Дванадцять років рабства

           "YouworkedunderMyersatPeterTanner’s,didn’tyou?" 

           IrepliedIhad,addingsomecomplimentaryremarksthatMyershadmadeconcerningme. 

           "Well,boy,"saidhe,"Ihavehiredyouofyourmastertoworkformeinthe"BigCaneBrake,"thirty-eightmilesfromhere,downonRedRiver." 

           ThismanwasMr.Eldret,wholivedbelowFord’s,onthesamesideofthebayou. Iaccompaniedhimtohisplantation,andinthemorningstartedwithhisslaveSam,andawagon-loadofprovisions,drawnbyfourmules,fortheBigCane,EldretandMyershavingprecededusonhorseback. ThisSamwasanativeofCharleston,wherehehadamother,brotherandsisters. He"allowed"—acommonwordamongbothblackandwhite—thatTibeatswasameanman,andhoped,asImostearnestlydidalso,thathismasterwouldbuyme. 

           Weproceededdownthesouthshoreofthebayou,crossingitatCarey’splantation;fromthencetoHuffPower,passingwhich,wecameupontheBayouRougeroad,whichrunstowardsRedRiver. AfterpassingthroughBayouRougeSwamp,andjustatsunset,turningfromthehighway,westruckoffintothe"BigCaneBrake." Wefollowedanunbeatentrack,scarcelywideenoughtoadmitthewagon. Thecane,suchasareusedforfishing-rods,wereasthickastheycouldstand. Apersoncouldnotbeseenthroughthemthedistanceofarod. Thepathsofwildbeastsrunthroughtheminvariousdirections—thebearandtheAmericantigeraboundinginthesebrakes,andwhereverthereisabasinofstagnantwater,itisfullofalligators.