Дванадцять років рабства

           ItoccurrednotmanymilesfromEpps’plantationonRedRiver. Theslavewasgivenhistaskatsplittingrails. Inthecourseofthedaytheoverseersenthimonanerrand,whichoccupiedsomuchtimethatitwasnotpossibleforhimtoperformthetask. Thenextdayhewascalledtoanaccount,butthelossoftimeoccasionedbytheerrandwasnoexcuse,andhewasorderedtokneelandbarehisbackforthereceptionofthelash. Theywereinthewoodsalone—beyondthereachofsightorhearing. Theboysubmitteduntilmaddenedatsuchinjustice,andinsanewithpain,hesprangtohisfeet,andseizinganaxe,literallychoppedtheoverseerinpieces. Hemadenoattemptwhateveratconcealment,buthasteningtohismaster,relatedthewholeaffair,anddeclaredhimselfreadytoexpiatethewrongbythesacrificeofhislife. Hewasledtothescaffold,andwhiletheropewasaroundhisneck,maintainedanundismayedandfearlessbearing,andwithhislastwordsjustifiedtheact. 

           Besidestheoverseer,therearedriversunderhim,thenumberbeinginproportiontothenumberofhandsinthefield. Thedriversareblack,who,inadditiontotheperformanceoftheirequalshareofwork,arecompelledtodothewhippingoftheirseveralgangs. Whipshangaroundtheirnecks,andiftheyfailtousethemthoroughly,arewhippedthemselves. Theyhaveafewprivileges,however;forexample,incane-cuttingthehandsarenotallowedtositdownlongenoughtoeattheirdinners. Cartsfilledwithcorncake,cookedatthekitchen,aredrivenintothefieldatnoon.