I　found　Sandy　an　old　adviser。　　He　told　me；　with
  great　solemnity；　I　must　go　back　to　Covey；　but　that
  before　I　went；　I　must　go　with　him　into　another
  part　of　the　woods；　where　there　was　a　certain　~root；~
  which；　if　I　would　take　some　of　it　with　me；　carrying
  it　~always　on　my　right　side；~　would　render　it　impos…
  sible　for　Mr。　Covey；　or　any　other　white　man；　to
  whip　me。　　He　said　he　had　carried　it　for　years；　and
  since　he　had　done　so；　he　had　never　received　a　blow；
  and　never　expected　to　while　he　carried　it。　　I　at　first
  rejected　the　idea；　that　the　simple　carrying　of　a　root
  in　my　pocket　would　have　any　such　effect　as　he　had
  said；　and　was　not　disposed　to　take　it；　but　Sandy
  impressed　the　necessity　with　much　earnestness；　tell…
  ing　me　it　could　do　no　harm；　if　it　did　no　good。　　To
  please　him；　I　at　length　took　the　root；　and；　ac…
  cording　to　his　direction；　carried　it　upon　my　right
  side。　　This　was　Sunday　morning。　　I　immediately
  started　for　home；　and　upon　entering　the　yard　gate；
  out　came　Mr。　Covey　on　his　way　to　meeting。　　He
  spoke　to　me　very　kindly；　bade　me　drive　the　pigs
  from　a　lot　near　by；　and　passed　on　towards　the
  church。　　Now；　this　singular　conduct　of　Mr。　Covey
  really　made　me　begin　to　think　that　there　was　some…
  thing　in　the　ROOT　which　Sandy　had　given　me；　and
  had　it　been　on　any　other　day　than　Sunday；　I　could
  have　attributed　the　conduct　to　no　other　cause　than
  the　influence　of　that　root；　and　as　it　was；　I　was　half
  inclined　to　think　the　~root~　to　be　something　more
  than　I　at　first　had　taken　it　to　be。　　All　went　well　till
  Monday　morning。　　On　this　morning；　the　virtue　of
  the　ROOT　was　fully　tested。　　Long　before　daylight；　I
  was　called　to　go　and　rub；　curry；　and　feed；　the　horses。
  I　obeyed；　and　was　glad　to　obey。　　But　whilst　thus
  engaged；　whilst　in　the　act　of　throwing　down　some
  blades　from　the　loft；　Mr。　Covey　entered　the　stable
  with　a　long　rope；　and　just　as　I　was　half　out　of　the
  loft；　he　caught　hold　of　my　legs；　and　was　about　tying
  me。　　As　soon　as　I　found　what　he　was　up　to；　I　gave
  a　sudden　spring；　and　as　I　did　so；　he　holding　to　my
  legs；　I　was　brought　sprawling　on　the　stable　floor。
  Mr。　Covey　seemed　now　to　think　he　had　me；　and
  could　do　what　he　pleased；　but　at　this　moment
  from　whence　came　the　spirit　I　don't　knowI　re…
  solved　to　fight；　and；　suiting　my　action　to　the　reso…
  lution；　I　seized　Covey　hard　by　the　throat；　and　as　I
  did　so；　I　rose。　　He　held　on　to　me；　and　I　to　him。　　My
  resistance　was　so　entirely　unexpected　that　Covey
  seemed　taken　all　aback。　　He　trembled　like　a　leaf。
  This　gave　me　assurance；　and　I　held　him　uneasy；
  causing　the　blood　to　run　where　I　touched　him　with
  the　ends　of　my　fingers。　　Mr。　Covey　soon　called　out
  to　Hughes　for　help。　　Hughes　came；　and；　while　Covey
  held　me；　attempted　to　tie　my　right　hand。　　While　he
  was　in　the　act　of　doing　so；　I　watched　my　chance；
  and　gave　him　a　heavy　kick　close　under　the　ribs。
  This　kick　fairly　sickened　Hughes；　so　that　he　left
  me　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Covey。　　This　kick　had　the
