Explanation: 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 know-I
resolved to fight; and, suiting my action to the resolution, 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 entirely 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 departed self-confidence, and
inspired me again with a determination to be free. The
gratification afforded 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.
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