kick　in　the　left　eye。　　My　eyeball　seemed　to　have
  burst。　　When　they　saw　my　eye　closed；　and　badly
  swollen；　they　left　me。　　With　this　I　seized　the　hand…
  spike；　and　for　a　time　pursued　them。　　But　here　the
  carpenters　interfered；　and　I　thought　I　might　as　well
  give　it　up。　　It　was　impossible　to　stand　my　hand
  against　so　many。　　All　this　took　place　in　sight　of　not
  less　than　fifty　white　ship…carpenters；　and　not　one
  interposed　a　friendly　word；　but　some　cried；　〃Kill
  the　damned　nigger！　　Kill　him！　kill　him！　　He　struck
  a　white　person。〃　　I　found　my　only　chance　for　life
  was　in　flight。　　I　succeeded　in　getting　away　without
  an　additional　blow；　and　barely　so；　for　to　strike　a
  white　man　is　death　by　Lynch　law；and　that　was　the
  law　in　Mr。　Gardner's　ship…yard；　nor　is　there　much
  of　any　other　out　of　Mr。　Gardner's　ship…yard。
  I　went　directly　home；　and　told　the　story　of　my
  wrongs　to　Master　Hugh；　and　I　am　happy　to　say　of
  him；　irreligious　as　he　was；　his　conduct　was　heavenly；
  compared　with　that　of　his　brother　Thomas　under
  similar　circumstances。　　He　listened　attentively　to　my
  narration　of　the　circumstances　leading　to　the　savage
  outrage；　and　gave　many　proofs　of　his　strong　indigna…
  tion　at　it。　　The　heart　of　my　once　overkind　mistress
  was　again　melted　into　pity。　　My　puffed…out　eye　and
  blood…covered　face　moved　her　to　tears。　　She　took　a
  chair　by　me；　washed　the　blood　from　my　face；　and；
  with　a　mother's　tenderness；　bound　up　my　head；
  covering　the　wounded　eye　with　a　lean　piece　of　fresh
  beef。　　It　was　almost　compensation　for　my　suffering
  to　witness；　once　more；　a　manifestation　of　kindness
  from　this；　my　once　affectionate　old　mistress。　　Master
  Hugh　was　very　much　enraged。　　He　gave　expression
  to　his　feelings　by　pouring　out　curses　upon　the　heads
  of　those　who　did　the　deed。　　As　soon　as　I　got　a　little
  the　better　of　my　bruises；　he　took　me　with　him　to
  Esquire　Watson's；　on　Bond　Street；　to　see　what　could
  be　done　about　the　matter。　　Mr。　Watson　inquired　who
  saw　the　assault　committed。　　Master　Hugh　told　him
  it　was　done　in　Mr。　Gardner's　ship…yard　at　midday；
  where　there　were　a　large　company　of　men　at　work。
  〃As　to　that；〃　he　said；　〃the　deed　was　done；　and　there
  was　no　question　as　to　who　did　it。〃　　His　answer　was；
  he　could　do　nothing　in　the　case；　unless　some　white
  man　would　come　forward　and　testify。　　He　could
  issue　no　warrant　on　my　word。　　If　I　had　been　killed
  in　the　presence　of　a　thousand　colored　people；　their
  testimony　combined　would　have　been　insufficient
  to　have　arrested　one　of　the　murderers。　　Master　Hugh；
  for　once；　was　compelled　to　say　this　state　of　things
  was　too　bad。　　Of　course；　it　was　impossible　to　get　any
  white　man　to　volunteer　his　testimony　in　my　behalf；
  and　against　the　white　young　men。　　Even　those　who
  may　have　sympathized　with　me　were　not　prepared
  to　do　this。　　It　required　a　degree　of　courage　unknown
  to　them　to　do　so；　for　just　at　that　time；　the　slightest
  manifestation　of　humanity　toward　a　colored　person
  was　denounced　as　abolitionism；　and　that　name　sub…
  jected　its　bearer　to　frightful　liabilities。　　The　watch…
  words　of　the　bloody…minded　in　that　region；　and　in
  those　days；　were；　〃Damn　the　abolitionists！〃　and
  〃Damn　the　niggers！〃　　There　was　nothing　done；　and
  probably　nothing　would　have　been　done　if　I　had
  been　killed。　　Such　was；　and　such　remains；　the　state
  of　things　in　the　Christian　city　of　Baltimore。
  Master　Hugh；　finding　he　could　get　no　redress；　re…
  fused　to　let　me　go　back　again　to　Mr。　Gardner。　　He
  kept　me　himself；　and　his　wife　dressed　my　wound
  till　I　was　again　restored　to　health。　　He　then　took　me
  into　the　ship…yard　of　which　he　was　foreman；　in　the
  employment　of　Mr。　Walter　Price。　　There　I　was　im…
  mediately　set　to　calking；　and　very　soon　learned　the
  art　of　using　my　mallet　and　irons。　　In　the　course　of
  one　year　from　the　time　I　left　Mr。　Gardner's；　I　was
  able　to　command　the　highest　wages　given　to　the
  most　experienced　calkers。　　I　was　now　of　some　impor…
  tance　to　my　master。　　I　was　bringing　him　from　six
  to　seven　dollars　per　week。　　I　sometimes　brought　him
  nine　dollars　per　week：　my　wages　were　a　dollar　and
  a　half　a　day。　　After　learning　how　to　calk；　I　sought
  my　own　employment；　made　my　own　contracts；　and
  collected　the　money　which　I　earned。　　My　pathway
  became　much　more　smooth　than　before；　my　condi…
  tion　was　now　much　more　comfortable。　　When　I　could
  get　no　calking　to　do；　I　did　nothing。　　During　these
  leisure　times；　those　old　notions　about　freedom　would
