Дванадцять років рабства
Chapter 9
Theygatheredroundme,askingmanyquestionsaboutthedifficultywithTibeatsinthemorning—andtheparticularsofalltheoccurrencesoftheday. ThenRachelcamein,andinhersimplelanguage,repeateditoveragain—dwellingemphaticallyonthekickthatsentTibeatsrollingoverontheground—whereupontherewasageneraltitterthroughoutthecrowd. ThenshedescribedhowChapinwalkedoutwithhispistolsandrescuedme,andhowMasterFordcuttheropeswithhisknife,justasifhewasmad.
BythistimeLawsonhadreturned. HehadtoregalethemwithanaccountofhistriptothePineWoods—howthebrownmuleborehimfasterthana"streako’lightnin"—howheastonishedeverybodyasheflewalong—howMasterFordstartedrightaway—howhesaidPlattwasagoodnigger,andtheyshouldn’tkillhim, concludingwithprettystrongintimationsthattherewasnotanotherhumanbeinginthewideworld,whocouldhavecreatedsuchauniversalsensationontheroad,orperformedsuchamarvelousJohnGilpinfeat,ashehaddonethatdayonthebrownmule.
Thekindcreaturesloadedmewiththeexpressionoftheirsympathy—saying,Tibeatswasahard,cruelman,andhoping"MassaFord"wouldgetmebackagain. Inthismannertheypassedthetime,discussing,chatting,talkingoverandoveragaintheexcitingaffair,untilsuddenlyChapinpresentedhimselfatthecabindoorandcalledme.
"Platt,"saidhe,"youwillsleeponthefloorinthegreathouseto-night;bringyourblanketwithyou."
