I was soon waited upon by the conductor, and ordered out; whereupon I demanded the reason for my invidious removal.

After a good deal of parleying, I was told that it was because I{310} was black.

This I denied, and appealed to the company to sustain my denial; but they were evidently unwilling to commit themselves, on a point so delicate, and requiring such nice powers of discrimination, for they remained as dumb as death.

I was soon waited on by half a dozen fellows of the baser sort (just such as would volunteer to take a bull-dog out of a meeting-house in time of public worship), and told that I must move out of that seat, and if I did not, they would drag me out.

I refused to move, and they clutched me, head, neck, and shoulders.