“Den dey ax me ef I was aginst bein’ tied, and I tole ’em no. Den dey brought out a new Manilla, good tyin’ rope, and placed my hands behind me, tied my hands, and lashed my arms wid de slack, clean up to de arm-pits.” Den dey said, “Sandie, we got you fixed.”
I looked over my shoulder and said, ‘What you about with your rascally tricks?’ Dey sed, “We gwine to sell you to New Orleans; one-half goes to us, and one-half to your guardian.” Dey sed dey’d take me to jail, and de next mornin’ to de railroad, and would send me to New Orleans.
“Sez I, ‘I ain’t gwine,’ and I wouldn’t move for ’em. Den de man behind tuck a club and broke my head heah (showing a deep scar about three inches long, on the side of his head), and ax me again would I move. I wouldn’t, and another at my side struck me till he broke my head in another place (showing another scar under the wool). De blood run down my face, and I licked it in on each side wid my tongue.
“Den I gave an Injin yell, tell dey heerd me down at ——’s plantation, five miles off. Den I straightened up, and stooped down and broke de cord into five pieces. Den I cotch one man by de breast, and made an instrument ob him, and swung him around and beat de oders ober de head and breast wid his heels. I beat dem down on de ground, and frowed him hard ober de palins.
“Den I went back to de house and tole my wife. I tole her not be accited, but just mind me. I axed her for my box ob needles, wid de crooked needles and de lances. It was about nine o’clock wen I was in de contuct. Dis was about ten.
“After she got dem, I axed her for de stickin’ plaster, and she began to ’spicion, and sed I was mad. I tole her not, as she tought, not mad dat way. Den I put de needles and de stickin’ plaster into a box and went to bed. Lily she cried all night. Next mornin’ was Thursday. When I got up I call for her and for de box. We went togedder, and to de public squar; and I gave free yells, so dey cud be heard all ober town. Every body gathered around de squar. Wen de people was all standin’ roun’, but some little distance off, I tole ’em I didn’t want dis (putting his hand on his right leg), nor dis (left arm), nor dis (left leg), but did want dis (right arm).
“Den I libitly run my knife froo de heelstrings and cut em out; Den I stoop down on de wheel barrow, wid my needles, and seew it up, and stuck de stickin’ plaster on it.
“Den I tuck a knife and drove it into my right hip heah (showing over the hip joint a very ugly scar, nearly eight inches long), and dey sed I work de knife back and forward four times, but I don’t know zactly how many times. But I cut hole ten inches long, and four inches deep, till my leg hung useless.
“My wife Lily she freaded de needles; and den held de lookin’ glass, so I could see to make long stitches, and sew it up, and stick on de stickin’ plaster.
“Den I set down, and chopped my hand as hard as I cud wid de hatchet, and cut one finger clean off (holding up the left hand, with the shockingly mutilated fingers). Dat little finger I tuck up and put in my mouf, and smoked it for a cigar, till de blood from it run down my lips. Dat I sewed too, and den tole ’em if that wouldn’t do, I would cut open my belly, and pull out de entrals before ’em. But dat I wouldn’t go down to New Orleans for a slave agin, for I was free.