"Master Mack is 'most done whipping me."

When I went in to see him, I saw plainly enough that his face foretold a
storm.

"Boy," said he, "yoke up the oxen, and haul a load of wood."

I went at once, and did the task; but, to my dismay, there he stood at
the stable. I had to drive near to him; and as he evidently intended to
catch me, I was all vigilance.

"When you unload that wood, come to me, Sir," he said.

I made no reply, but unloaded the wood, left the oxen standing, and
stole away to Dorsey's, where I staid until the next day. Then I
prevailed upon Samuel Dorsey to go home with me. Master Mack told me to
go to my work, and he would forgive me; but the next time he would pay
me for "the new and the old." To work I went; but I determined not to be
paid for "the new and the old."

This all occurred in the month of May. Everything went on well until
June, when the long-sought-for opportunity presented itself. I had been
making preparations to leave ever since Master Mack had threatened me;
yet I did not like to go without first having a difficulty with him.
Much as I disliked my condition, I was ignorant enough to think that
something besides the fact that I was a slave was necessary to exonerate
me from blame in running away. A cross word, a blow, a good fright,
anything, would do, it mattered not whence nor how it came. I told my
brother Charles, who shared my confidence, to be ready; for the time was
at hand when we should leave Old Maryland forever. I was only waiting
for the first crooked word from my master.

A few days afterwards all hands were ordered to the fields to work; but
I stayed behind, lurking about the house. I was tired of working without
pay. Master Mack saw me, and wanted to know why I did not go out. I
answered, that it was raining, that I was tired, and did not want to
work. He then picked up a stick used for an ox-gad, and said, if I did
not go to work, he would whip me as sure as there was a God in heaven.
Then he struck at me; but I caught the stick, and we grappled, and
handled each other roughly for a time, when he called for assistance. He
was badly hurt. I let go my hold, bade him good-bye, and ran for the
woods. As I went by the field, I beckoned to my brother, who left work,
and joined me at a rapid pace.

I was now at the beginning of a new and important era in my life.
Although upon the threshold of manhood, I had, until the relation with
my master was sundered, only dim