  effect　of　not　only　weakening　Hughes；　but　Covey　also。
  When　he　saw　Hughes　bending　over　with　pain；　his
  courage　quailed。　　He　asked　me　if　I　meant　to　persist
  in　my　resistance。　　I　told　him　I　did；　come　what
  might；　that　he　had　used　me　like　a　brute　for　six
  months；　and　that　I　was　determined　to　be　used　so
  no　longer。　　With　that；　he　strove　to　drag　me　to　a
  stick　that　was　lying　just　out　of　the　stable　door。　　He
  meant　to　knock　me　down。　　But　just　as　he　was　leaning
  over　to　get　the　stick；　I　seized　him　with　both　hands
  by　his　collar；　and　brought　him　by　a　sudden　snatch
  to　the　ground。　　By　this　time；　Bill　came。　　Covey　called
  upon　him　for　assistance。　　Bill　wanted　to　know　what
  he　could　do。　　Covey　said；　〃Take　hold　of　him；　take
  hold　of　him！〃　　Bill　said　his　master　hired　him　out　to
  work；　and　not　to　help　to　whip　me；　so　he　left　Covey
  and　myself　to　fight　our　own　battle　out。　　We　were
  at　it　for　nearly　two　hours。　　Covey　at　length　let　me
  go；　puffing　and　blowing　at　a　great　rate；　saying　that
  if　I　had　not　resisted；　he　would　not　have　whipped
  me　half　so　much。　　The　truth　was；　that　he　had　not
  whipped　me　at　all。　　I　considered　him　as　getting　en…
  tirely　the　worst　end　of　the　bargain；　for　he　had　drawn
  no　blood　from　me；　but　I　had　from　him。　　The　whole
  six　months　afterwards；　that　I　spent　with　Mr。　Covey；
  he　never　laid　the　weight　of　his　finger　upon　me　in
  anger。　　He　would　occasionally　say；　he　didn't　want
  to　get　hold　of　me　again。　　〃No；〃　thought　I；　〃you
  need　not；　for　you　will　come　off　worse　than　you　did
  before。〃
  This　battle　with　Mr。　Covey　was　the　turning…
  point　in　my　career　as　a　slave。　　It　rekindled　the　few
  expiring　embers　of　freedom；　and　revived　within　me
  a　sense　of　my　own　manhood。　　It　recalled　the　de…
  parted　self…confidence；　and　inspired　me　again　with
  a　determination　to　be　free。　　The　gratification　af…
  forded　by　the　triumph　was　a　full　compensation　for
  whatever　else　might　follow；　even　death　itself。　　He
  only　can　understand　the　deep　satisfaction　which　I
  experienced；　who　has　himself　repelled　by　force　the
  bloody　arm　of　slavery。　　I　felt　as　I　never　felt　before。
  It　was　a　glorious　resurrection；　from　the　tomb　of
  slavery；　to　the　heaven　of　freedom。　　My　long…crushed
  spirit　rose；　cowardice　departed；　bold　defiance　took
  its　place；　and　I　now　resolved　that；　however　long　I
  might　remain　a　slave　in　form；　the　day　had　passed
  forever　when　I　could　be　a　slave　in　fact。　　I　did　not
  hesitate　to　let　it　be　known　of　me；　that　the　white
  man　who　expected　to　succeed　in　whipping；　must
  also　succeed　in　killing　me。
  From　this　time　I　was　never　again　what　might　be
  called　fairly　whipped；　though　I　remained　a　slave
  four　years　afterwards。　　I　had　several　fights；　but　was
  never　whipped。
  It　was　for　a　long　time　a　matter　of　surprise　to　me
  why　Mr。　Covey　did　not　immediately　have　me　taken
  by　the　constable　to　the　whipping…post；　and　there
  regularly　whipped　for　the　crime　of　raising　my　hand
  against　a　white　man　in　defence　of　myself。　　And　the
  only　explanation　I　can　now　think　of　does　not　entirely
