He listened attentively to my narration of the
circumstances leading to the savage outrage, and gave many proofs of
his strong indignation at it. The heart of my once overkind mistress was
again melted into pity. My puffed-out eye and blood-covered face moved
her to tears. She took a chair by me, washed the blood from my face,
and, with a mother's tenderness, bound up my head, covering the wounded
eye with a lean piece of fresh beef. It was almost compensation for my
suffering to witness, once more, a manifestation of kindness from this,
my once affectionate old mistress. Master Hugh was very much enraged. He
gave expression to his feelings by pouring out curses upon the heads
of those who did the deed. As soon as I got a little the better of my
bruises, he took me with him to Esquire Watson's, on Bond Street, to
see what could be done about the matter. Mr. Watson inquired who saw
the assault committed. Master Hugh told him it was done in Mr. Gardner's
ship-yard at midday, where there were a large company of men at work.
"As to that," he said, "the deed was done, and there was no question as
to who did it." His answer was, he could do nothing in the case, unless
some white man would come forward and testify. He could issue no warrant
on my word. If I had been killed in the presence of a thousand colored
people, their testimony combined would have been insufficient to have
arrested one of the murderers. Master Hugh, for once, was compelled to
say this state of things was too bad.
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