He walked round to the other side， examined my workfor a while， muttering to himself in a fault-finding tone.
“Didn’t I tell you last night to get a keg of nails ofChapin？” he broke forth again.
“Yes， master， and so I did； and overseer said he wouldget another size for you， if you wanted them， when hecame back from the field.”
Tibeats walked to the keg， looked a moment at thecontents， then kicked it violently. Coming towards me ina great passion， he exclaimed，
“G—d d—n you！ I thought you knowed something.”
I made answer： “I tried to do as you told me， master.
I didn’t mean anything wrong. Overseer said—” But heinterrupted me with such a flood of curses that I wasunable to finish the sentence. At length he ran towardsthe house， and going to the piazza， took down one of theoverseer’s whips. The whip had a short wooden stock，braided over with leather， and was loaded at the butt.
The lash was three feet long， or thereabouts， and made ofraw-hide strands.
At first I was somewhat frightened， and my impulsewas to run. There was no one about except Rachel， thecook， and Chapin’s wife， and neither of them were to be seen. The rest were in the field. I knew he intended towhip me， and it was the first time any one had attemptedit since my arrival at Avoyelles. I felt， moreover， that Ihad been faithful—that I was guilty of no wrong whatever，and deserved commendation rather than punishment.
My fear changed to anger， and before he reached me Ihad made up my mind fully not to be whipped， let theresult be life or death.
Winding the lash around his hand， and taking hold ofthe small end of the stock， he walked up to me， and with amalignant look， ordered me to strip.
“Master Tibeats， said I， looking him boldly in theface，” I will not. “I was about to say something further injustification， but with concentrated vengeance， he sprangupon me， seizing me by the throat with one hand， raisingthe whip with the other， in the act of striking. Before theblow descended， however， I had caught him by the collarof the coat， and drawn him closely to me. Reaching down，I seized him by the ankle， and pushing him back with theother hand， he fell over on the ground. Putting one armaround his leg， and holding it to my breast， so that hishead and shoulders only touched the ground， I placedmy foot upon his neck. He was completely in my power.
My blood was up. It seemed to course through my veinslike fire. In the frenzy of my madness I snatched the whipfrom his hand. He struggled with all his power； swore thatI should not live to see another day； and that he wouldtear out my heart. But his struggles and his threats were alike in vain. I cannot tell how many times I struck him.
Blow after blow fell fast and heavy upon his wrigglingform. At length he screamed—cried murder—and at lastthe blasphemous tyrant called on God for mercy. But hewho had never shown mercy did not receive it. The stiffstock of the whip warped round his cringing body untilmy right arm ached.
Until this time I had been too busy to look about me.
Desisting for a moment， I saw Mrs. Chapin looking fromthe window， and Rachel standing in the kitchen door.
Their attitudes expressed the utmost excitement andalarm. His screams had been heard in the field. Chapinwas coming as fast as he could ride. I struck him a blowor two more， then pushed him from me with such a welldirectedkick that he went rolling over on the ground.
Rising to his feet， and brushing the dirt from his hair，he stood looking at me， pale with rage. We gazed at eachother in silence. Not a word was uttered until Chapingalloped up to us.
“What is the matter？” he cried out.
“Master Tibeats wants to whip me for using the nailsyou gave me，” I replied.
“What is the matter with the nails？” he inquired， turningto Tibeats.
Tibeats answered to the effect that they were too large，paying little heed， however， to Chapin’s question， but stillkeeping his snakish eyes fastened maliciously on me.
“I am overseer here”， Chapin began. “I told Platt to take them and use them， and if they were not of theproper size I would get others on returning from the field.
It is not his fault. Besides， I shall furnish such nails as Iplease. I hope you will understand that， Mr. Tibeats.”
Tibeats made no reply， but， grinding his teeth andshaking his fist， swore he would have satisfaction， andthat it was not half over yet. Thereupon he walked away，followed by the overseer， and entered the house， thelatter talking to him all the while in a suppressed tone，and with earnest gestures.
I remained where I was， doubting whether it wasbetter to fly or abide the result， whatever it might be.
Presently Tibeats came out of the house， and， saddlinghis horse， the only property he possessed besides myself，departed on the road to Chenyville.
When he was gone， Chapin came out， visibly excited，telling me not to stir， not to attempt to leave theplantation on any account whatever. He then went tothe kitchen， and calling Rachel out， conversed with hersome time. Coming back， he again charged me with greatearnestness not to run， saying my master was a rascal；that he had left on no good errand， and that there mightbe trouble before night. But at all events， he insisted uponit， I must not stir.
wＷw。xiaoshuo txt.NeｔT xt＋～小＜说＋天＞堂