I now turned my face homeward. The excitement was over, the anxiety was gone. In looking back O’er the work of the past few days, I felt that the hand of God was in it. He had blessed my efforts; he had guided my steps; he had strengthened my judgment. My heart was full of thankfulness to my Heavenly Father for his great mercy and favor; my eyes filled with tears, and I wept for joy.
Then, as I rode along slowly through the thick woods, I reflected on what I should do next. Osborne was waiting for me at Squire Howells’ tavern, and I must soon join him. I did not want his company on the homeward journey, but knew not how to get rid of it. He had promised to accompany me to Burk’s Fork, where he understood I had business. That would be ten or fifteen miles out of our way, but I saw no other way to make my story good and keep him blinded in regard to my real mission.
While pondering on this dilemma, I arrived at Howells’, and soon saw a way out of my difficulties. In that State, magistrates had certain days to attend to law business, and this was one of Squire Howells’ days. Several men had already come, on law business, and as Osborne and I were talking about our route, I saw a man whom I knew ride up and dismount from his horse. He lived in Burk’s Fork settlement, near my Uncle Stanley’s farm. I had had some acquaintance with him the previous fall, and when I went out and met him, he recognized me.
I told Osborne to have his horse got out and we would be off; meanwhile I took this man apart and entered into conversation with him. I asked him all the questions I could think of about my uncle’s cattle, and his grass farm and the man who lived on it, inquiring if he gave proper attention to the cattle out on the range, salting them frequently to keep them tame and gentle, etc., etc.
I then went to Osborne and told him that I had been quite fortunate; I had met a man right from Burk’s Fork, a reliable person to whom I committed my business, and now we were saved the time and trouble of going out of the way — we could go directly home. This seemed to please him, and it was certainly a relief to me. He got his bottle filled at the bar, then we mounted our horses and set our faces homeward.
My fleet mare kept up wonderfully; she traveled well, though for two days and nights she had had little rest. As for myself, I was exceedingly weary; the sharp tension of mind and body was relaxed, and I felt the need of sleep and rest. When night overtook us, we were in a poor, thinly settled region, and though we asked for entertainment at all the private houses — some of them mere huts — which we passed, we were not taken in, and had to travel till eleven o’clock before we reached a tavern.
We had our horses put up and called for supper, and it was after midnight when we got to bed. I felt worn out and fell into a hard sleep; arising in the morning but little refreshed. After an early breakfast, we started again, and pursued our journey together very pleasantly. The next day we arrived at home, and Osborne and I parted on good terms; he lived eight or ten miles from my father’s.
While Osborne was out hunting for Sam, Sam was hiding out in Levi’s father’s hay loft. Image source. About the photograph
I was warmly greeted by my parents and friends; they had felt anxious about me and were elated with my success. The night after my return Sam slept in the hay-mow of my father’s barn. I carried victuals to him and told him the story of my journey with his master. He evinced his emotion during the recital by various exclamations in a subdued tone. We dared not speak aloud, not knowing who might be lurking around in the dark, watching for him or some other fugitive.
About two weeks afterward, Osborne came to my father’s house to get me to go with him to hunt his negro. He said he thought Sam was skulking about in that neighborhood, probably hiding during the day in the thickets between our house and old Dr. Caldwell’s. He thought Dr. Caldwell’s negroes fed him, for he heard that runaways often lay in those thickets and were fed by those d—-d niggers. My father reproved him for using profane language, and he replied:
“It’s enough to make anybody swear. I have lost time and money looking after that rascal. I can hear of his skulking around Dr. Caldwell’s nigger huts, but can’t find him. I have got acquainted with your son, Mr. Coffin, and think him a fine young fellow; I had rather trust him than anybody in this neighborhood. I don’t know the woods among these thickets, and want him to go with me.”
I said I would go, as I was well acquainted with all the paths and byways through the woods, having often traversed them when hunting for deer and wild turkeys, or looking after our out hogs. Father then invited Osborne to eat dinner with us and have his horse fed. He accepted the invitation, and my father was very social and friendly with him, but reproved him if he used profane language, as he frequently did in common conversation.
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