I can never describe to the reader the awful reality of that separation—­for it was enough to chill the blood and stir up the deepest feelings of revenge in the hearts of slaveholding black-legs, who as they stood by, were threatening, some weeping, some swearing and others declaring vengeance against such treatment being inflicted on a human being.  As we left the plantation, as far as we could see and hear, the Deacon was still laying on the gory lash, trying to prevent poor Malinda from weeping over the loss of her departed husband, who was then, by the hellish laws of slavery, to her, theoretically and practically dead.  One of the black-legs exclaimed that hell was full of just such Deacon’s as Whitfield.  This occurred in December, 1840.  I have never seen Malinda, since that period.  I never expect to see her again.

The sportsmen to whom I was sold, showed their sympathy for me not only by word but by deeds.  They said that they had made the most liberal offer to Whitfield, to buy or sell for the sole purpose of reuniting husband and wife.  But he stood out against it—­they felt sorry for me.  They said they had bought me to speculate on, and were not able to lose what they had paid for me.  But they would make a bargain with me, if I was willing, and would lay a plan, by which I might yet get free.  If I would use my influence so as to get some person to buy me while traveling about with them, they would give me a portion of the money for which they sold me, and they would also give me directions by which I might yet run away and go to Canada.

This offer I accepted, and the plot was made.  They advised me to act very stupid in language and thought, but in business I must be spry; and that I must persuade men to buy me, and promise them that I would be smart.

We passed through the State of Arkansas and stopped at many places, horse-racing and gambling.  My business was to drive a wagon in which they carried their gambling apparatus, clothing, &c.  I had also to black boots and attend to horses.  We stopped at Fayettville, where they almost lost me, betting on a horse race.

They went from thence to the Indian Territory, among the Cherokee Indians, to attend the great races which were to take place there.  During the races there was a very wealthy half Indian of that tribe, who became much attached to me, and had some notion of buying me, after hearing that I was for sale, being a slaveholder.  The idea struck me rather favorable, for several reasons.  First, I thought I should stand a better chance to get away from an Indian than from a white man.  Second, he wanted me only for a kind of a body servant to wait on him—­and in this case I knew that I should fare better than I should in the field.  And my owners also told me that it would be an easy place to get away from.  I took their advice for fear I might not get another chance so good as that, and prevailed on the man to buy me.  He paid them nine hundred dollars, in gold and silver, for me.  I saw the money counted out.