Дванадцять років рабства

           Heunlockedthefettersfrommyankles,openedtheshuttersofthelittlewindow,anddeparted,leavingmeagainalone. 

           BythistimeIhadbecomestiffandsore;mybodywascoveredwithblisters,anditwaswithgreatpainanddifficultythatIcouldmove. FromthewindowIcouldobservenothingbuttheroofrestingontheadjacentwall. AtnightIlaiddownuponthedamp,hardfloor,withoutanypilloworcoveringwhatever. Punctually,twiceaday,Radburncamein,withhispork,andbread,andwater. Ihadbutlittleappetite,thoughIwastormentedwithcontinualthirst. Mywoundswouldnotpermitmetoremainbutafewminutesinanyoneposition;so,sitting,orstanding,ormovingslowlyround,Ipassedthedaysandnights. Iwasheartsickanddiscouraged. Thoughtsofmyfamily,ofmywifeandchildren,continuallyoccupiedmymind. WhensleepoverpoweredmeIdreamedofthem—dreamedIwasagaininSaratoga—thatIcouldseetheirfaces,andheartheirvoicescallingme. Awakeningfromthepleasantphantasmsofsleeptothebitterrealitiesaroundme,Icouldbutgroanandweep. Stillmyspiritwasnotbroken. Iindulgedtheanticipationofescape,andthatspeedily. Itwasimpossible,Ireasoned,thatmencouldbesounjustastodetainmeasaslave,whenthetruthofmycasewasknown. Burch,ascertainingIwasnorunawayfromGeorgia,wouldcertainlyletmego. ThoughsuspicionsofBrownandHamiltonwerenotunfrequent,Icouldnotreconcilemyselftotheideathattheywereinstrumentaltomyimprisonment. Surelytheywouldseekmeout—theywoulddelivermefromthraldom. Alas! Ihadnotthenlearnedthemeasureof"man’sinhumanitytoman,"nortowhatlimitlessextentofwickednesshewillgofortheloveofgain. 

           Inthecourseofseveraldaystheouterdoorwasthrownopen,allowingmethelibertyoftheyard. ThereIfoundthreeslaves—oneofthemaladoftenyears,theothersyoungmenofabouttwentyandtwenty-five. Iwasnotlonginforminganacquaintance,andlearningtheirnamesandtheparticularsoftheirhistory.