the narrative of the life-第16章

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cruel　lash。　　The　secret　of　master's　cruelty　toward

〃Henny〃　is　found　in　the　fact　of　her　being　almost

helpless。　　When　quite　a　child；　she　fell　into　the　fire；

and　burned　herself　horribly。　　Her　hands　were　so

burnt　that　she　never　got　the　use　of　them。　　She　could

do　very　little　but　bear　heavy　burdens。　　She　was　to

master　a　bill　of　expense；　and　as　he　was　a　mean　man；

she　was　a　constant　offence　to　him。　　He　seemed

desirous　of　getting　the　poor　girl　out　of　existence。

He　gave　her　away　once　to　his　sister；　but；　being　a

poor　gift；　she　was　not　disposed　to　keep　her。　　Finally；

my　benevolent　master；　to　use　his　own　words；　〃set

her　adrift　to　take　care　of　herself。〃　　Here　was　a　re…

cently…converted　man；　holding　on　upon　the　mother；

and　at　the　same　time　turning　out　her　helpless　child；

to　starve　and　die！　　Master　Thomas　was　one　of　the

many　pious　slaveholders　who　hold　slaves　for　the

very　charitable　purpose　of　taking　care　of　them。

　

　　My　master　and　myself　had　quite　a　number　of

differences。　　He　found　me　unsuitable　to　his　purpose。

My　city　life；　he　said；　had　had　a　very　pernicious　effect

upon　me。　　It　had　almost　ruined　me　for　every　good

purpose；　and　fitted　me　for　every　thing　which　was

bad。　　One　of　my　greatest　faults　was　that　of　letting

his　horse　run　away；　and　go　down　to　his　father…in…

law's　farm；　which　was　about　five　miles　from　St。

Michael's。　　I　would　then　have　to　go　after　it。　　My

reason　for　this　kind　of　carelessness；　or　carefulness；

was；　that　I　could　always　get　something　to　eat　when

I　went　there。　　Master　William　Hamilton；　my　master's

father…in…law；　always　gave　his　slaves　enough　to　eat。

I　never　left　there　hungry；　no　matter　how　great　the

need　of　my　speedy　return。　　Master　Thomas　at　length

said　he　would　stand　it　no　longer。　　I　had　lived　with

him　nine　months；　during　which　time　he　had　given

me　a　number　of　severe　whippings；　all　to　no　good

purpose。　　He　resolved　to　put　me　out；　as　he　said；　to

be　broken；　and；　for　this　purpose；　he　let　me　for　one

year　to　a　man　named　Edward　Covey。　　Mr。　Covey

was　a　poor　man；　a　farm…renter。　　He　rented　the　place

upon　which　he　lived；　as　also　the　hands　with　which

he　tilled　it。　　Mr。　Covey　had　acquired　a　very　high

reputation　for　breaking　young　slaves；　and　this　repu…

tation　was　of　immense　value　to　him。　　It　enabled　him

to　get　his　farm　tilled　with　much　less　expense　to

himself　than　he　could　have　had　it　done　without

such　a　reputation。　　Some　slaveholders　thought　it　not

much　loss　to　allow　Mr。　Covey　to　have　their　slaves

one　year；　for　the　sake　of　the　training　to　which　they

were　subjected；　without　any　other　compensation。

He　could　hire　young　help　with　great　ease；　in　con…

sequence　of　this　reputation。　　Added　to　the　natural

good　qualities　of　Mr。　Covey；　he　was　a　professor　of

religiona　pious　soula　member　and　a　class…leader　in

the　Methodist　church。　　All　of　this　added　weight　to

his　reputation　as　a　〃nigger…breaker。〃　　I　was　aware　of

all　the　facts；　having　been　made　acquainted　with

them　by　a　young　man　who　had　lived　there。　　I　never…

theless　made　the　change　gladly；　for　I　was　sure　of

getting　enough　to　eat；　which　is　not　the　smallest

consideration　to　a　hungry　man。

　

　

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　X

　

　

