"There was an old barn on my father's farm. It was almost a ruin. One end of the roof had fallen in, pretty much all the windows were gone, and there was a general air of dilapidation11 about the place. A dwelling-house, to which it was an appendage12, had been burned and not rebuilt, and the barn had been left to fight a battle with the elements and other foes13 in pretty much its own way.
"Not that it was wholly abandoned. There was one mow14 that was kept pretty well supplied with grass, and there were two or three horse stalls that were in tolerable order, although but rarely used. There were a number of excellent hiding-places about the old rookery. In the basement all sorts of rubbish, including unused vehicles and machinery15, had been stored away, and so wedged and packed was it that it would have taken hours to uncover man or beast seeking concealment16 there.
"One of the curious features of the situation was that the building was in sight of none of the roads in the neighborhood, while less than a hundred feet from it was a strip of woods in which the removal of the larger trees had stimulated18 a sturdy and densely19 matted undergrowth that was penetrable20 only by means of paths that had been made by the cattle. It was what was called a 'woods pasture.' With this cover for his movements any one could approach or leave the old barn with little danger of discovery.
"Naturally enough, such a ramshackle was in ill-repute. There were tales about it in the neighborhood. Some children had gone there to play on one occasion, and had been badly frightened by a big—as big as a half-bushel, they asserted—black face that was seen to be watching them. They fled from the premises21 in great alarm, and for a time there was talk of an investigation22 by their friends. The incident, however, was soon forgotten.
"That old barn was a regular station on one of the underground railroads that extended from the Ohio River to Canada. To but few persons was its true character known, and they were very close-mouthed about it. I was one of the few that were in the secret. Being the youngest member of the family, it fell to my lot to drive the horses and cows to and from the pasture in which the old barrack was located, and while there it was an easy matter to visit that establishment and ascertain23 if it sheltered any fresh arrivals.
"One day I had to report that two fugitives24 were in the barn, being a mother and child. Then came the question—which in that instance was a difficult one to answer—as to who should convey them to the next station on the line, twenty miles away. A brother, between five and six years older than I was, and who was something of a dare-devil, did the most of the work of transportation, but he was in bed with typhoid fever. A hired man, who was employed partly because he was in hearty accord with the humanitarian25 views of the household, and who on several occasions had taken my brother's place, was absent. There was nobody but myself who was ready to undertake the job, and I was only eleven years old. There was no help for it, however. The slaves had to be moved on, and I was greatly rejoiced in the prospect26 of adventure that was opened up to me. The journey had to be made at night, but for that I cared nothing, as I had repeatedly gone over the route by daylight, and thought I knew the road perfectly27.
"Midnight found me on the highway, and on the driver's seat of one of our farm wagons29, to which was attached a span of horses moving in the direction of the north star. That luminary30 was not on this occasion visible. The sky was heavily overcast31 and the night was very dark. A light rain was falling. With all the confidence I had in my own ability, more than once would I have lost the way, but for the sagacity of the horses, which had gone over that route a number of times under similar circumstances. They acted as if altogether familiar with it. Those horses proved themselves to be excellent Abolitionists.
"The inclemency32 of the night was in one respect a great advantage. It kept at home those who might incline to be too inquisitive33. The few travelers we met passed on with a word of greeting, while I whistled unconcernedly.
"Over the bottom of the wagon28 was scattered34 some hay that might be used either as feed for the horses or as a bed for weary travelers. There was also an old-fashioned buffalo-robe, somewhat dilapidated, that could serve for concealment or as shelter from the elements. Two or three empty baskets suggested a return from the market. There was another article that one would hardly have looked for. This was a smoke-cured ham loosely wrapped in some old sacking. It had gone over that route a number of times. Its odor neutralized35 the smell by which the presence, immediate36 or recent, of negroes might be detected.
"My fellow-travelers, as my passengers might be called, were interesting companions. Both, in one sense, were children, the mother certainly not being over seventeen years old. She was a comely37 half-breed mulatto. Her baby—a pretty boy of two years—was one degree nearer white.
"The girl was inclined to be confidential38 and talkative. She said she was 'old mas'r's' daughter. Her mother had been one of 'old mas'r's' people. She had grown up with the other slave children on the place, being in no way favored because of her relationship to her owner. The baby's father was 'young mas'r'—old master's son, as it appeared—and who, consequently, was a half-brother of the youthful mother. Slavery sometimes created singular relationships.
