We get to port and I
want to land, but dey shake deir heads.
"De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go
along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man
was standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side
ob him. Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout bery
loud. Oder men say something short. At last he knock on de table;
a man tell de woman to come after him and she walk away. Den a boy
was put up, and den two more women, and ebery time just de same
ting was done. Den de man call out, and de captain push his way
through the crowd wid me, and tell me to climb up on platform. I
get up and look round quite surprised. Eberybody laugh. Den de man
began to holloa again. Den seberal men come up and feel my arms and
my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip had left on my back,
and dey laugh again. Presently de man who was shouting bang his hand
on the table again, and a white man in the crowd, who had seberal
times called out loud, come up to me, take me by the arm, and sign
to me to go wid him.
"I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for
a slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221