“You must promise that, on my letting this man go, you’ll allow me to walk freely out of this room, and go where I please unattended, on condition that I’ll return at five o’clock this afternoon and deliver myself up to you to go South with you of my own accord, without any trial or bother of any kind.”
The Colonel gave a furtive wink at the policeman Iverson, and replied: “Wall, Peek, that’s no more nor fair, seein’ as you’re sich a smart respectible nigger. But I reckon yer’ll go and stir up the cussed abolitioners.”
“I’ll promise,” returned Peek, “not to tell any one what’s going on.”
Hyde whispered in Iverson’s ear, and the latter nodded assent.
“Wall, Peek,” said Colonel Hyde, “if yer’ll swar, so help yer Gawd, yer’ll do as yer say, we’ll let yer go.”
“Please write down my words, sir,” said Peek, addressing Blake.
The policeman took pen and paper, and wrote, after Peek’s dictation, as follows:—
“We the undersigned swear, on our part, so help us God, we will allow Peculiar Institution to quit this room free and unfollowed, on his promise that he will return and give himself up at five o’clock this P. M. And I, Peculiar Institution, swear, on my part, so help me God, I will, if these terms are carried out, fulfil the above-named promise.”
“Sign that, you five gentlemen, and then I’ll sign,” said Peek.
The five signed. The paper and pen were then handed to Peek, and he added his name in a good legible hand, and gave the paper to Blake.