-
Главная
-
- Книги
-
- Авторы
-
- Соломон Нортап
-
- Двенадцать лет рабства
-
- Стр. 62/98
Для того чтобы воспользоваться озвучкой предложений, необходимо
Войти или зарегистрироваться
Озвучка предложений доступна при наличии PRO-доступа
Купить PRO-доступ
When
the
slave
ceases
to
perspire
,
as
he
often
does
when
taxed
beyond
his
strength
,
he
falls
to
the
ground
and
becomes
entirely
helpless
.
It
is
then
the
duty
of
the
driver
to
drag
him
into
the
shade
of
the
standing
cotton
or
cane
,
or
of
a
neighboring
tree
,
where
he
dashes
buckets
of
water
upon
him
,
and
uses
other
means
of
bringing
out
perspiration
again
,
when
he
is
ordered
to
his
place
,
and
compelled
to
continue
his
labor
.
At
Huff
Power
,
when
I
first
came
to
Epps
'
,
Tom
,
one
of
Roberts
'
negroes
,
was
driver
.
He
was
a
burly
fellow
,
and
severe
in
the
extreme
.
After
Epps
'
removal
to
Bayou
Bœuf
,
that
distinguished
honor
was
conferred
upon
myself
.
Up
to
the
time
of
my
departure
I
had
to
wear
a
whip
about
my
neck
in
the
field
.
If
Epps
was
present
,
I
dared
not
show
any
lenity
,
not
having
the
Christian
fortitude
of
a
certain
well-known
Uncle
Tom
sufficiently
to
brave
his
wrath
,
by
refusing
to
perform
the
office
.
In
that
way
,
only
,
I
escaped
the
immediate
martyrdom
he
suffered
,
and
,
withal
,
saved
my
companions
much
suffering
,
as
it
proved
in
the
end
.
Epps
,
I
soon
found
,
whether
actually
in
the
field
or
not
,
had
his
eyes
pretty
generally
upon
us
.
From
the
piazza
,
from
behind
some
adjacent
tree
,
or
other
concealed
point
of
observation
,
he
was
perpetually
on
the
watch
.
If
one
of
us
had
been
backward
or
idle
through
the
day
,
we
were
apt
to
be
told
all
about
it
on
returning
to
the
quarters
,
and
as
it
was
a
matter
of
principle
with
him
to
reprove
every
offence
of
that
kind
that
came
within
his
knowledge
,
the
offender
not
only
was
certain
of
receiving
a
castigation
for
his
tardiness
,
but
I
likewise
was
punished
for
permitting
it
.
If
,
on
the
other
hand
,
he
had
seen
me
use
the
lash
freely
,
the
man
was
satisfied
.
"
Practice
makes
perfect
,
"
truly
;
and
during
my
eight
years
'
experience
as
a
driver
,
I
learned
to
handle
the
whip
with
marvelous
dexterity
and
precision
,
throwing
the
lash
within
a
hair
's
breadth
of
the
back
,
the
ear
,
the
nose
,
without
,
however
,
touching
either
of
them
.
If
Epps
was
observed
at
a
distance
,
or
we
had
reason
to
apprehend
he
was
sneaking
somewhere
in
the
vicinity
,
I
would
commence
plying
the
lash
vigorously
,
when
,
according
to
arrangement
,
they
would
squirm
and
screech
as
if
in
agony
,
although
not
one
of
them
had
in
fact
been
even
grazed
.
Patsey
would
take
occasion
,
if
he
made
his
appearance
presently
,
to
mumble
in
his
hearing
some
complaints
that
Platt
was
lashing
them
the
whole
time
,
and
Uncle
Abram
,
with
an
appearance
of
honesty
peculiar
to
himself
,
would
declare
roundly
I
had
just
whipped
them
worse
than
General
Jackson
whipped
the
enemy
at
New-Orleans
.
If
Epps
was
not
drunk
,
and
in
one
of
his
beastly
humors
,
this
was
,
in
general
,
satisfactory
.
If
he
was
,
some
one
or
more
of
us
must
suffer
,
as
a
matter
of
course
.
