One o’ these yer dat will get all der niggers to... One o’ these yer dat will get all der niggers to feelin’ bused, if Masir don’t watch him!” said Sambo
“Hey-dey! The black cuss!” said Legree“He’ll have to get a breakin’ in, won’t he, boys?”
Both negroes grinned a horrid grin, at this intimation
“Ay, ay! Let Mas’r Legree alone, for breakin’ in! De debil heself couldn’t beat Mas’r at dat!” said Quimbo
“Wal, boys, the best way is to give him the flogging to do, till he gets over his notionsBreak him in!”
“Lord, Mas’r’ll have hard work to get dat out o’ him!”
“It’ll have to come out of him, though!” said Legree, as he rolled his tobacco in his mouth
“Now, dar’s Lucy,—de aggravatinest, ugliest wench on de place!” pursued Sambo
“Take care, Sam; I shall begin to think what’s the reason for your spite agin Lucy
“Well, Mas’r knows she sot herself up agin Mas’r, and wouldn’t have me, when he telled her to
“I’d a flogged her into ’t,” said Legree, spitting, only there’s such a press o’ work, it don’t seem wuth a while to upset her jist nowShe’s slender; but these yer slender gals will bear half killin’ to get their own way!”
“Wal, Lucy was real aggravatin’ and lazy, sulkin’ round; wouldn’t do nothin,—and Tom he tuck up for her
“He did, eh! Wal, then, Tom shall have the pleasure of flogging herIt’ll be a good practice for him, and he won’t put it on to the gal like you devils, neither
“Ho, ho! haw! haw! haw!” laughed both the sooty wretches; and the diabolical sounds seemed, in truth, a not unapt expression of the fiendish character which Legree gave them
“Wal, but, Mas’r, Tom and Misse Cassy, and dey among ’em, filled Lucy’s basketI ruther guess der weight ’s in it, Mas’r!”
“I do the weighing!” said Legree, emphatically
Both the drivers again laughed their diabolical laugh
“So!” he added, “Misse Cassy did her day’s work
“She picks like de debil and all his angels!”
“She’s got ’em all in her, I believe!” said Legree; and, growling a brutal oath, he proceeded to the weighing-room
Slowly the weary, dispirited creatures, wound their way into the room, and, with crouching reluctance, presented their baskets to be weighed
Legree noted on a slate, on the side of which was pasted a list of names, the amount
Tom’s basket was weighed and approved; and he looked, with an anxious glance, for the success of the woman he had befriended
Tottering with weakness, she came forward, and delivered her basketIt was of full weight, as Legree well perceived; but, affecting anger, he said,
“What, you lazy beast! short again! stand aside, you’ll catch it, pretty soon!”
The woman gave a groan of utter despair, and sat down on a board
The person who had been called Misse Cassy now came forward, and, with a haughty, negligent air, delivered her basketAs she delivered it, Legree looked in her eyes with a sneering yet inquiring glance
She fixed her black eyes steadily on him, her lips moved slightly, and she said something in FrenchWhat it was, no one knew; but Legree’s face became perfectly demoniacal in its expression, as she spoke; he half raised his hand, as if to strike,—a gesture which she regarded with fierce disdain, as she turned and walked away
“And now,” said Legree, “come here, you TomYou see, I telled ye I didn’t buy ye jest for the common work; I mean to promote ye, and make a driver of ye; and tonight ye may jest as well begin to get yer hand inNow, ye jest take this yer gal and flog her; ye’ve seen enough on’t to know how
I beg Mas’r’s pardon,” said Tom; “hopes Mas’r won’t set me at thatIt’s what I an’t used to,—never did,—and can’t do, no way possible
“Ye’ll larn a pretty smart chance of things ye never did know, before I’ve done with ye!” said Legree, taking up a cowhide, and striking Tom a heavy blow cross the cheek, and following up the infliction by a shower of blows
“There!” he said, as he stopped to rest; “now, will ye tell me ye can’t do it?”
“Yes, Mas’r,” said Tom, putting up his hand, to wipe the blood, that trickled down his face“I’m willin’ to work, night and day, and work while there’s life and breath in me; but this yer thing I can’t feel it right to do;—and, Mas’r, I never shall do it,—never!”
Tom had a remarkably smooth, soft voice, and a habitually respectful manner, that had given Legree an idea that he would be cowardly, and easily subduedWhen he spoke these last words, a thrill of amazement went through every one; the poor woman clasped her hands, and said, “O Lord!” and every one involuntarily looked at each other and drew in their breath, as if to prepare for the storm that was about to burst
Legree looked stupefied and confounded; but at last burst forth,—“What! ye blasted black beast! tell me ye don’t think it right to do what I tell ye! What have any of you cussed cattle to do with thinking what’s right? I’ll put a stop to it! Why, what do ye think ye are? May be ye think ye’r a gentleman master, Tom, to be a telling your master what’s right, and what ain’t! So you pretend it’s wrong to flog the gal!”
“I think so, Mas’r,” said Tom; “the poor crittur’s sick and feeble; ’t would be downright cruel, and it’s what I never will do, nor begin toMas’r, if you mean to kill me, kill me; but, as to my raising my hand agin any one here, I never shall,—I’ll die first!”
Tom spoke in a mild voice, but with a decision that could not be mistakenLegree shook with anger; his greenish eyes glared fiercely, and his very whiskers seemed to curl with passion; but, like some ferocious beast, that plays with its victim before he devours it, he kept back his strong impulse to proceed to immediate violence, and broke out into bitter
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