“‘Well,’ said Mr. Tucker, ‘he ought to be hung up by the tongue atwixt the heavens and ’arth, till he is dead, DEAD, DEAD, without any mercy from the Lord or the devil.’” ☜
A. “Well, Peter, I’ve seen cruel and mean things, but that is without exception the meanest thing I ever heard of in my life. Where do you suppose the wretch has gone to, Peter?”
P. “He has gone unto the presence of a God, who hates oppression and oppressors with all his heart; and God will take care of him, I tell you, and he’ll do it right tu.”
A. “Yes, Peter, such men are rebels against Jehovah’s government, and it’s absolutely necessary for God to punish them, unless they reform; it’s as necessary for God to send such men to hell in the world to come, as it is for us to bang a murderer, or put him in prison. And, Peter, which had you rather be, the slaveholder or the slave?”
P. “Domine, I’d rather be the most miserablest slave in the univarse, here and herearter, than to be the best slaveholder in creation; for I wouldn’t, under any circumstances, own a human bein’. The sin lies more in the ownin’ property in a human bein’, than in the ‘busin’ on ’em, ‘cordin’ to my way of thinkin’.”
A. “You’re right, Peter; and there will be no progress made in the destruction of slavery, until you destroy the right of property in man!!”
CHAPTER IV.
An affray in digging a cellar—Peter sick of a typhus fever nine months—the kindness of “the gals”—physician’s bill—a methodist preacher, and a leg of tain’ted mutton—“master shoots arter him” with a rifle!!—a bear story—where the skin went to—a glance at religious operations in that region—“a camp meeting”—Peter tied up in the woods in the night, and “expects to be eat up by all kinds of wild varmints”—master a drunkard—owns a still—abuses his family—a story of blood, and stripes, and groans, and cries—Peter finds ‘Lecta a friend in need—expects to be killed—Abers intercedes for him, and “makes it his business”—Mrs. Abers pours oil into Peter’s wounds—Peter goes back, and is better treated a little while—master tries to stab him with a pitchfork, and Peter nearly kills him in self-defence—tries the rifle and swears he will end Peter’s existence now—but the ball don’t hit—the crisis comes, and that night Peter swears to be free or die in the cause.
Author. “I’ve come up again, Peter, to go on with our story, and you can drive the peg while I drive the quill.”