Дванадцять років рабства

           Terrifiedbysuchunpleasantsalutations,shefinallyconcludedtoabandonherlonelydwelling; and,accordingly,returningtohermaster,wasscourged,herneckmeanwhilebeingfastenedinthestocks,andsentintothefieldagain. 

           TheyearbeforemyarrivalinthecountrytherewasaconcertedmovementamonganumberofslavesonBayouBœuf,thatterminatedtragicallyindeed. Itwas,Ipresume,amatterofnewspapernotorietyatthetime,butalltheknowledgeIhaveofit,hasbeenderivedfromtherelationofthoselivingatthatperiodintheimmediatevicinityoftheexcitement. Ithasbecomeasubjectofgeneralandunfailinginterestineveryslave-hutonthebayou,andwilldoubtlessgodowntosucceedinggenerationsastheirchieftradition. LewCheney,withwhomIbecameacquainted—ashrewd,cunningnegro,moreintelligentthanthegeneralityofhisrace,butunscrupulousandfulloftreachery—conceivedtheprojectoforganizingacompanysufficientlystrongtofighttheirwayagainstallopposition,totheneighboringterritoryofMexico. 

           Aremotespot,farwithinthedepthsoftheswamp,backofHawkins’plantation,wasselectedastherallyingpoint. Lewflittedfromoneplantationtoanother,inthedeadofnight,preachingacrusadetoMexico,and,likePetertheHermit,creatingafurorofexcitementwhereverheappeared. Atlengthalargenumberofrunawayswereassembled; stolenmules,andcorngatheredfromthefields,andbaconfilchedfromsmoke-houses,hadbeenconveyedintothewoods.