Дванадцять років рабства
Chapter 21
Hisbrotherwasunabletoinformhim,butrising,lefttheoffice,andsoonreturnedwiththeintelligencethat"BassworkedlastsummersomewhereonBayouBœuf."
"Heistheman,"bringingdownhishandemphaticallyonthetable,"whocantellusallaboutSolomonNorthup,"exclaimedWaddill.
Basswasimmediatelysearchedfor,butcouldnotbefound. Aftersomeinquiry,itwasascertainedhewasatthelandingonRedRiver. Procuringaconveyance,youngWaddillandNorthupwerenotlongintraversingthefewmilestothelatterplace. Ontheirarrival,Basswasfound,justonthepointofleaving,tobeabsentafortnightormore. Afteranintroduction,Northupbeggedtheprivilegeofspeakingtohimprivatelyamoment. Theywalkedtogethertowardstheriver,whenthefollowingconversationensued:
"Mr.Bass,"saidNorthup,"allowmetoaskyouifyouwereonBayouBœuflastAugust?"
"Yes,sir,IwasthereinAugust,"wasthereply.
"DidyouwritealetterforacoloredmanatthatplacetosomegentlemaninSaratogaSprings?"
"Excuseme,sir,ifIsaythatisnoneofyourbusiness,"answeredBass,stoppingandlookinghisinterrogatorsearchinglyintheface.
"PerhapsIamratherhasty,Mr.Bass;Ibegyourpardon; butIhavecomefromtheStateofNew-Yorktoaccomplishthepurposethewriterofaletterdatedthe15thofAugust,post-markedatMarksville,hadinview. Circumstanceshaveledmetothinkthatyouareperhapsthemanwhowroteit. IaminsearchofSolomonNorthup.
