第56章 Chapter XVI.(1)

　　With the exception of my trip to St. Mary’s parish，and my absence during the cane-cutting seasons， I wasconstantly employed on the plantation of Master Epps.

　　He was considered but a small planter， not having asufficient number of hands to require the services of anoverseer， acting in the latter capacity himself. Not ableto increase his force， it was his custom to hire during thehurry of cotton-picking.

　　On larger estates， employing fifty or a hundred， orperhaps two hundred hands， an overseer is deemedindispensable. These gentlemen ride into the field onhorseback， without an exception， to my knowledge，armed with pistols， bowie knife， whip， and accompaniedby several dogs. They follow， equipped in this fashion，in rear of the slaves， keeping a sharp lookout upon themall. The requisite qualifications in an overseer are utterheartlessness， brutality and cruelty. It is his businessto produce large crops， and if that is accomplished， nomatter what amount of suffering it may have cost. Thepresence of the dogs are necessary to overhaul a fugitivewho may take to his heels， as is sometimes the case， whenfaint or sick， he is unable to maintin his row， and unable，also， to endure the whip. The pistols are reserved for any dangerous emergency， there having been instances whensuch weapons were necessary. Goaded into uncontrollablemadness， even the slave will sometimes turn upon hisoppressor. The gallows were standing at Marksville lastJanuary， upon which one was executed a year ago forkilling his overseer. It occurred not many miles fromEpps’ plantation on Red River. The slave was givenhis task at splitting rails. In the course of the day theoverseer sent him on an errand， which occupied so muchtime that it was not possible for him to perform the task.

　　The next day he was called to an account， but the loss oftime occasioned by the errand was no excuse， and he wasordered to kneel and bare his back for the reception ofthe lash. They were in the woods alone—beyond the reachof sight or hearing. The boy submitted until maddenedat such injustice， and insane with pain， he sprang to hisfeet， and seizing an axe， literally chopped the overseer inpieces. He made no attempt whatever at concealment，but hastening to his master， related the whole affair，and declared himself ready to expiate the wrong by thesacrifice of his life. He was led to the scaffold， and whilethe rope was around his neck， maintained an undismayedand fearless bearing， and with his last words justified theact.

　　Besides the overseer， there are drivers under him，the number being in proportion to the number of handsin the field. The drivers are black， who， in additionto the performance of their equal share of work， are compelled to do the whipping of their several gangs.

　　Whips hang around their necks， and if they fail to usethem thoroughly， are whipped themselves. They havea few privileges， however； for example， in cane-cuttingthe hands are not allowed to sit down long enough toeat their dinners. Carts filled with corn cake， cooked atthe kitchen， are driven into the field at noon. The cakeis distributed by the drivers， and must be eaten with theleast possible delay.

　　When the slave ceases to perspire， as he often doeswhen taxed beyond his strength， he falls to the groundand becomes entirely helpless. It is then the duty of thedriver to drag him into the shade of the standing cottonor cane， or of a neighboring tree， where he dashes bucketsof water upon him， and uses other means of bringing outperspiration again， when he is ordered to his place， andcompelled to continue his labor.

　　At Huff Power， when I first came to Epps’， Tom， oneof Roberts’ negroes， was driver. He was a burly fellow，and severe in the extreme. After Epps’ removal to BayouBoeuf， that distinguished honor was conferred uponmyself. Up to the time of my departure I had to wear awhip about my neck in the field. If Epps was present，I dared not show any lenity， not having the Christianfortitude of a certain well-known Uncle Tom sufficientlyto brave his wrath， by refusing to perform the office.

　　In that way， only， I escaped the immediate martyrdomhe suffered， and， withal， saved my companions muchsuffering， as it proved in the end. Epps， I soon found，whether actually in the field or not， had his eyes prettygenerally upon us. From the piazza， from behind someadjacent tree， or other concealed point of observation，he was perpetually on the watch. If one of us had beenbackward or idle through the day， we were apt to be toldall about it on returning to the quarters， and as it was amatter of principle with him to reprove every offence ofthat kind that came within his knowledge， the offendernot only was certain of receiving a castigation for histardiness， but I likewise was punished for permitting it.

　　If， on the other hand， he had seen me use the lashfreely， the man was satisfied. “Practice makes perfect，”

　　truly； and during my eight years’ experience as a driver， Ilearned to handle the whip with marvelous dexterity andprecision， throwing the lash within a hair’s breadth of theback， the ear， the nose， without， however， touching eitherof them. If Epps was observed at a distance， or we hadreason to apprehend he was sneaking somewhere in thevicinity， I would commence plying the lash vigorously，when， according to arrangement， they would squirm andscreech as if in agony， although not one of them had infact been even grazed. Patsey would take occasion， if hemade his appearance presently， to mumble in his hearingsome complaints that Platt was lashing them the wholetime， and Uncle Abram， with an appearance of honestypeculiar to himself， would declare roundly I had justwhipped them worse than General Jackson whipped the enemy at New-Orleans. If Epps was not drunk， and in oneof his beastly humors， this was， in general， satisfactory. Ifhe was， some one or more of us must suffer， as a matterof course. Sometimes his violence assumed a dangerousform， placing the lives of his human stock in jeopardy.