  satisfy　me；　but　such　as　it　is；　I　will　give　it。　　Mr。　Covey
  enjoyed　the　most　unbounded　reputation　for　being
  a　first…rate　overseer　and　negro…breaker。　　It　was　of　con…
  siderable　importance　to　him。　　That　reputation　was　at
  stake；　and　had　he　sent　mea　boy　about　sixteen　years
  oldto　the　public　whipping…post；　his　reputation
  would　have　been　lost；　so；　to　save　his　reputation；　he
  suffered　me　to　go　unpunished。
  My　term　of　actual　service　to　Mr。　Edward　Covey
  ended　on　Christmas　day；　1833。　　The　days　between
  Christmas　and　New　Year's　day　are　allowed　as　holi…
  days；　and；　accordingly；　we　were　not　required　to　per…
  form　any　labor；　more　than　to　feed　and　take　care　of
  the　stock。　　This　time　we　regarded　as　our　own；　by　the
  grace　of　our　masters；　and　we　therefore　used　or
  abused　it　nearly　as　we　pleased。　　Those　of　us　who　had
  families　at　a　distance；　were　generally　allowed　to
  spend　the　whole　six　days　in　their　society。　　This　time；
  however；　was　spent　in　various　ways。　　The　staid；　sober；
  thinking　and　industrious　ones　of　our　number　would
  employ　themselves　in　making　corn…brooms；　mats；
  horse…collars；　and　baskets；　and　another　class　of　us
  would　spend　the　time　in　hunting　opossums；　hares；
  and　coons。　　But　by　far　the　larger　part　engaged　in
  such　sports　and　merriments　as　playing　ball；　wres…
  tling；　running　foot…races；　fiddling；　dancing；　and
  drinking　whisky；　and　this　latter　mode　of　spending
  the　time　was　by　far　the　most　agreeable　to　the　feel…
  ings　of　our　masters。　　A　slave　who　would　work　during
  the　holidays　was　considered　by　our　masters　as
  scarcely　deserving　them。　　He　was　regarded　as　one
  who　rejected　the　favor　of　his　master。　　It　was　deemed
  a　disgrace　not　to　get　drunk　at　Christmas；　and　he
  was　regarded　as　lazy　indeed；　who　had　not　provided
  himself　with　the　necessary　means；　during　the　year；
  to　get　whisky　enough　to　last　him　through　Christmas。
  From　what　I　know　of　the　effect　of　these　holidays
  upon　the　slave；　I　believe　them　to　be　among　the
  most　effective　means　in　the　hands　of　the　slaveholder
  in　keeping　down　the　spirit　of　insurrection。　　Were
  the　slaveholders　at　once　to　abandon　this　practice；
  I　have　not　the　slightest　doubt　it　would　lead　to　an
  immediate　insurrection　among　the　slaves。　　These
  holidays　serve　as　conductors；　or　safety…valves；　to　carry
  off　the　rebellious　spirit　of　enslaved　humanity。　　But
  for　these；　the　slave　would　be　forced　up　to　the　wild…
  est　desperation；　and　woe　betide　the　slaveholder；　the
  day　he　ventures　to　remove　or　hinder　the　operation
  of　those　conductors！　　I　warn　him　that；　in　such　an
  event；　a　spirit　will　go　forth　in　their　midst；　more　to
  be　dreaded　than　the　most　appalling　earthquake。
  The　holidays　are　part　and　parcel　of　the　gross
  fraud；　wrong；　and　inhumanity　of　slavery。　　They　are
  professedly　a　custom　established　by　the　benevolence
  of　the　slaveholders；　but　I　undertake　to　say；　it　is　the
  result　of　selfishness；　and　one　of　the　grossest　frauds
  committed　upon　the　down…trodden　slave。　　They　do
  not　give　the　slaves　th