  steal　over　me　again。　　When　in　Mr。　Gardner's　employ…
  ment；　I　was　kept　in　such　a　perpetual　whirl　of　ex…
  citement；　I　could　think　of　nothing；　scarcely；　but
  my　life；　and　in　thinking　of　my　life；　I　almost　forgot
  my　liberty。　　I　have　observed　this　in　my　experience
  of　slavery；that　whenever　my　condition　was　im…
  proved；　instead　of　its　increasing　my　contentment；
  it　only　increased　my　desire　to　be　free；　and　set　me　to
  thinking　of　plans　to　gain　my　freedom。　　I　have　found
  that；　to　make　a　contented　slave；　it　is　necessary　to
  make　a　thoughtless　one。　　It　is　necessary　to　darken　his
  moral　and　mental　vision；　and；　as　far　as　possible；　to
  annihilate　the　power　of　reason。　　He　must　be　able　to
  detect　no　inconsistencies　in　slavery；　he　must　be　made
  to　feel　that　slavery　is　right；　and　he　can　be　brought
  to　that　only　when　he　ceases　to　be　a　man。
  I　was　now　getting；　as　I　have　said；　one　dollar　and
  fifty　cents　per　day。　　I　contracted　for　it；　I　earned　it；
  it　was　paid　to　me；　it　was　rightfully　my　own；　yet；
  upon　each　returning　Saturday　night；　I　was　compelled
  to　deliver　every　cent　of　that　money　to　Master　Hugh。
  And　why？　　Not　because　he　earned　it；not　because
  he　had　any　hand　in　earning　it；not　because　I　owed
  it　to　him；nor　because　he　possessed　the　slightest
  shadow　of　a　right　to　it；　but　solely　because　he　had
  the　power　to　compel　me　to　give　it　up。　　The　right　of
  the　grim…visaged　pirate　upon　the　high　seas　is　exactly
  the　same。
  CHAPTER　XI
  I　now　come　to　that　part　of　my　life　during　which　I
  planned；　and　finally　succeeded　in　making；　my　escape
  from　slavery。　　But　before　narrating　any　of　the　pe…
  culiar　circumstances；　I　deem　it　proper　to　make
  known　my　intention　not　to　state　all　the　facts　con…
  nected　with　the　transaction。　　My　reasons　for　pursuing
  this　course　may　be　understood　from　the　following：
  First；　were　I　to　give　a　minute　statement　of　all　the
  facts；　it　is　not　only　possible；　but　quite　probable；　that
  others　would　thereby　be　involved　in　the　most　embar…
  rassing　difficulties。　　Secondly；　such　a　statement　would
  most　undoubtedly　induce　greater　vigilance　on　the
  part　of　slaveholders　than　has　existed　heretofore
  among　them；　which　would；　of　course；　be　the　means
  of　guarding　a　door　whereby　some　dear　brother　bond…
  man　might　escape　his　galling　chains。　　I　deeply　regret
  the　necessity　that　impels　me　to　suppress　any　thing
  of　importance　connected　with　my　experience　in
  slavery。　　It　would　afford　me　great　pleasure　indeed；
  as　well　as　materially　add　to　the　interest　of　my　nar…
  rative；　were　I　at　liberty　to　gratify　a　curiosity；　which
  I　know　exists　in　the　minds　of　many；　by　an　accurate
  statement　of　all　the　facts　pertaining　to　my　most
  fortunate　escape。　　But　I　must　deprive　myself　of　this
  pleasure；　and　the　curious　of　the　gratification　which
  such　a　statement　would　afford。　　I　would　allow　my…
  self　to　suffer　under　the　greatest　imputations　which
  evil…minded　men　might　suggest；　rather　than　excul…
  pate　myself；　and　thereby　run　the　hazard　of　closing
  the　slightest　avenue　by　which　a　brother　slave　might
  clear　himself　of　the　chains　and　fetters　of　slavery。
  I　have　never　approved　of　the　very　public　manner
  in　which　some　of　our　western　friends　have　conducted
  what　they　call　the　~underground　railroad；~　but　which
  I　think；　by　their　open　declarations；　has　been　made
  most　emphatically　the　~upperground　railroad。~　　I　honor
  those　good　men　and　women　for　their　noble　daring；
  and　applaud　them　for　willingly　subjecting　them…
  selves　to　bloody　persecution；　by　openly　avowing　their
  participation　in　the　escape　of　slaves。　　I；　however；　can
  see　very　little　good　resulting　from　such　a　course；
  either　to　themselves　or　the　slaves　escaping；　while；
  upon　the　other　hand；　I　see　and　feel　assured　that
  those　open　declarations　are　a　positive　evil　to　the
  slaves　remaining；　who　are　seeking　to　escape。　　They
  do　nothing　towards　enlightening　the　slave；　whilst
  they　do　much　towards　enlightening　the　master。
  They　stimulate　him　to　greater　watchfulness；　and
  enhance　his　power　to　capture　his　slave。　　We　owe
  something　to　the　slave　south　of　the　line　as　well　as
  to　those　north　of　it；　and　in　aiding　the　latter　on　their
  way　to　freedom；　we　should　be　careful　to　do　nothing
  which　would　be　likely　to　hinder　the　former　from
  escaping　from　slavery。　　I　would　keep　the　merciless
  slaveholder　profoundly　ignorant　of　the　means　of
  flight　adopted　by　the　slave。　　I　would　leave　him　to
  imagine　himself　surrounded　by　myriads　of　invisible
  tormentors；　ever　ready　to　snatch　from　his　infernal
  grasp　his　trem