the narrative of the life-第12章

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differences。　　He　found　me　unsuitable　to　his　purpose。

My　city　life；　he　said；　had　had　a　very　pernicious　effect

upon　me。　　It　had　almost　ruined　me　for　every　good

purpose；　and　fitted　me　for　every　thing　which　was

bad。　　One　of　my　greatest　faults　was　that　of　letting

his　horse　run　away；　and　go　down　to　his　father…in…

law's　farm；　which　was　about　five　miles　from　St。

Michael's。　　I　would　then　have　to　go　after　it。　　My

reason　for　this　kind　of　carelessness；　or　carefulness；

was；　that　I　could　always　get　something　to　eat　when

I　went　there。　　Master　William　Hamilton；　my　master's

father…in…law；　always　gave　his　slaves　enough　to　eat。

I　never　left　there　hungry；　no　matter　how　great　the

need　of　my　speedy　return。　　Master　Thomas　at　length

said　he　would　stand　it　no　longer。　　I　had　lived　with

him　nine　months；　during　which　time　he　had　given

me　a　number　of　severe　whippings；　all　to　no　good

purpose。　　He　resolved　to　put　me　out；　as　he　said；　to

be　broken；　and；　for　this　purpose；　he　let　me　for　one

year　to　a　man　named　Edward　Covey。　　Mr。　Covey

was　a　poor　man；　a　farm…renter。　　He　rented　the　place

upon　which　he　lived；　as　also　the　hands　with　which

he　tilled　it。　　Mr。　Covey　had　acquired　a　very　high

reputation　for　breaking　young　slaves；　and　this　repu…

tation　was　of　immense　value　to　him。　　It　enabled　him

to　get　his　farm　tilled　with　much　less　expense　to

himself　than　he　could　have　had　it　done　without

such　a　reputation。　　Some　slaveholders　thought　it　not

much　loss　to　allow　Mr。　Covey　to　have　their　slaves

one　year；　for　the　sake　of　the　training　to　which　they

were　subjected；　without　any　other　compensation。

He　could　hire　young　help　with　great　ease；　in　con…

sequence　of　this　reputation。　　Added　to　the　natural

good　qualities　of　Mr。　Covey；　he　was　a　professor　of

religiona　pious　soula　member　and　a　class…leader　in

the　Methodist　church。　　All　of　this　added　weight　to

his　reputation　as　a　〃nigger…breaker。〃　　I　was　aware　of

all　the　facts；　having　been　made　acquainted　with

them　by　a　young　man　who　had　lived　there。　　I　never…

theless　made　the　change　gladly；　for　I　was　sure　of

getting　enough　to　eat；　which　is　not　the　smallest

consideration　to　a　hungry　man。

　

　

　

　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　X

　

　