Sometimes
his
violence
assumed
a
dangerous
form
,
placing
the
lives
of
his
human
stock
in
jeopardy
.
On
one
occasion
the
drunken
madman
thought
to
amuse
himself
by
cutting
my
throat
.
He
had
been
absent
at
Holmesville
,
in
attendance
at
a
shooting-match
,
and
none
of
us
were
aware
of
his
return
.
While
hoeing
by
the
side
of
Patsey
,
she
exclaimed
,
in
a
low
voice
,
suddenly
,
"
Platt
,
d'ye
see
old
Hog-Jaw
beckoning
me
to
come
to
him
?
"
Glancing
sideways
,
I
discovered
him
in
the
edge
of
the
field
,
motioning
and
grimacing
,
as
was
his
habit
when
half-intoxicated
.
Aware
of
his
lewd
intentions
,
Patsey
began
to
cry
.
I
whispered
her
not
to
look
up
,
and
to
continue
at
her
work
,
as
if
she
had
not
observed
him
.
Suspecting
the
truth
of
the
matter
,
however
,
he
soon
staggered
up
to
me
in
a
great
rage
.
"
What
did
you
say
to
Pats
?
"
he
demanded
,
with
an
oath
.
I
made
him
some
evasive
answer
,
which
only
had
the
effect
of
increasing
his
violence
.
"
How
long
have
you
owned
this
plantation
,
say
,
you
d
--
--
d
nigger
?
"
he
inquired
,
with
a
malicious
sneer
,
at
the
same
time
taking
hold
of
my
shirt
collar
with
one
hand
,
and
thrusting
the
other
into
his
pocket
.
"
Now
I
'll
cut
your
black
throat
;
that
's
what
I
'll
do
,
"
drawing
his
knife
from
his
pocket
as
he
said
it
.
But
with
one
hand
he
was
unable
to
open
it
,
until
finally
seizing
the
blade
in
his
teeth
,
I
saw
he
was
about
to
succeed
,
and
felt
the
necessity
of
escaping
from
him
,
for
in
his
present
reckless
state
,
it
was
evident
he
was
not
joking
,
by
any
means
.
My
shirt
was
open
in
front
,
and
as
I
turned
round
quickly
and
sprang
from
him
,
while
he
still
retained
his
gripe
,
it
was
stripped
entirely
from
my
back
.
There
was
no
difficulty
now
in
eluding
him
.
He
would
chase
me
until
out
of
breath
,
then
stop
until
it
was
recovered
,
swear
,
and
renew
the
chase
again
.
Now
he
would
command
me
to
come
to
him
,
now
endeavor
to
coax
me
,
but
I
was
careful
to
keep
at
a
respectful
distance
.
In
this
manner
we
made
the
circuit
of
the
field
several
times
,
he
making
desperate
plunges
,
and
I
always
dodging
them
,
more
amused
than
frightened
,
well
knowing
that
when
his
sober
senses
returned
,
he
would
laugh
at
his
own
drunken
folly
.
At
length
I
observed
the
mistress
standing
by
the
yard
fence
,
watching
our
half-serious
,
half-comical
manœuvres
.
Shooting
past
him
,
I
ran
directly
to
her
.
Epps
,
on
discovering
her
,
did
not
follow
.
He
remained
about
the
field
an
hour
or
more
,
during
which
time
I
stood
by
the
mistress
,
having
related
the
particulars
of
what
had
taken
place
.
Now
,
she
was
aroused
again
,
denouncing
her
husband
and
Patsey
about
equally
.
Finally
,
Epps
came
towards
the
house
,
by
this
time
nearly
sober
,
walking
demurely
,
with
his
hands
behind
his
back
,
and
attempting
to
look
as
innocent
as
a
child
.
As
he
approached
,
nevertheless
,
Mistress
Epps
began
to
berate
him
roundly
,
heaping
upon
him
many
rather
disrespectful
epithets
,
and
demanding
for
what
reason
he
had
attempted
to
cut
my
throat
.
Epps
made
wondrous
strange
of
it
all
,
and
to
my
surprise
,
swore
by
all
the
saints
in
the
calendar
he
had
not
spoken
to
me
that
day
.
