Двенадцать лет рабства

           HehadbeenabsentatHolmesville,inattendanceatashooting-match,andnoneofuswereawareofhisreturn. WhilehoeingbythesideofPatsey,sheexclaimed,inalowvoice,suddenly, "Platt,d’yeseeoldHog-Jawbeckoningmetocometohim?" 

           Glancingsideways,Idiscoveredhimintheedgeofthefield,motioningandgrimacing,aswashishabitwhenhalf-intoxicated. Awareofhislewdintentions,Patseybegantocry. Iwhisperedhernottolookup,andtocontinueatherwork,asifshehadnotobservedhim. Suspectingthetruthofthematter,however,hesoonstaggereduptomeinagreatrage. 

           "WhatdidyousaytoPats?"hedemanded,withanoath. Imadehimsomeevasiveanswer,whichonlyhadtheeffectofincreasinghisviolence. 

           "Howlonghaveyouownedthisplantation,say,youd——dnigger?"heinquired,withamalicioussneer,atthesametimetakingholdofmyshirtcollarwithonehand,andthrustingtheotherintohispocket. "NowI’llcutyourblackthroat;that’swhatI’lldo,"drawinghisknifefromhispocketashesaidit. Butwithonehandhewasunabletoopenit,untilfinallyseizingthebladeinhisteeth,Isawhewasabouttosucceed,andfeltthenecessityofescapingfromhim,forinhispresentrecklessstate,itwasevidenthewasnotjoking,byanymeans. Myshirtwasopeninfront,andasIturnedroundquicklyandsprangfromhim,whilehestillretainedhisgripe,itwasstrippedentirelyfrommyback. Therewasnodifficultynowineludinghim.