Двенадцать лет рабства

           Theydonotdaretostopevenatdinnertime,norreturntothequarters,howeverlateitbe,untiltheordertohaltisgivenbythedriver. 

           Theday’sworkoverinthefield,thebasketsare"toted,"orinotherwords,carriedtothegin-house,wherethecottonisweighed. Nomatterhowfatiguedandwearyhemaybe—nomatterhowmuchhelongsforsleepandrest—aslaveneverapproachesthegin-housewithhisbasketofcottonbutwithfear. Ifitfallsshortinweight—ifhehasnotperformedthefulltaskappointedhim,heknowsthathemustsuffer. Andifhehasexceededitbytenortwentypounds,inallprobabilityhismasterwillmeasurethenextday’staskaccordingly. So,whetherhehastoolittleortoomuch,hisapproachtothegin-houseisalwayswith,fearandtrembling. Mostfrequentlytheyhavetoolittle,andthereforeitistheyarenotanxioustoleavethefield. Afterweighing,followthewhippings;andthenthebasketsarecarriedtothecottonhouse,andtheircontentsstoredawaylikehay,allhandsbeingsentintotrampitdown. Ifthecottonisnotdry,insteadoftakingittothegin-houseatonce,itislaiduponplatforms,twofeethigh,andsomethreetimesaswide,coveredwithboardsorplank,withnarrowwalksrunningbetweenthem. 

           Thisdone,thelaborofthedayisnotyetended,byanymeans. Eachonemustthenattendtohisrespectivechores. Onefeedsthemules,anothertheswine—anothercutsthewood,andsoforth;besides,thepackingisalldonebycandlelight.