Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant — John Shaqi
Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the ElephantHolt, Mathew Joseph
History
Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant
Holt, Mathew Joseph
Kentucky -- Fiction; Kentucky -- History
“Here he comes. If you ask, he will show us his servants, the indentured
ones.”
“Sebastian, my wife desires to see your indentured women servants. It is
possible we might make you an offer for one.”
“Very well, come this way. I am not responsible for their filthy
condition; I offer them clean clothing and water, but they prefer their
dirt.”
Mrs. Campbell, when she saw the little girl, was deeply moved and
inclined to express her indignation, but controlling herself, said:
“This girl must have attention at once. She is quite ill.”
“No. She is sea sick.”
“What do you ask for her? She might help me with the baby and the
housework.”
“She is to be bound for seven years and her price is fifteen guineas.”
“But Sebastian, you offered her to me yesterday for twelve. I will give
you that for her.”
“Yes, but your wife needs the girl.”
The girl, roused from the lethargy of her fever by the talking, held out
her hands to Mrs. Campbell and in a voice broken by fear and sickness,
pleaded:
“O, Lady! Take me away! You do not know what I am forced to endure. This
man dragged me aboard and will sell me as a slave. I am very ill and so
dirty. I cannot eat the food. Do not leave me in this place and with
him. I am afraid.”
“Dear, we have made him an offer and if he will sell, will give you a
good home. He sees our hearts are moved and has raised the price he
asked. Mr. Sebastian, the girl is ill and you will lose her if she is
not given immediate attention. My husband will give you twelve guineas
and we will move her at once.”
“No. If you want her you must pay fifteen.”
“Come Mary, that will do. Let the trafficker in human flesh keep her and
bear the loss. Let him have the burden of her murder on his conscience.”
“O, Lady! If you do not take me I shall not try to live. I would rather
die than complete the voyage and be sold as a beast of burden. If you
buy me I shall get well and be a faithful and willing servant.”
Mrs. Campbell, stooping down, kissed the dirty face of the sick girl and
whispered: “We have every intention of buying you. Refuse to eat
anything except what I send you. I will send Richard down today with
clean clothing and something nice to eat.”
Within the hour Richard was sent to the hold with clean clothing, bed
linen and some broth. The Spaniard took the articles saying:
“Hand them to me; you cannot go to my quarters.”
As soon as Richard was out of sight he drank the broth; calling it
sloppy stuff; and that evening sold the clothing and bedding to the wife
of an emigrant.
The next day he told the girl: “Your fine friends have forgotten you.
That is the way people do. Some old bachelor or an Indian chief will be
glad to get you.”
Each day Mrs. Campbell sent food to the girl and asked to see her, but
Sebastian would not permit it. He ate the food himself or threw it away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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