to　demand　the　most　debasing　homage　of　the　slave；
  and　quite　servile　enough　to　crouch；　himself；　at　the
  feet　of　the　master。　　He　was　ambitious　enough　to　be
  contented　with　nothing　short　of　the　highest　rank
  of　overseers；　and　persevering　enough　to　reach　the
  height　of　his　ambition。　　He　was　cruel　enough　to　in…
  flict　the　severest　punishment；　artful　enough　to　de…
  scend　to　the　lowest　trickery；　and　obdurate　enough　to
  be　insensible　to　the　voice　of　a　reproving　conscience。
  He　was；　of　all　the　overseers；　the　most　dreaded　by
  the　slaves。　　His　presence　was　painful；　his　eye　flashed
  confusion；　and　seldom　was　his　sharp；　shrill　voice
  heard；　without　producing　horror　and　trembling　in
  their　ranks。
  Mr。　Gore　was　a　grave　man；　and；　though　a　young
  man；　he　indulged　in　no　jokes；　said　no　funny　words；
  seldom　smiled。　　His　words　were　in　perfect　keeping
  with　his　looks；　and　his　looks　were　in　perfect　keeping
  with　his　words。　　Overseers　will　sometimes　indulge　in
  a　witty　word；　even　with　the　slaves；　not　so　with　Mr。
  Gore。　　He　spoke　but　to　command；　and　commanded
  but　to　be　obeyed；　he　dealt　sparingly　with　his　words；
  and　bountifully　with　his　whip；　never　using　the
  former　where　the　latter　would　answer　as　well。　　When
  he　whipped；　he　seemed　to　do　so　from　a　sense　of
  duty；　and　feared　no　consequences。　　He　did　nothing
  reluctantly；　no　matter　how　disagreeable；　always　at　his
  post；　never　inconsistent。　　He　never　promised　but　to
  fulfil。　　He　was；　in　a　word；　a　man　of　the　most　in…
  flexible　firmness　and　stone…like　coolness。
  His　savage　barbarity　was　equalled　only　by　the　con…
  summate　coolness　with　which　he　committed　the
  grossest　and　most　savage　deeds　upon　the　slaves　under
  his　charge。　　Mr。　Gore　once　undertook　to　whip　one　of
  Colonel　Lloyd's　slaves；　by　the　name　of　Demby。　　He
  had　given　Demby　but　few　stripes；　when；　to　get　rid
  of　the　scourging；　he　ran　and　plunged　himself　into　a
  creek；　and　stood　there　at　the　depth　of　his　shoulders；
  refusing　to　come　out。　　Mr。　Gore　told　him　that　he
  would　give　him　three　calls；　and　that；　if　he　did　not
  come　out　at　the　third　call；　he　would　shoot　him。
  The　first　call　was　given。　　Demby　made　no　response；
  but　stood　his　ground。　　The　second　and　third　calls
  were　given　with　the　same　result。　　Mr。　Gore　then；
  without　consultation　or　deliberation　with　any　one；
  not　even　giving　Demby　an　additional　call；　raised
  his　musket　to　his　face；　taking　deadly　aim　at　his
  standing　victim；　and　in　an　instant　poor　Demby　was
  no　more。　　His　mangled　body　sank　out　of　sight；　and
  blood　and　brains　marked　the　water　where　he　had
  stood。
  A　thrill　of　horror　flashed　through　every　soul　upon
  the　plantation；　excepting　Mr。　Gore。　　He　alone
  seemed　cool　and　collected。　　He　was　asked　by　Colonel
  Lloyd　and　my　old　master；　why　he　resorted　to　this
  extraordinary　expedient。　　His　reply　was；　（as　well　as
  I　can　remember；）　that　Demby　had　become　unman…
  ageable。　　He　was　setting　a　dangerous　example　to　the
  other　slaves；one　which；　if　suffered　to　pass　without
