Chapter IV

An affray in digging a cellar—Peter sick of a typhus Page 83–124
fever nine months—the kindness of “the
gals”—physician’s bill—a methodist preacher, and a leg
of tain’ted mutton—_“master shoots arter him” with a
rifle!!_—a bear story—where the skin went to—a glance
at religious operations in that region—“a camp
meeting”—Peter tied up in the woods in the night, and
“expects to be eat up by all kinds of wild
varmints”—master a drunkard—owns a still—abuses his
family—a story of blood, and stripes, and groans, and
cries—Peter finds ‘Lecta a friend in need—expects to be
killed—Abers intercedes for him, and “makes it his
business”—Mrs. Abers pours oil into Peter’s
wounds—Peter goes back, and is better treated a little
while—master tries to stab him with a pitchfork, and
Peter nearly kills him in self-defence—tries the rifle
and swears he will end Peter’s existence now—but the
ball don’t hit—the crisis comes, and that night Peter
swears to be free or die in the cause.