　　I　had　left　Master　Thomas's　house；　and　went　to　live

with　Mr。　Covey；　on　the　1st　of　January；　1833。　　I　was

now；　for　the　first　time　in　my　life；　a　field　hand。　　In

my　new　employment；　I　found　myself　even　more

awkward　than　a　country　boy　appeared　to　be　in　a

large　city。　　I　had　been　at　my　new　home　but　one

week　before　Mr。　Covey　gave　me　a　very　severe　whip…

ping；　cutting　my　back；　causing　the　blood　to　run；

and　raising　ridges　on　my　flesh　as　large　as　my　little　finger。

The　details　of　this　affair　are　as　follows：　Mr。　Covey

sent　me；　very　early　in　the　morning　of　one　of　our

coldest　days　in　the　month　of　January；　to　the　woods；

to　get　a　load　of　wood。　　He　gave　me　a　team　of　un…

broken　oxen。　　He　told　me　which　was　the　in…hand　ox；

and　which　the　off…hand　one。　　He　then　tied　the　end

of　a　large　rope　around　the　horns　of　the　in…hand　ox；

and　gave　me　the　other　end　of　it；　and　told　me；　if

the　oxen　started　to　run；　that　I　must　hold　on　upon

the　rope。　　I　had　never　driven　oxen　before；　and　of

course　I　was　very　awkward。　　I；　however；　succeeded　in

getting　to　the　edge　of　the　woods　with　little　diffi…

culty；　but　I　had　got　a　very　few　rods　into　the　woods；

when　the　oxen　took　fright；　and　started　full　tilt；　carry…

ing　the　cart　against　trees；　and　over　stumps；　in　the

most　frightful　manner。　　I　expected　every　moment

that　my　brains　would　be　dashed　out　against　the

trees。　　After　running　thus　for　a　considerable　dis…

tance；　they　finally　upset　the　cart；　dashing　it　with

great　force　against　a　tree；　and　threw　themselves　into

a　dense　thicket。　　How　I　escaped　death；　I　do　not

know。　　There　I　was；　entirely　alone；　in　a　thick　wood；

in　a　place　new　to　me。　　My　cart　was　upset　and　shat…

tered；　my　oxen　were　entangled　among　the　young

trees；　and　there　was　none　to　help　me。　　After　a　long

spell　of　effort；　I　succeeded　in　getting　my　cart　righted；

my　oxen　disentangled；　and　again　yoked　to　the　cart。

I　now　proceeded　with　my　team　to　the　place　where

I　had；　the　day　before；　been　chopping　wood；　and

loaded　my　cart　pretty　heavily；　thinking　in　this　way

to　tame　my　oxen。　　I　then　proceeded　on　my　way

home。　　I　had　now　consumed　one　half　of　the　day。　　I

got　out　of　the　woods　safely；　and　now　felt　out　of

danger。　　I　stopped　my　oxen　to　open　the　woods　gate；

and　just　as　I　did　so；　before　I　could　get　hold　of　my

ox…rope；　the　oxen　again　started；　rushed　through　the

gate；　catching　it　between　the　wheel　and　the　body　of

the　cart；　tearing　it　to　pieces；　and　coming　within　a

few　inches　of　crushing　me　against　the　gate…post。　　Thus

twice；　in　one　short　day；　I　escaped　death　by　the

merest　chance。　　On　my　return；　I　told　Mr。　Covey

what　had　happened；　and　how　it　happened。　　He　or…

dered　me　to　return　to　the　woods　again　immediately。

I　did　so；　and　he　followed　on　after　me。　　Just　as　I　got

into　the　woods；　he　came　up　and　told　me　to　stop　my

cart；　and　that　he　would　teach　me　how　to　trifle　away

my　time；　and　break　gates。　　He　then　went　to　a　large

gum…tree；　and　with　his　axe　cut　three　large　switches；

and；　after　trimming　them　up　neatly　with　his　pocket…

knife；　he　ordered　me　to　take　off　my　clothes。　　I　made

him　no　answer；　but　stood　with　my　clothes　on。　　He

repeated　his　order。　　I　still　made　him　no　answer；　nor

did　I　move　to　strip　myself。　　Upon　this　he　rushed

at　me　with　the　fierceness　of　a　tiger；　tore　off　my

clothes；　and　lashed　me　till　he　had　worn　out　his

switches；　cutting　me　so　savagely　as　to　leave　the　marks

visible　for　a　long　time　after。　　This　whipping　was　the

first　of　a　number　just　like　it；　and　for　similar　of…

fences。

　

　　I　lived　with　Mr。　Covey　one　year。　　During　the　first

six　months；　of　that　year；　scarce　a　week　passed　with…

out　his　whipping　me。　　I　was　seldom　free　from　a　sore

back。　　My　awkwardness　was　almost　always　his　ex…

cuse　for　whipping　me。　　We　were　worked　fully　up

to　the　point　of　endurance。　　Long　before　day　we　were

up；　our　horses　fed；　and　by　the　first　approach　of　day

we　were　off　to　the　field　with　our　hoes　and　plough…

ing　teams。　　Mr。　Covey　gave　us　enough　to　eat；　but

scarce　time　to　eat　it。　　We　were　often　less　than　five

minutes　taking　our　meals。　　We　were　often　in　the　field

from　the　first　approach　of　day　till　its　last　lingering

ray　had　left　us；　and　at　saving…fodder　time；　midnight

often　caught　us　in　the　field　binding　blades。

　

　　Covey　would　be　out　with　us。　　The　way　he　used　to

stand　it；　was　this。　　He　would　spend　the　most　of　his

afternoons　in　bed。　　He　would　then　come　out　fresh

in　the　evening；　ready　to　urge　us　on　with　his　words；

example；　and　frequently　with　the　whip。　　Mr。　Covey

was　one　of　the　few　slaveholders　who　could　and　did

work　with　his　hands。　　He　was　a　hard…working　man。

He　knew　by　himself　just　what　a　man　or　a　boy　could

do。　　There　was　no　deceiving　him。　　His　work　went　on

in　his　absence　almost　as　well　as　in　his　presence；　and

he　had　the　faculty　of　making　us　feel　th