　　I　had　left　Master　Thomas's　house；　and　went　to　live

with　Mr。　Covey；　on　the　1st　of　January；　1833。　　I　was

now；　for　the　first　time　in　my　life；　a　field　hand。　　In

my　new　employment；　I　found　myself　even　more

awkward　than　a　country　boy　appeared　to　be　in　a

large　city。　　I　had　been　at　my　new　home　but　one

week　before　Mr。　Covey　gave　me　a　very　severe　whip…

ping；　cutting　my　back；　causing　the　blood　to　run；

and　raising　ridges　on　my　flesh　as　large　as　my　little　finger。

The　details　of　this　affair　are　as　follows：　Mr。　Covey

sent　me；　very　early　in　the　morning　of　one　of　our

coldest　days　in　the　month　of　January；　to　the　woods；

to　get　a　load　of　wood。　　He　gave　me　a　team　of　un…

broken　oxen。　　He　told　me　which　was　the　in…hand　ox；

and　which　the　off…hand　one。　　He　then　tied　the　end

of　a　large　rope　around　the　horns　of　the　in…hand　ox；

and　gave　me　the　other　end　of　it；　and　told　me；　if

the　oxen　started　to　run；　that　I　must　hold　on　upon

the　rope。　　I　had　never　driven　oxen　before；　and　of

course　I　was　very　awkward。　　I；　however；　succeeded　in

getting　to　the　edge　of　the　woods　with　little　diffi…

culty；　but　I　had　got　a　very　few　rods　into　the　woods；

when　the　oxen　took　fright；　and　started　full　tilt；　carry…

ing　the　cart　against　trees；　and　over　stumps；　in　the

most　frightful　manner。　　I　expected　every　moment

that　my　brains　would　be　dashed　out　against　the

trees。　　After　running　thus　for　a　considerable　dis…

tance；　they　finally　upset　the　cart；　dashing　it　with

great　force　against　a　tree；　and　threw　themselves　into

a　dense　thicket。　　How　I　escaped　death；　I　do　not

know。　　There　I　was；　entirely　alone；　in　a　thick　wood；

in　a　place　new　to　me。　　My　cart　was　upset　and　shat…

tered；　my　oxen　were　entangled　among　the　young

trees；　and　there　was　none　to　help　me。　　After　a　long

spell　of　effort；　I　succeeded　in　getting　my　cart　righted；

my　oxen　disentangled；　and　again　yoked　to　the　cart。

I　now　proceeded　with　my　team　to　the　place　where

I　had；　the　day　before；　been　chopping　wood；　and

loaded　my　cart　pretty　heavily；　thinking　in　this　way

to　tame　my　oxen。　　I　then　proceeded　on　my　way

home。　　I　had　now　consumed　one　half　of　the　day。　　I

got　out　of　the　woods　safely；　and　now　felt　out　of

danger。　　I　stopped　my　oxen　to　open　the　woods　gate；

and　just　as　I　did　so；　before　I　could　get　hold　of　my

ox…rope；　the　oxen　again　started；　rushed　through　the

gate；　catching　it　between　the　wheel　and　the　body　of

the　cart；　tearing　it　to　pieces；　and　coming　within　a

few　inches　of　crushing　me　against　the　gate…post。　　Thus

twice；　in　one　short　day；　I　escaped　death　by　the

merest　chance。　　On　my　return；　I　told　Mr。　Covey

what　had　happened；　and　how　it　happened。　　He　or…

dered　me　to　return　to　the　woods　again　immediately。

I　did　so；　and　he　followed　on　after　me。　　Just　as　I　got

into　the　woods；　he　came　up　and　told　me　to　stop　my

cart；　and　that　he　would　teach　me　how　to　trifle　away

my　time；　and　break　gates。　　He　then　went　to　a　large

gum…tree；　and　with　his　axe　cut　three　large　switches；

and；　after　trimming　them　up　neatly　with　his　pocket…

knife；　he　ordered　me　to　take　off　my　clothes。　　I　made

him　no　answer；　but　stood　with　my　clothes　on。　　He

repeated　his　order。　　I　still　made　him　no　answer；　nor

did　I　move　to　strip　myself。　　Upon　this　he　rushed

at　me　with　the　fierceness　of　a　tiger；　tore　off　my

clothes；　and　lashed　me　till　he　had　worn　out　his

switches；　cutting　me　so　savagely　as　to　leave　the　marks

visible　for　a　long　time　after。　　This　whipping　was　the

first　of　a　number　just　like　it；　and　for　similar　of…

fences。

　

　　I　lived　with　Mr。　Covey　one　year。　　During　the　first

six　months；　of　that　year；　scarce　a　week　passed　with…

out　his　whipping　me。　　I　was　seldom　free　from　a　sore

back。　　My　awkwardness　was　almost　always　his　ex…

cuse　for　whipping　me。　　We　were　worked　fully　up

to　the　point　of　endurance。　　Long　before　day　we　were

up；　our　horses　fed；　and　by　the　first　approach　of　day

we　were　off　to　the　field　with　our　hoes　and　plough…

ing　teams。　　Mr。　Covey　gave　us　enough　to　eat；　but

scarce　time　to　eat　it。　　We　were　often　less　than　five

minutes　taking　our　meals。　　We　were　often　in　the　field

from　the　first　approach　of　day　till　its　last　lingering

ray　had　left　us；　and　at　saving…fodder　time；　midnight

often　caught　us　in　the　field　binding　blades。

　

