Our lives became quite a burden to us; we were employed all day on the
farm, and every day he was more brutal towards us. At last we agreed
that we would stand it no longer, and one evening Hastings told him so.
This put him into a great rage, and he called two of the slaves, and
ordered them to tie him to the waggon wheel, swearing that he would cut
every bit of skin off his body, and he went into his house to get his
whip. The slaves had hold of Hastings, and were tying him up, for they
dared not disobey their master, when he said to us, `If I am flogged
this way, it will be all over with us. Now's your time; run back behind
the house, and when he comes out with the whip, do you go in and seize
the muskets, which are always ready loaded. Hold him at bay till I get
clear, and then we will get away somehow or other. You must do it, for
I am sure he will flog me till I am dead, and he will shoot you, as
runaway prisoners, as he did his two Hottentots the other day.' As
Romer and I thought this very probable, we did as Hastings told us; and
when the Dutchman had gone towards him where he was tied up, about
fifty yards from the house, we went in. The farmer's wife was in bed,
having just had an addition to her family, and the children we cared
not for.
Pages:
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253