Дванадцять років рабства

           "Havingbeenbornfree,justacrosstheriverfromyou,Iamcertainyoumustknowme,andIamherenowaslave. Iwishyoutoobtainfreepapersforme,andforwardthemtomeatMarksville,Louisiana,ParishofAvoyelles,andoblige 

           "Yours, SOLOMONNORTHUP. 

           "ThewayIcametobeaslave,IwastakensickinWashingtonCity,andwasinsensibleforsometime. WhenIrecoveredmyreason,Iwasrobbedofmyfree-papers,andinironsonmywaytothisState,andhaveneverbeenabletogetanyonetowriteformeuntilnow;andhethatiswritingformerunstheriskofhislifeifdetected." 

           Theallusiontomyselfintheworkrecentlyissued,entitled"AKeytoUncleTom’sCabin,"containsthefirstpartofthisletter,omittingthepostscript. Neitherarethefullnamesofthegentlementowhomitisdirectedcorrectlystated,therebeingaslightdiscrepancy,probablyatypographicalerror. TothepostscriptmorethantothebodyofthecommunicationamIindebtedformyliberation,aswillpresentlybeseen. 

           WhenBassreturnedfromMarksvilleheinformedmeofwhathehaddone. Wecontinuedourmidnightconsultations,neverspeakingtoeachotherthroughtheday,exceptingasitwasnecessaryaboutthework. Asnearlyashewasabletoascertain,itwouldrequiretwoweeksforthelettertoreachSaratogainduecourseofmail,andthesamelengthoftimeforananswertoreturn. Withinsixweeks,atthefarthest,weconcluded,ananswerwouldarrive,ifitarrivedatall.