Дванадцять років рабства

           Thereuponheorderedthemtothestocks—acommonthingonplantationsintheRedRivercountry. Thestocksareformedoftwoplanks,theloweronemadefastattheendstotwoshortposts,drivenfirmlyintotheground. Atregulardistanceshalfcirclesarecutintheupperedge. Theotherplankisfastenedtooneofthepostsbyahinge,sothatitcanbeopenedorshutdown,inthesamemannerasthebladeofapocket-knifeisshutoropened. Intheloweredgeoftheupperplankcorrespondinghalfcirclesarealsocut,sothatwhentheyclose,arowofholesisformedlargeenoughtoadmitanegro’slegabovetheankle,butnotlargeenoughtoenablehimtodrawouthisfoot. Theotherendoftheupperplank,oppositethehinge,isfastenedtoitspostbylockandkey. Theslaveismadetositupontheground,whentheuppermostplankiselevated,hislegs,justabovetheankles,placedinthesub-halfcircles,andshuttingitdownagain,andlockingit,heisheldsecureandfast. Veryoftentheneckinsteadoftheankleisenclosed. Inthismannertheyareheldduringtheoperationofwhipping. 

           Warner,WillandMajor,accordingtoTanner’saccountofthem,weremelon-stealing,Sabbath-breakingniggers,andnotapprovingofsuchwickedness,hefeltithisdutytoputtheminthestocks. Handingmethekey,himself,Myers,MistressTannerandthechildrenenteredthecarriageanddroveawaytochurchatCheneyville. Whentheyweregone,theboysbeggedmetoletthemout.