His new friend went with him several miles, and pointing him out the way
left him to pursue his journey onward. The next person he met with was a
colored man, who bowed and smiled, and took off his hat.
Louis returned the bow, and was passing on when he said, "Massa, 'scuse
me for speakin' to you, but dem secesh been hunting all day for a
'serter, him captin dey say."
Louis turned pale, but bracing his nerves he said, "Where are they?"
"Dey's in the house; is you he?"
"I am a Union man," Louis said, "and am trying to reach the Lincoln
soldiers."
"Den," said the man, "if dat am de fac I's got a place for you; come
with me," and Louis having learned to trust the colored people followed
him to a place of safety.
Soon it was noised abroad that another deserter had been seen in that
neighborhood, but the colored man would not reveal the whereabouts of
Louis. His master beat him severely, but he would let neither threats
nor torture wring the secret from his lips.
Louis saw the faithfulness of that man, and he thought with shame of his
former position to the race from whom such unswerving devotion could
spring. The hunt proving ineffectual, Louis after the search and
excitement had subsided resumed his journey Northward, meeting with
first one act of kindness and then another.
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