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Usually
his
whip
was
in
his
hand
,
ready
to
fall
about
the
ears
of
the
presumptuous
thrall
,
who
dared
to
rest
a
moment
,
or
even
stop
to
catch
his
breath
.
When
he
was
himself
exhausted
,
there
would
be
a
brief
cessation
,
but
it
would
be
very
brief
.
With
a
slash
,
and
crack
,
and
flourish
of
the
whip
,
he
would
shout
again
,
"
Dance
,
niggers
,
dance
,
"
and
away
they
would
go
once
more
,
pell-mell
,
while
I
spurred
by
an
occasional
sharp
touch
of
the
lash
,
sat
in
a
corner
,
extracting
from
my
violin
a
marvelous
quick-stepping
tune
.
The
mistress
often
upbraided
him
,
declaring
she
would
return
to
her
father
's
house
at
Cheneyville
;
nevertheless
,
there
were
times
she
could
not
restrain
a
burst
of
laughter
,
on
witnessing
his
uproarious
pranks
.
Frequently
,
we
were
thus
detained
until
almost
morning
.
Bent
with
excessive
toil
--
actually
suffering
for
a
little
refreshing
rest
,
and
feeling
rather
as
if
we
could
cast
ourselves
upon
the
earth
and
weep
,
many
a
night
in
the
house
of
Edwin
Epps
have
his
unhappy
slaves
been
made
to
dance
and
laugh
.
Notwithstanding
these
deprivations
in
order
to
gratify
the
whim
of
an
unreasonable
master
,
we
had
to
be
in
the
field
as
soon
as
it
was
light
,
and
during
the
day
perform
the
ordinary
and
accustomed
task
.
Such
deprivations
could
not
be
urged
at
the
scales
in
extenuation
of
any
lack
of
weight
,
or
in
the
cornfield
for
not
hoeing
with
the
usual
rapidity
.
The
whippings
were
just
as
severe
as
if
we
had
gone
forth
in
the
morning
,
strengthened
and
invigorated
by
a
night
's
repose
.
Indeed
,
after
such
frantic
revels
,
he
was
always
more
sour
and
savage
than
before
,
punishing
for
slighter
causes
,
and
using
the
whip
with
increased
and
more
vindictive
energy
.
Ten
years
I
toiled
for
that
man
without
reward
.
Ten
years
of
my
incessant
labor
has
contributed
to
increase
the
bulk
of
his
possessions
.
Ten
years
I
was
compelled
to
address
him
with
down-cast
eyes
and
uncovered
head
--
in
the
attitude
and
language
of
a
slave
.
I
am
indebted
to
him
for
nothing
,
save
undeserved
abuse
and
stripes
.
Beyond
the
reach
of
his
inhuman
thong
,
and
standing
on
the
soil
of
the
free
State
where
I
was
born
,
thanks
be
to
Heaven
,
I
can
raise
my
head
once
more
among
men
.
I
can
speak
of
the
wrongs
I
have
suffered
,
and
of
those
who
inflicted
them
,
with
upraised
eyes
.
But
I
have
no
desire
to
speak
of
him
or
any
other
one
otherwise
than
truthfully
.
Yet
to
speak
truthfully
of
Edwin
Epps
would
be
to
say
--
he
is
a
man
in
whose
heart
the
quality
of
kindness
or
of
justice
is
not
found
.
A
rough
,
rude
energy
,
united
with
an
uncultivated
mind
and
an
avaricious
spirit
,
are
his
prominent
characteristics
.
He
is
known
as
a
"
nigger
breaker
,
"
distinguished
for
his
faculty
of
subduing
the
spirit
of
the
slave
,
and
priding
himself
upon
his
reputation
in
this
respect
,
as
a
jockey
boasts
of
his
skill
in
managing
a
refractory
horse
.
He
looked
upon
a
colored
man
,
not
as
a
human
being
,
responsible
to
his
Creator
for
the
small
talent
entrusted
to
him
,
but
as
a
"
chattel
personal
,
"
as
mere
live
property
,
no
better
,
except
in
value
,
than
his
mule
or
dog
.
When
the
evidence
,
clear
and
indisputable
,
was
laid
before
him
that
I
was
a
free
man
,
and
as
much
entitled
to
my
liberty
as
he
--
when
,
on
the
day
I
left
,
he
was
informed
that
I
had
a
wife
and
children
,
as
dear
to
me
as
his
own
babes
to
him
,
he
only
raved
and
swore
,
denouncing
the
law
that
tore
me
from
him
,
and
declaring
he
would
find
out
the
man
who
had
forwarded
the
letter
that
disclosed
the
place
of
my
captivity
,
if
there
was
any
virtue
or
power
in
money
,
and
would
take
his
life
.
He
thought
of
nothing
but
his
loss
,
and
cursed
me
for
having
been
born
free
.
He
could
have
stood
unmoved
and
seen
the
tongues
of
his
poor
slaves
torn
out
by
the
roots
--
he
could
have
seen
them
burned
to
ashes
over
a
slow
fire
,
or
gnawed
to
death
by
dogs
,
if
it
only
brought
him
profit
.
Such
a
hard
,
cruel
,
unjust
man
is
Edwin
Epps
.
There
was
but
one
greater
savage
on
Bayou
Bœuf
than
he
.
Jim
Burns
'
plantation
was
cultivated
,
as
already
mentioned
,
exclusively
by
women
.
That
barbarian
kept
their
backs
so
sore
and
raw
,
that
they
could
not
perform
the
customary
labor
demanded
daily
of
the
slave
.
He
boasted
of
his
cruelty
,
and
through
all
the
country
round
was
accounted
a
more
thorough-going
,
energetic
man
than
even
Epps
.
A
brute
himself
,
Jim
Burns
had
not
a
particle
of
mercy
for
his
subject
brutes
,
and
like
a
fool
,
whipped
and
scourged
away
the
very
strength
upon
which
depended
his
amount
of
gain
.
Epps
remained
on
Huff
Power
two
years
,
when
,
having
accumulated
a
considerable
sum
of
money
,
he
expended
it
in
the
purchase
of
the
plantation
on
the
east
bank
of
Bayou
Bœuf
,
where
he
still
continues
to
reside
.
He
took
possession
of
it
in
1845
,
after
the
holidays
were
passed
.
He
carried
thither
with
him
nine
slaves
,
all
of
whom
,
except
myself
,
and
Susan
,
who
has
since
died
,
remain
there
yet
.
He
made
no
addition
to
this
force
,
and
for
eight
years
the
following
were
my
companions
in
his
quarters
,
viz
:
Abram
,
Wiley
,
Phebe
,
Bob
,
Henry
,
Edward
,
and
Patsey
.
All
these
,
except
Edward
,
born
since
,
were
purchased
out
of
a
drove
by
Epps
during
the
time
he
was
overseer
for
Archy
B.
Williams
,
whose
plantation
is
situated
on
the
shore
of
Red
River
,
not
far
from
Alexandria
.
Abram
was
tall
,
standing
a
full
head
above
any
common
man
.
He
is
sixty
years
of
age
,
and
was
born
in
Tennessee
.
Twenty
years
ago
,
he
was
purchased
by
a
trader
,
carried
into
South
Carolina
,
and
sold
to
James
Buford
,
of
Williamsburgh
county
,
in
that
State
.
In
his
youth
he
was
renowned
for
his
great
strength
,
but
age
and
unremitting
toil
have
somewhat
shattered
his
powerful
frame
and
enfeebled
his
mental
faculties
.