  some　such　demonstration　on　his　part；　would　finally
  lead　to　the　total　subversion　of　all　rule　and　order
  upon　the　plantation。　　He　argued　that　if　one　slave　re…
  fused　to　be　corrected；　and　escaped　with　his　life；　the
  other　slaves　would　soon　copy　the　example；　the　re…
  sult　of　which　would　be；　the　freedom　of　the　slaves；
  and　the　enslavement　of　the　whites。　　Mr。　Gore's　de…
  fence　was　satisfactory。　　He　was　continued　in　his　sta…
  tion　as　overseer　upon　the　home　plantation。　　His
  fame　as　an　overseer　went　abroad。　　His　horrid　crime
  was　not　even　submitted　to　judicial　investigation。　　It
  was　committed　in　the　presence　of　slaves；　and　they　of
  course　could　neither　institute　a　suit；　nor　testify
  against　him；　and　thus　the　guilty　perpetrator　of　one　of
  the　bloodiest　and　most　foul　murders　goes　unwhipped
  of　justice；　and　uncensured　by　the　community　in
  which　he　lives。　　Mr。　Gore　lived　in　St。　Michael's；　Tal…
  bot　county；　Maryland；　when　I　left　there；　and　if　he
  is　still　alive；　he　very　probably　lives　there　now；　and　if
  so；　he　is　now；　as　he　was　then；　as　highly　esteemed
  and　as　much　respected　as　though　his　guilty　soul
  had　not　been　stained　with　his　brother's　blood。
  I　speak　advisedly　when　I　say　this；that　killing
  a　slave；　or　any　colored　person；　in　Talbot　county；
  Maryland；　is　not　treated　as　a　crime；　either　by　the
  courts　or　the　community。　　Mr。　Thomas　Lanman；　of
  St。　Michael's；　killed　two　slaves；　one　of　whom　he
  killed　with　a　hatchet；　by　knocking　his　brains　out。　　He
  used　to　boast　of　the　commission　of　the　awful　and
  bloody　deed。　　I　have　heard　him　do　so　laughingly；
  saying；　among　other　things；　that　he　was　the　only
  benefactor　of　his　country　in　the　company；　and　that
  when　others　would　do　as　much　as　he　had　done；　we
  should　be　relieved　of　〃the　dd　niggers。〃
  The　wife　of　Mr。　Giles　Hicks；　living　but　a　short
  distance　from　where　I　used　to　live；　murdered　my
  wife's　cousin；　a　young　girl　between　fifteen　and　six…
  teen　years　of　age；　mangling　her　person　in　the　most
  horrible　manner；　breaking　her　nose　and　breastbone
  with　a　stick；　so　that　the　poor　girl　expired　in　a　few
  hours　afterward。　　She　was　immediately　buried；　but
  had　not　been　in　her　untimely　grave　but　a　few　hours
  before　she　was　taken　up　and　examined　by　the　cor…
  oner；　who　decided　that　she　had　come　to　her　death
  by　severe　beating。　　The　offence　for　which　this　girl
  was　thus　murdered　was　this：She　had　been　set
  that　night　to　mind　Mrs。　Hicks's　baby；　and　during　the
  night　she　fell　asleep；　and　the　baby　cried。　　She；　having
  lost　her　rest　for　several　nights　previous；　did　not　hear
  the　crying。　　They　were　both　in　the　room　with　Mrs。
  Hicks。　　Mrs。　Hicks；　finding　the　girl　slow　to　move；
  jumped　from　her　bed；　seized　an　oak　stick　of　wood
  by　the　fireplace；　and　with　it　broke　the　girl's　nose
  and　breastbone；　and　thus　ended　her　life。　　I　will　not
  say　that　this　most　horrid　murder　produced　no　sen…
  sation　in　the　community。　　It　did　produce　sensation；
  but　not　enough　to　bring　the　murderess　to　punish…
