
militia; but I held it most for my interest at that
time to avoid the observation of all persons. I therefore
rose from my stump, and slipped aside into the
wood, hoping I had escaped the stranger's notice.

But I was mistaken; and as he rode up, he uttered a
loud halloo, and turned into the wood after me; at
which I was thrown into such a panic that I forgot
my fatigue, and immediately took to my heels to
bury myself among the trees and bushes. But, alas,
the stranger instantly spurred after me, ordering me
to stop, to surrender, and I knew not what; but I
only ran the faster; at which, growing furious, he
pulled out a pistol and fired at me, and then let fly another;
and ended by drawing a long sword, with
which, being now close at my heels, he offered to cut
me down; so that I was fain to come to an immediate
halt, and beg for mercy. What was my amazement
what my joy, when, turning round, and looking into
the face of my bloody-thirsty pursuer, I perceived
the features of my friend Dicky Dare!