not belong to you, and I put it on to him well for lying to me.

I remain,

Your obedient servant."

It is true that in most of the slave-holding cities, when a gentleman
wishes his servants whipped, he can send him to the jail and have it
done. Before I went in where Mr. Walker was, I wet my cheeks a little,
as though I had been crying. He looked at me, and inquired what was the
matter. I told him that I had never had such a whipping in my life, and
handed him the note. He looked at it and laughed;--"and so you told him
that you did not belong to me." "Yes, sir," said I. "I did not know that
there was any harm in that." He told me I must behave myself, if I did
not want to be whipped again.

This incident shows how it is that slavery makes its victims lying and
mean; for which vices it afterwards reproaches them, and uses them as
arguments to prove that they deserve no better fate. I have often,
since my escape, deeply regretted the deception I practised upon this
poor fellow; and I heartily desire that it may be, at some time or
other, in my power to make him amends for his vicarious sufferings in my
behalf.




CHAPTER VII.