“Yes, sir,” I replied. “Well, what is it?” he asked. “I shall go to hell,” I answered. “Yes, and that is not all,” he said, “you will also have your ears cropped.”
Turning to the constable, he said, “Mr. Waters, please send him home as soon as you are through with him, for I am very busy and need him.” He added, to me, “hurry home as soon as they get done with you; do you hear?” “Yes sir,” I answered. Upon this we started.
We had to go about a mile, mostly through the woods, and they, fearing I would seize this opportunity, so good a one, to try to escape, began to cut jokes to amuse me. But I had no idea of trying to escape, as I did not expect a whipping, knowing that, although a constable may seize and flog a slave, if caught from home after nightfall without a pass; still, according to law, they have no right to take him before a justice and whip him for being from home at any time, that being exclusively the master’s or overseer’s privilege. So I went on cheerfully.
When I reached the place of trial, I saw a large collection of people, it being the day for magistrates’ meetings, and among the rest, the girl I was courting, brought there for the purpose of humbling my pride, and mortifying me. For you must think, reader, that it would be rather mortifying to be stripped and flogged in the presence of a girl, especially, after cutting such a swell as I had. Many of the crowd came expressly to see me whipped, for they thought I assumed too much of the gentleman.
Ben’s case came on first, but neither of us were allowed to be present, but were kept in the yard during the trial and giving the sentence. Although, in the North it is customary to have a defendant present, to hear his case stated, yet, we were denied this, and were only informed of our sentence, after it had been passed.
Ben’s sentence was to receive ten stripes, five for his first, and as many for his second offence. While being whipped, he dropped his handkerchief, which the constable picked up and handed to him, upon which he exclaimed, “D—n the handkerchief.” This being reported to the justice, five stripes more were added to his first sentence, thus, making fifteen in all.
I was next brought forward, to receive five stripes, when I saw several smile, and heard them say to the constable, “Put it on well!” I was stretched up and fastened to the limb of a tree, just so that my toes could touch the ground. Every stroke buried the lash in my flesh.
When I was released, instead of returning to Mr. Hughes’, I went to see my mistress, she being then at her brother Richard’s. I arrived there about eight o’clock in the evening, went into the kitchen, and told the servant that I wanted to see mistress; who, upon hearing of it, came directly out, and expressed much joy at seeing me, saying: “How do you do, John?” I told her that I was almost dead. “What is the matter?” she inquired. I answered, “I am whipped almost to death.” “By whom?” she asked. “By the constable, before the magistrate.” “For what?” said she. I then related to her the whole story.
She rushed into the house, and told her brother of the affair, who sent for me to come in and repeat the story again to him. I did so, and also pulled off my jacket, and showed them my shirt, wet with blood. This so affected my mistress, that she commenced walking the floor, and weeping, saying meanwhile, that she was imposed upon, because she was a lone girl, and had no one to take an interest in her affairs; that if her father was alive, they would sooner thrust their heads into the fire, than treat her so. She did not believe this was for any fault of mine, but simply because they grudged her her property.
This roused master Richard at once, for when she spoke of her father, and her lonely condition, it touched him in a tender point. Now it will be recollected, that this man was a lawyer, and he was feared rather than respected by most who knew him. He bade me go home, but told me not to go to work until he came. I went home and to bed, pretending to be very sick, so that when Mr. Hughes called next morning for me to go to work, I was unable to get up. About 10 o’clock master Richard, mounted upon a fine horse, rode up, and asked to see Mr. Hughes. This gentleman immediately came out, and invited him to alight and enter the house, which invitation was declined, as, he said, all his business could be transacted there.