There happened to be on board a wedding party, and,
a box, containing some of the bridal cake, with several bottles of
port wine, was near Jerome. He found the box, opened it, and
helped himself. In eight days, the boat tied up at the wharf at
the place of her destination. It was late at night; the boat's
crew, with the single exception of the man on watch, were on shore.
The hatches were off, and the fugitive quietly made his way on
deck and jumped on shore. The man saw the fugitive, but too late
to seize him.
Still in a Slave State, Jerome was at a loss to know how he should
proceed. He had with him a few dollars, enough to pay his way to
Canada, if he could find a conveyance. The fugitive procured such
food as he wanted from one of the many eating-houses, and then,
following the direction of the North Star, he passed out of the
city, and took the road leading to Covington. Keeping near the
Ohio River, Jerome soon found an opportunity to cross over into
the State of Indiana. But liberty was a mere name in the latter
State, and the fugitive learned, from some colored persons that he
met, that it was not safe to travel by daylight. While making his
way one night, with nothing to cheer him but the prospect of
freedom in the future, he was pounced upon by three men who were
lying in wait for another fugitive, an advertisement of whom they
had received through the mail. In vain did Jerome tell them that
he was not a slave. True, they had not caught the man they
expected; but, if they could make this slave tell from what place
he had escaped, they knew that a good price would be paid them
for the negro's arrest.
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