"As the story ran, all the people, including the narrator and her baby, when 'ole mas'r' died were 'leveled' on by the Sheriff's man. She did not quite understand the meaning of it all, but it was doubtless a case of bankruptcy39.
"'Young mas'r,' she said, 'tole' her she had to run away, taking the baby of course. 'Oh, yes," she said very emphatically, 'I never would have left Kentuck without Thomas Jefferson'—meaning her little boy. 'Young mas'r,' according to her account, arranged the whole proceeding40, telling her what course to take by night, where to stop and conceal17 herself by day, and what signal to give when she reached the 'big river.'
"When the Ohio had been crossed her young master met her, evidently to the great delight of the poor creature. He gave her some money, and told her that when she reached her destination he would send her some 'mo.' After putting her in charge of some kind people, evidently representatives of the underground line, they had parted, according to her description of the incident, in an affecting way. 'He kissed me and I cried,' was her simple statement. Notwithstanding the boasted superiority of one race over another, human nature seems to be very much the same, whether we read it in a white face or in a black one.
"The little girlish mother was very much alarmed for the safety of her boy and herself when we began our journey, wanting to get out and conceal herself whenever we heard any one on the road. After several detentions41 from that cause, the weary creature stretched herself upon the hay beside her sleeping infant and almost immediately fell into a heavy slumber42. She could stand the strain no longer. I drew the buffalo-robe over the two sleepers43, and there they rested in blissful unconsciousness until the journey was ended.
"Half-way between the termini of my route was a village in which lived a constable44 who was suspected of being in the employ of the slave-owners. It was thought advisable that I should avoid that village by taking a roundabout road. That I did, although it added an extra half to my trip. The result was that the sun was just peeping over the eastern hills, as I reached a set of bars showing an entrance into a pasture lot on one side of the highway. Removing the bars, I drove into the field, and passing over a ridge45 that hid it from the road, I stopped in front of a log cabin that had every appearance of being an abandoned and neglected homestead. That was the station I was looking for. Arousing my sleeping passengers, I saw them enter the old domicile, where I bade them good-by, and received the tearful and repeated thanks of the youthful slave mother, speaking for herself and her offspring. I never saw them again, but in due time the news came back, over what was jocularly called the 'grape-vine telegraph,' that they had safely reached their destination.
"At the home of the station agent I was enthusiastically received. That a boy of eleven should accomplish what I had done was thought to be quite wonderful. I was given an excellent breakfast, and then shown to a room with a bed, where I had a good sleep. On my awakening46 I set out on the return journey, this time taking the most direct route, as I had then no fear of that hireling constable.
"Subsequently I passed through several experiences of a similar kind, some of them involving greater risks and more exciting incidents, but the recollection of none of them brings me greater satisfaction than the memory of my first conductorship on the Underground.
"All of which is respectfully submitted by
"JOHN SMITH."
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
fugitive
|
|
| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
offense
|
|
| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
imprisonment
|
|
| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
penitentiary
|
|
| n.感化院；监狱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
participation
|
|
| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
recital
|
|
| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
statute
|
|
| n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
fangs
|
|
| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
confession
|
|
| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
dilapidation
|
|
| n.倒塌；毁坏 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
appendage
|
|
| n.附加物 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
foes
|
|
| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
mow
|
|
| v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
machinery
|
|
| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
concealment
|
|
| n.隐藏, 掩盖，隐瞒 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
stimulated
|
|
| a.刺激的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
densely
|
|
| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
penetrable
|
|
| adj.可穿透的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
premises
|
|
| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
investigation
|
|
| n.调查，调查研究 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
ascertain
|
|
| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
fugitives
|
|
| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
humanitarian
|
|
| n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
prospect
|
|
| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
perfectly
|
|
| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
wagon
|
|
| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
wagons
|
|
| n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
luminary
|
|
| n.名人，天体 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
overcast
|
|
| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
inclemency
|
|
| n.险恶，严酷 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
inquisitive
|
|
| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
scattered
|
|
| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
neutralized
|
|
| v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
immediate
|
|
| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
comely
|
|
| adj.漂亮的，合宜的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
confidential
|
|
| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
bankruptcy
|
|
| n.破产；无偿付能力 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
proceeding
|
|
| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
detentions
|
|
| 拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
slumber
|
|
| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
sleepers
|
|
| n.卧铺（通常以复数形式出现）；卧车( sleeper的名词复数 )；轨枕；睡觉（呈某种状态）的人；小耳环 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
constable
|
|
| n.(英国)警察，警官 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
ridge
|
|
| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
awakening
|
|
| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |