bout the
matter of changing hands, but I had become somewhat reckless. I cared
very little into whose hands I fell--I meant to fight my way. Despite of
Covey, too, the report got abroad, that I was hard to whip; that I was
guilty of kicking back; that though generally a good tempered Negro,
I sometimes "_got the devil in me_." These sayings were rife in Talbot
county, and they distinguished me among my servile brethren. Slaves,
generally, will fight each other, and die at each other's hands; but
there are few who are not held in awe by a white man. Trained from the
cradle up, to think and{194} feel that their masters are superior, and
invested with a sort of sacredness, there are few who can outgrow or
rise above the control which that sentiment exercises. I had now got
free from it, and the thing was known. One bad sheep will spoil a
whole flock. Among the slaves, I was a bad sheep. I hated slavery,
slaveholders, and all pertaining to them; and I did not fail to inspire
others with the same feeling, wherever and whenever opportunity was
presented. This made me a marked lad among the slaves, and a suspected
one among the slaveholders. A knowledge of my ability to read and write,
got pretty widely spread, which was very much against me.

The days between Christmas day and New Year's, are allowed the slaves as
holidays. During these days, all regular work was suspended, and there
was nothing to do but to keep fires, and look after the stock. This time
was regarded as our own, by the grace of our masters, and we, therefore
used it, or abused it, as we pleased. Those who had families at a
distance, were now expected to visit them, and to spend with them the
entire week. The younger slaves, or the unmarried ones, were expected to
see to the cattle, and attend to incidental duties at home. The holidays
were variously spent. The sober, thinking and industrious ones of our
number, would employ themselves in manufacturing corn brooms, mats,
horse collars and baskets, and some of these were very well made.
Another class spent their time in hunting opossums, coons, rabbits, and
other game. But the majority spent the holidays in sports, ball playing,
wrestling, boxing, running foot races, dancing, and drinking whisky; and
this latter mode of spending the time was generally most agreeable to
their masters. A slave who would work during the holidays, was thought,
by his master, undeserving of holidays. Such an one had rejected the
fa