“iseemsherehasbeenaleerwrienforyoubysomebodynow，whoisi？”hedemanded，auhoriaively

imadenoreply

“isay，whowroehaleer？”hedemandedagain

“perhapsiwroeimyself”，isaid

“youhaven’beenomarksvilleposofficeandbackbeforeligh，iknow”

heinsiseduponmyinforminghim，andiinsisediwouldnohemademanyvehemenhreasagainsheman，whoeverhemighbe，andinimaedhebloodyandsavagevengeancehewouldwreakuponhim，whenhefoundhimouhiswholema

erandnguageexhibiedafeelingofangerowardsheunknownpersonwhohadwrienforme，andoffrefulnessaheideaoflosingsomuchproperyaddressingmrnorhuphesworeifhehadonlyhadanhour’snoiceofhiscoming，hewouldhavesavedhimheroubleofakingmebackonewyork；hahewouldhaverunmeinoheswamp，orsomeoherpceouofheway，whereallhesheriffsonearhcouldn’havefoundme

iwalkedouinoheyard，andwaseneringhekichendoor，whensomehingsruckmeinheback

aunphebe，emergingfromhebackdoorofhegreahousewihapanofpoaoes，hadhrownoneofhemwihu

ecessaryviolence，herebygivingmeoundersandhashewishedospeakomeamomenconfideniallyru

ingupome，shewhisperedinmyearwihgreaearnesness，

“lora’miy，p！whad’yehink？demwomencomeaferyeheard’emellmasseyoufree—gowifeandreechildrenbackharwharyoucomefromgoin’wid’em？

foolifyedon’—wishicouldgo，”andaunpheberanoninhisma

eraarapidrae

presenlymisresseppsmadeherappearanceinhekichenshesaidmanyhingsome，andwonderedwhyihadnooldherwhoiwassheexpressedherregre，complimeningmebysayingshehadraherloseanyoherservanonhepnaionhadpaseyhadaysoodinmypce，hemeasureofmymisress’joywouldhaveoverflowednowherewasnoonelefwhocouldmendachairorapieceoffurniure—noonewhowasofanyuseabouhehouse—noonewhocouldpyforheronheviolin—andmisresseppswasacuallyaffecedoears

eppshadcalledobobobringuphissaddlehorseheohersves，also，overcomingheirfearofhepenaly，hadlefheirworkandcomeoheyardheyweresandingbehindhecabins，ouofsighofeppsheybeckonedmeocomeohem，andwihallheeagernessofcuriosiy，exciedohehighespich，conversedwihandquesionedmeificouldrepeaheexacwordsheyuered，wihhesameemphasis—ificouldpainheirseveralaiudes，andheexpressionofheircounenances—iwouldbeindeedanineresingpicureinheiresimaion，ihadsuddenlyarisenoanimmeasurableheigh—hadbecomeabeingofimmenseimporance

helegalpapershavingbeenserved，andarrangemensmadewiheppsomeehemhenexdayamarksville，norhupandhesheriffeneredhecarriageoreurnoheerpceasiwasaboumouningohedriver’ssea，hesheriffsaidioughobidmrandmrseppsgoodbyeiranbackohepiazzawhereheyweresanding，andakingoffmyha，said，

“goodbye，missis”

“goodbye，p，”saidmrsepps，kindly

“goodbye，maser”

“ah！youddnigger，”mueredepps，inasurly，maliciousoneofvoice，“youneedn’feelsocussedickled—youain’goneye—i’llseeabouhisbusinessamarksvilleomorrow”

iwasonlya“nigger”andknewmypce，bufelassronglyasifihadbeenawhieman，haiwouldhavebeenaninwardcomfor，hadidaredohavegivenhimaparingkickonmywaybackowardhecarriage，paseyranfrombehindacabinandhrewherarmsaboumyneck

“oh！p，”shecried，earssreamingdownherface，“you’regoin’obefree—you’regoin’wayoffyonderwherewe’llneberseeyeanymoreyou’vesavedmeagoodmanywhipping，p；i’mgdyou’regoin’obefree—buoh！

delord，delord！wha’llbecomeofme？”

idisengagedmyselffromher，andeneredhecarriagehedrivercrackedhiswhipandawaywerolled

ilookedbackandsawpasey，wihdroopinghead，halfrecliningonheground；mrseppswasonhepiazza；uncleabram，andbob，andwiley，andaunphebesoodbyhegae，gazingafermeiwavedmyhand，buhecarriageurnedabendofhebayou，hidinghemfrommyeyesforever

wesoppedamomenacarey’ssugarhouse，whereagreanumberofsveswereawork，suchanesablishmenbeingacuriosiyoanorhernmaneppsdashedbyusonhorsebackafullspeed—onheway，aswelearnednexday，ohe“pinewoods，”oseewilliamford，whohadbroughmeinohecounry

uesday，hefourhofjanuary，eppsandhiscounsel，hehonhaylor，norhup，waddill，hejudgeandsheriffofavoyelles，andmyself，meinaroominhevilgeofmarksvillemrnorhupsaedhefacsinregardome，andpresenedhiscommission，andheaffidavisaccompanyingihesheriffdescribedhesceneinhecoonfieldiwasalsoinerrogaedagrealenghfinally，mraylorassuredhisclienhahewassaisfied，andhaliigaionwouldnoonlybeexpensive，buuerlyuselessinaccordancewihhisadvice，apaperwasdrawnupandsignedbyheproperparies，whereineppsacknowledgedhewassaisfiedofmyrighofreedom，andformallysurrenderedmeoheauhoriiesofnewyorkiwasalsosipuedhaibeeneredofrecordinherecorder’sofficeofavoyellesaaseeappendixc

mrnorhupandmyselfimmediaelyhasenedohending，andakingpassageonhefirsseamerhaarrived，weresoonfloaingdownredriver，upwhich，wihsuchdespondinghoughs，ihadbeenborwelveyearsbefore

。。