Двенадцать лет рабства

           Therendezvouswascautiouslysurrounded,andallofthemtakenprisoners. TheyhadescapedfromaplantationinthevicinityofLamourie,andhadbeensecretedtherethreeweeks. Theyhadnoevildesignuponme,excepttofrightenmeoutofmypig. HavingobservedmepassingtowardsFord’sjustatnight-fall,andsuspectingthenatureofmyerrand,theyhadfollowedme,seenmebutcheranddresstheporker,andstartonmyreturn. Theyhadbeenpinchedforfood,andweredriventothisextremitybynecessity. Adamconveyedthemtotheparishjail,andwasliberallyrewarded. 

           Notunfrequentlytherunawayloseshislifeintheattempttoescape. Epps’premiseswereboundedononesidebyCarey’s,averyextensivesugarplantation. Hecultivatesannuallyatleastfifteenhundredacresofcane,manufacturingtwenty-twoortwenty-threehundredhogsheadsofsugar;anhogsheadandahalfbeingtheusualyieldofanacre. Besidesthishealsocultivatesfiveorsixhundredacresofcornandcotton. Heownedlastyearonehundredandfiftythreefieldhands,besidesnearlyasmanychildren,andyearlyhiresadroveduringthebusyseasonfromthissidetheMississippi. 

           Oneofhisnegrodrivers,apleasant,intelligentboy,wasnamedAugustus. Duringtheholidays,andoccasionallywhileatworkinadjoiningfields,Ihadanopportunityofmakinghisacquaintance,whicheventuallyripenedintoawarmandmutualattachment. Summerbeforelasthewassounfortunateastoincurthedispleasureoftheoverseer,acoarse,heartlessbrute,whowhippedhimmostcruelly.