working at this trade six
months with a white workman, who was building a large barn when I left. I
will now relate the abuses which occasioned me to fly.

Three or four of our farm hands had their wives and families on other
plantations. In such cases, it is the custom in Maryland to allow the men
to go on Saturday evening to see their families, stay over the Sabbath,
and return on Monday morning, not later than "half-an-hour by sun." To
overstay their time is a grave fault, for which, especially at busy
seasons, they are punished.

One Monday morning, two of these men had not been so fortunate as to get
home at the required time: one of them was an uncle of mine. Besides
these, two young men who had no families, and for whom no such provision
of time was made, having gone somewhere to spend the Sabbath, were absent.
My master was greatly irritated, and had resolved to have, as he said, "a
general whipping-match among them."

Preparatory to this, he had a rope in his pocket, and a cowhide in his
hand, walking about the premises, and speaking to every one he met in a
very insolent manner, and finding fault with some without just cause. My
father, among other numerous and responsible duties, discharged that of
shepherd to a large and valuable flock of Merino sheep. This morning he
was engaged in the tenderest of a shepherd's duties;--a little lamb, not
able to go alone, lost its mother; he was feeding it by hand. He had been
keeping it in the house for several days. As he stooped over it in the
yard, with a vessel of new milk he had obtained, with which to feed it, my
master came along, and without the least provocation, began by asking,
"Bazil, have you fed the flock?"

"Yes, sir."

"Were you away yesterday?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know why these boys have not got home this morning yet?"

"No, sir, I have not seen any of them since Saturday night."

"By the Eternal, I'll make them know their hour. The fact is, I have too
many of you; my people are getting to be the most careless, lazy, and
worthless in the country."

"Master," said my father, "I am always at my post; Monday morning never
finds me off the plantation."

"Hush, Bazil! I shall have to sell some of you; and then the rest will
have enough to do; I have not work enough to keep you all tightly
employed; I have too many of you."

All this was said in an angry, threatening, and exceedingly insulting
tone. My father was a high-spirited man, and feelin