the narrative of the life-第24章

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and　utter　astonishment；　came　up；　and　took　me　out；

with　the　intention　of　sending　me；　with　a　gentleman

of　his　acquaintance；　into　Alabama。　　But；　from　some

cause　or　other；　he　did　not　send　me　to　Alabama；

but　concluded　to　send　me　back　to　Baltimore；　to

live　again　with　his　brother　Hugh；　and　to　learn　a

trade。

　

　　Thus；　after　an　absence　of　three　years　and　one

month；　I　was　once　more　permitted　to　return　to　my

old　home　at　Baltimore。　　My　master　sent　me　away；

because　there　existed　against　me　a　very　great　preju…

dice　in　the　community；　and　he　feared　I　might　be

killed。

　

　　In　a　few　weeks　after　I　went　to　Baltimore；　Master

Hugh　hired　me　to　Mr。　William　Gardner；　an　ex…

tensive　ship…builder；　on　Fell's　Point。　　I　was　put　there

to　learn　how　to　calk。　　It；　however；　proved　a　very

unfavorable　place　for　the　accomplishment　of　this

object。　　Mr。　Gardner　was　engaged　that　spring　in

building　two　large　man…of…war　brigs；　professedly　for

the　Mexican　government。　　The　vessels　were　to　be

launched　in　the　July　of　that　year；　and　in　failure

thereof；　Mr。　Gardner　was　to　lose　a　considerable　sum；

so　that　when　I　entered；　all　was　hurry。　　There　was

no　time　to　learn　any　thing。　　Every　man　had　to　do

that　which　he　knew　how　to　do。　　In　entering　the　ship…

yard；　my　orders　from　Mr。　Gardner　were；　to　do　what…

ever　the　carpenters　commanded　me　to　do。　　This　was

placing　me　at　the　beck　and　call　of　about　seventy…five

men。　　I　was　to　regard　all　these　as　masters。　　Their

word　was　to　be　my　law。　　My　situation　was　a　most

trying　one。　　At　times　I　needed　a　dozen　pair　of　hands。

I　was　called　a　dozen　ways　in　the　space　of　a　single

minute。　　Three　or　four　voices　would　strike　my　ear

at　the　same　moment。　　It　was〃Fred。；　come　help　me

to　cant　this　timber　here。〃〃Fred。；　come　carry　this

timber　yonder。〃〃Fred。；　bring　that　roller　here。〃

〃Fred。；　go　get　a　fresh　can　of　water。〃〃Fred。；　come

help　saw　off　the　end　of　this　timber。〃〃Fred。；　go

quick；　and　get　the　crowbar。〃〃Fred。；　hold　on　the

end　of　this　fall。〃〃Fred。；　go　to　the　blacksmith's

shop；　and　get　a　new　punch。〃〃Hurra；　Fred。！　run

and　bring　me　a　cold　chisel。〃〃I　say；　Fred。；　bear　a

hand；　and　get　up　a　fire　as　quick　as　lightning　under

that　steam…box。〃〃Halloo；　nigger！　come；　turn　this

grindstone。〃〃Come；　come！　move；　move！　and　BOWSE

this　timber　forward。〃〃I　say；　darky；　blast　your　eyes；

why　don't　you　heat　up　some　pitch？〃〃Halloo！

halloo！　halloo！〃　　（Three　voices　at　the　same　time。）

〃Come　here！Go　there！Hold　on　where　you　are！

Damn　you；　if　you　move；　I'll　knock　your　brains　out！〃

　

　　This　was　my　school　for　eight　months；　and　I　might

have　remained　there　longer；　but　for　a　most　horrid

fight　I　had　with　four　of　the　white　apprentices；　in

which　my　left　eye　was　nearly　knocked　out；　and　I

was　horribly　mangled　in　other　respects。　　The　facts

in　the　case　were　these：　Until　a　very　little　while

after　I　went　there；　white　and　black　ship…carpenters

worked　side　by　side；　and　no　one　seemed　to　see　any

impropriety　in　it。　　All　hands　seemed　to　be　very　well

satisfied。　　Many　of　the　black　carpenters　were　freemen。

Things　seemed　to　be　going　on　very　well。　　All　at　once；

the　white　carpenters　knocked　off；　and　said　they

would　not　work　with　free　colored　workmen。　　Their

reason　for　this；　as　alleged；　was；　that　if　free　colored

carpenters　were　encouraged；　they　would　soon　take

the　trade　into　their　own　hands；　and　poor　white　men

would　be　thrown　out　of　employment。　　They　therefore

felt　called　upon　at　once　to　put　a　stop　to　it。　　And；

taking　advantage　of　Mr。　Gardner's　necessities；　they

broke　off；　swearing　they　would　work　no　longer；　unless

he　would　discharge　his　black　carpenters。　　Now；

though　this　did　not　extend　to　me　in　form；　it　did

reach　me　in　fact。　　My　fellow…apprentices　very　soon

began　to　feel　it　degrading　to　them　to　work　with

me。　　They　began　to　put　on　airs；　and　talk　about　the

〃niggers〃　taking　the　country；　saying　we　all　ought　to

be　killed；　and；　being　encouraged　by　the　journey…

men；　they　commenced　making　my　condition　as

hard　as　they　could；　by　hectoring　me　around；　and

sometimes　striking　me。　　I；　of　course；　kept　the　vow

I　made　after　the　fight　with　Mr。　Covey；　and　struck

back　again；　regardless　of　consequences；　and　while

I　kept　them　from　combining；　I　succeeded　very　well；

for　I　could　whip　the　whole　of　them；　taking　them

separately。　　They；　however；　at　length　combined；　and

came　upon　me；　armed　with　sticks；　stones；　and　heavy

handspikes。　　One　came　in　front　with　a　half　brick。

There　was　one　at　each　side　of　me；　and　one　behind

me。　　While　I　was　attending　to　those　in　front；　and　on

either　side；　the　one　behind　ran　up　with　the　hand…

spike；　and　struck　me　a　heavy　blow　upon　the　head。

It　stunned　me。　　I　fell；　and　with　this　they　all　ran

upon　me；　and　fell　to　beating　me　with　their　fists。　　I

let　them　lay　on　for　a　while；　gathering　strength。　　In

an　instant；　I　gave　a　sudden　surge；　and　rose　to　my

hands　and　knees。　　Just　as　I　did　that；　one　of　their

number　gave　me；　with　his　heavy　boot；　a　powerful

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　liabiliti