　　Covey　would　be　out　with　us。　　The　way　he　used　to

stand　it；　was　this。　　He　would　spend　the　most　of　his

afternoons　in　bed。　　He　would　then　come　out　fresh

in　the　evening；　ready　to　urge　us　on　with　his　words；

example；　and　frequently　with　the　whip。　　Mr。　Covey

was　one　of　the　few　slaveholders　who　could　and　did

work　with　his　hands。　　He　was　a　hard…working　man。

He　knew　by　himself　just　what　a　man　or　a　boy　could

do。　　There　was　no　deceiving　him。　　His　work　went　on

in　his　absence　almost　as　well　as　in　his　presence；　and

he　had　the　faculty　of　making　us　feel　that　he　was

ever　present　with　us。　　This　he　did　by　surprising　us。

He　seldom　approached　the　spot　where　we　were　at

work　openly；　if　he　could　do　it　secretly。　　He　always

aimed　at　taking　us　by　surprise。　　Such　was　his　cunning；

that　we　used　to　call　him；　among　ourselves；　〃the

snake。〃　　When　we　were　at　work　in　the　cornfield；　he

would　sometimes　crawl　on　his　hands　and　knees　to

avoid　detection；　and　all　at　once　he　would　rise

nearly　in　our　midst；　and　scream　out；　〃Ha；　ha！

Come；　come！　　Dash　on；　dash　on！〃　　This　being　his

mode　of　attack；　it　was　never　safe　to　stop　a　single

minute。　　His　comings　were　like　a　thief　in　the　night。

He　appeared　to　us　as　being　ever　at　hand。　　He　was

under　every　tree；　behind　every　stump；　in　every　bush；

and　at　every　window；　on　the　plantation。　　He　would

sometimes　mount　his　horse；　as　if　bound　to　St。　Mi…

chael's；　a　distance　of　seven　miles；　and　in　half　an

hour　afterwards　you　would　see　him　coiled　up　in

the　corner　of　the　wood…fence；　watching　every　motion

of　the　slaves。　　He　would；　for　this　purpose；　leave　his

horse　tied　up　in　the　woods。　　Again；　he　would　some…

times　walk　up　to　us；　and　give　us　orders　as　though

he　was　upon　the　point　of　starting　on　a　long　journey；

turn　his　back　upon　us；　and　make　as　though　he　was

going　to　the　house　to　get　ready；　and；　before　he　would

get　half　way　thither；　he　would　turn　short　and　crawl

into　a　fence…corner；　or　behind　some　tree；　and　there

watch　us　till　the　going　down　of　the　sun。

　

　　Mr。　Covey's　FORTE　consisted　in　his　power　to　de…

ceive。　　His　life　was　devoted　to　planning　and　perpe…

trating　the　grossest　deceptions。　　Every　thing　he　pos…

sessed　in　the　shape　of　learning　or　religion；　he　made

conform　to　his　disposition　to　deceive。　　He　seemed

to　think　himself　equal　to　deceiving　the　Almighty。

He　would　make　a　short　prayer　in　the　morning；　and

a　long　prayer　at　night；　and；　strange　as　it　may　seem；

few　men　would　at　times　appear　more　devotional

than　he。　　The　exercises　of　his　family　devotions　were

always　commenced　with　singing；　and；　as　he　was　a

very　poor　singer　himself；　the　duty　of　raising　the

hymn　generally　came　upon　me。　　He　would　read　his

hymn；　and　nod　at　me　to　commence。　　I　would　at

times　do　so；　at　others；　I　would　not。　　My　non…com…

pliance　would　almost　always　produce　much　confu…

sion。　　To　show　himself　independent　of　me；　he　would

start　and　stagger　through　with　his　hymn　in　the　most

discordant　manner。　　In　this　state　of　mind；　he　prayed

with　more　than　ordinary　spirit。　　Poor　man！　such　was

his　disposition；　and　success　at　deceiving；　I　do　verily

believe　that　he　sometimes　deceived　himself　into　the

solemn　belief；　that　he　was　a　sincere　worshipper　of

the　most　high　God；　and　this；　too；　at　a　time　when

he　may　be　said　to　have　been　guilty　of　compelling

his　woman　slave　to　commit　the　sin　of　adultery。　　The

facts　in　the　case　are　these：　　Mr。　Covey　was　a　poor

man；　he　was　just　commencing　in　life；　he　was　only

able　to　buy　one　slave；　and；　shocking　as　is　the　fact；

he　bought　her；　as　he　said；　for　A　BREEDER。　　This　woman

was　named　Caroline。　　Mr。　Covey　bought　her　from

Mr。　Thomas　Lowe；　about　six　miles　from　St。　Mi…

chael's。　　She　was　a　large；　able…bodied　woman；　about

twenty　years　old。　　She　had　already　given　birth　to　one

child；　which　proved　her　to　be　just　what　he　wanted。

After　buying　her；　he　hired　a　married　man　of　Mr。

Samuel　Harrison；　to　live　with　him　one　year；　and　him

he　used　to　fasten　up　with　her　every　night！　　The　re…

sult　was；　that；　at　the　end　of　the　year；　the　miserable

woman　gave　birth　to　twins。　　At　this　result　Mr。　Covey

seemed　to　be　highly　pleased；　both　with　the　man　and

the　wretched　woman。　　Such　was　his　joy；　and　that　of

his　wife；　that　nothing　they　could　do　for　Caroline

during　her　confinement　was　too　good；　or　too　hard；

to　be　done。　　The　children　were　regarded　as　being

quite　an　addition　to　his　wealth。

　

　　If　at　any　one　time　of　my　life　more　than　another；

I　was　made　to　drink　the　bitterest　dregs　of　slavery；

that　time　was　d