He can help you!
Jesus Christ can't help you now!"
At these words, which I never shall forget, my blood ran cold.
I could look on no longer. Disgusted, sick, and horror-struck,
I turned away and leaned over the rail, and looked down into the
water. A few rapid thoughts of my own situation, and of the
prospect of future revenge, crossed my mind; but the falling of the
blows and the cries of the man called me back at once. At length
they ceased, and turning round, I found that the mate, at a signal
from the captain had cut him down. Almost doubled up with pain,
the man walked slowly forward, and went down into the forecastle.
Every one else stood still at his post, while the captain, swelling
with rage and with the importance of his achievement, walked the
quarter-deck, and at each turn, as he came forward, calling out to
us, - "You see your condition! You see where I've got you all, and
you know what to expect!" - "You've been mistaken in me - you didn't
know what I was! Now you know what I am!" - "I'll make you toe the
mark, every soul of you, or I'll flog you all, fore and aft, from the
boy, up!" - "You've got a driver over you! Yes, a slave-driver -
a negro-driver! I'll see who'll tell me he isn't a negro slave!"
With this and the like matter, equally calculated to quiet us, and to
allay any apprehensions of future trouble, he entertained us for
about ten minutes, when he went below. Soon after, John came aft,
with his bare back covered with stripes and wales in every direction,
and dreadfully swollen, and asked the steward to ask the captain to
let him have some salve, or balsam, to put upon it. "No," said
the captain, who heard him from below; "tell him to put his shirt
on; that's the best thing for him; and pull me ashore in the boat.
Nobody is going to lay-up on board this vessel." He then called to
Mr. Russell to take those men and two others in the boat, and pull
him ashore. I went for one. The two men could hardly bend their
backs, and the captain called to them to "give way," "give way!" but
finding they did their best, he let them alone. The agent was in
the stern sheets, but during the whole pull - a league or more - not
a word was spoken. We landed; the captain, agent, and officer went
up to the house, and left us with the boat. I, and the man with me,
staid near the boat, while John and Sam walked slowly away, and sat
down on the rocks. They talked some time together, but at length
separated, each sitting alone. I had some fears of John. He was
a foreigner, and violently tempered, and under suffering; and he
had his knife with him, and the captain was to come down alone
to the boat.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 82 of 324
Words from 42256 to 42768
of 170236
