Дванадцять років рабства
Chapter 5
Itwasconcludedtodelay,trustingthataknowledgeofwhereIwasmighteventuallybeobtained.
Ahappyandtouchingscenewaswitnessedimmediatelyuponourreachingthelevee. JustasManningleftthebrig,onhiswaytothepost-office,twomencameupandcalledaloudforArthur. Thelatter,asherecognizedthem,wasalmostcrazywithdelight. Hecouldhardlyberestrainedfromleapingoverthebrig’sside; andwhentheymetsoonafter,hegraspedthembythehand,andclungtothemalong,longtime. TheyweremenfromNorfolk,whohadcomeontoNew-Orleanstorescuehim. Hiskidnappers,theyinformedhim,hadbeenarrested,andwerethenconfinedintheNorfolkprison. Theyconversedafewmomentswiththecaptain,andthendepartedwiththerejoicingArthur.
Butinallthecrowdthatthrongedthewharf,therewasnoonewhokneworcaredforme. Notone. Nofamiliarvoicegreetedmyears,norwasthereasinglefacethatIhadeverseen. SoonArthurwouldrejoinhisfamily,andhavethesatisfactionofseeinghiswrongsavenged:myfamily,alas,shouldIeverseethemmore? Therewasafeelingofutterdesolationinmyheart,fillingitwithadespairingandregretfulsense,thatIhadnotgonedownwithRoberttothebottomofthesea.
Verysoontradersandconsigneescameonboard. One,atall,thin-facedman,withlightcomplexionandalittlebent,madehisappearance,withapaperinhishand. Burch’sgang,consistingofmyself,Elizaandherchildren,Harry,Lethe,andsomeothers,whohadjoinedusatRichmond,wereconsignedtohim.