  ment。　　There　was　a　warrant　issued　for　her　arrest；
  but　it　was　never　served。　　Thus　she　escaped　not　only
  punishment；　but　even　the　pain　of　being　arraigned
  before　a　court　for　her　horrid　crime。
  Whilst　I　am　detailing　bloody　deeds　which　took
  place　during　my　stay　on　Colonel　Lloyd's　plantation；
  I　will　briefly　narrate　another；　which　occurred　about
  the　same　time　as　the　murder　of　Demby　by　Mr。
  Gore。
  Colonel　Lloyd's　slaves　were　in　the　habit　of　spend…
  ing　a　part　of　their　nights　and　Sundays　in　fishing　for
  oysters；　and　in　this　way　made　up　the　deficiency　of
  their　scanty　allowance。　　An　old　man　belonging　to
  Colonel　Lloyd；　while　thus　engaged；　happened　to　get
  beyond　the　limits　of　Colonel　Lloyd's；　and　on　the
  premises　of　Mr。　Beal　Bondly。　　At　this　trespass；　Mr。
  Bondly　took　offence；　and　with　his　musket　came
  down　to　the　shore；　and　blew　its　deadly　contents
  into　the　poor　old　man。
  Mr。　Bondly　came　over　to　see　Colonel　Lloyd　the
  next　day；　whether　to　pay　him　for　his　property；　or
  to　justify　himself　in　what　he　had　done；　I　know　not。
  At　any　rate；　this　whole　fiendish　transaction　was　soon
  hushed　up。　　There　was　very　little　said　about　it　at　all；
  and　nothing　done。　　It　was　a　common　saying；　even
  among　little　white　boys；　that　it　was　worth　a　half…
  cent　to　kill　a　〃nigger；〃　and　a　half…cent　to　bury　one。
  CHAPTER　V
  As　to　my　own　treatment　while　I　lived　on　Colonel
  Lloyd's　plantation；　it　was　very　similar　to　that　of　the
  other　slave　children。　　I　was　not　old　enough　to　work　in
  the　field；　and　there　being　little　else　than　field　work
  to　do；　I　had　a　great　deal　of　leisure　time。　　The　most
  I　had　to　do　was　to　drive　up　the　cows　at　evening；
  keep　the　fowls　out　of　the　garden；　keep　the　front
  yard　clean；　and　run　of　errands　for　my　old　master's
  daughter；　Mrs。　Lucretia　Auld。　　The　most　of　my　lei…
  sure　time　I　spent　in　helping　Master　Daniel　Lloyd
  in　finding　his　birds；　after　he　had　shot　them。　　My
  connection　with　Master　Daniel　was　of　some　advan…
  tage　to　me。　　He　became　quite　attached　to　me；　and
  was　a　sort　of　protector　of　me。　　He　would　not　allow
  the　older　boys　to　impose　upon　me；　and　would　divide
  his　cakes　with　me。
  I　was　seldom　whipped　by　my　old　master；　and　suf…
  fered　little　from　any　thing　else　than　hunger　and
  cold。　　I　suffered　much　from　hunger；　but　much　more
  from　cold。　　In　hottest　summer　and　coldest　winter；　I
  was　kept　almost　nakedno　shoes；　no　stockings；　no
  jacket；　no　trousers；　nothing　on　but　a　coarse　tow　linen
  shirt；　reaching　only　to　my　knees。　　I　had　no　bed。　　I
  must　have　perished　with　cold；　but　that；　the　coldest
  nights；　I　used　to　steal　a　bag　which　was　used　for　carry…
  ing　corn　to　the　mill。　　I　would　crawl　into　this　bag；
  and　there　sleep　on　the　cold；　damp；　clay　floor；　with
  my　head　in　and　feet　out。　　My　feet　have　been　so
  cracked　with　the　frost；　that　the　pen　with　which　I
  am　writing　might　be　laid　in　the　gashes。
  We　were　not　regularly　allowanced。　　Our　food　was
  coarse　corn　meal　boiled。　　This　was　called　MUSH。　　It
  was　put　into　a　lar