“Unmerciful man!” said the colonel in a peremptory tone; “what have you been doing here?  You fiend of hell, let the man up!  You own slaves to bring disgrace upon us in this manner!  Epithets of contempt and disgust are too good for you.  It is such beasts as you who are creating a popular hatred against us, and souring the feelings of our countrymen.  Let the man up instantly; the very position you have him in is enough to kill him, and, if I’m not mistaken, you’ve killed him already.”

“Indeed, he’s me own property, and it’s yerself won’t lose a ha’penny if he’s kilt.  An’ I’ll warrant ye he’s cur’t of stalin’ better than the man beyant at the wurk’o’se would be doin’ if.  Bad luck to the nager, an’ it’s the second time he’d be doin’ that same thing,” said he, as unconcernedly as if he had just been killing a calf.

“I’ll ‘your own’ you, you miserable wretch!  Your abuse and cruel treatment of your slaves is becoming a public thing; and if you a’n’t very careful, something will be done about it before council.  If they are your own, you must not treat them worse than dogs; they have feeling, if you have no compassion.  Be quick! release him at once!” demanded the colonel, feeling the man’s wrist and head.

The tyrant vent deliberately to work, unloosing the cords.  This provoked the colonel still more, and taking his knife from his pocket, he severed the cords that bound his hands and feet, while as suddenly the Captain sprang with his knife and severed those that bound his hands and neck.  “Stop, Captain, stop! take no part,” said the colonel, with a significant look.

“Gintlemen, I wish yes wouldn’t interfere with my own business,” said the master.

“Take him up, you villanous wretch!  I speak to you as you deserve, without restraint or respect,” again the colonel repeated.

He called to the boy who was bringing the pail of water when they entered.  He came forward, and taking the poor fellow by the shoulders, this beast in human form cried out, “Get up now, ye miserable thief, ye.”  The poor fellow made a struggle, but as the black man raised his head-which seemed to hang as a dead weight-exhaustion had left him without strength, and he fell back among the bloody shavings like a mutilated mass of lifeless flesh.

“None of your humbugging; yer worth a dozen dead niggers anyhow,” said he, taking up the pail of water and throwing nearly half of it over him; then passing the bucket to the black man and ordering him to get more water and wash him down; then to get some saltpetre and a sponge to sop his flesh.

“Well,” said the colonel, “I have seen a good deal of cruelty to slaves, but this is the most beastly I have ever beheld.  If you don’t send for a doctor at once, I shall report you.  That man will die, to a moral certainty.  Now, you may depend upon what I say-if that man dies, you’ll feel the consequences, and I shall watch you closely.”