Двенадцать лет рабства

           Lyingcloseuponthedeck,Icouldseewhatwasgoingonaroundme,whilewhollyunperceivedmyself. Inthemorning,astheycameup,Islippedfrommyhidingplacewithoutbeingobserved. Theresultwasentirelysatisfactory. 

           Thecaptainandmatesleptinthecabinoftheformer. FromRobert,whohadfrequentoccasion,inhiscapacityofwaiter,tomakeobservationsinthatquarter,weascertainedtheexactpositionoftheirrespectiveberths. Hefurtherinformedusthattherewerealwaystwopistolsandacutlasslyingonthetable. Thecrew’scooksleptinthecookgalleyondeck,asortofvehicleonwheels,thatcouldbemovedaboutasconveniencerequired,whilethesailors,numberingonlysix,eithersleptintheforecastle,orinhammocksswungamongtherigging. 

           Finallyourarrangementswereallcompleted. ArthurandIweretostealsilentlytothecaptain’scabin,seizethepistolsandcutlass,andasquicklyaspossibledespatchhimandthemate. Robert,withaclub,wastostandbythedoorleadingfromthedeckdownintothecabin,and,incaseofnecessity,beatbackthesailors,untilwecouldhurrytohisassistance. Weweretoproceedthenascircumstancesmightrequire. Shouldtheattackbesosuddenandsuccessfulastopreventresistance,thehatchwastoremainbarreddown; otherwisetheslavesweretobecalledup,andinthecrowd,andhurry,andconfusionofthetime,weresolvedtoregainourlibertyorloseourlives.