We found Tom
sitting on the horse-block, the blood running down his face, and much
bruised and swollen. He was very fierce and angry, saying that if he
lived a month, he would make him a tobacco-pouch of the Deacon's scalp.
Rebecca ventured to chide him for his threats, but offered to bind up
his head for him, which she did with her own kerchief. Uncle Rawson
then bade him go home and get to bed, and in future let alone strong
drink, which had been the cause of his beating. This he would not do,
but went off into the woods, muttering as far as one could hear him.
This morning Deacon Dole came in, and said his servant Tom had behaved
badly, for which he did moderately correct him, and that he did
thereupon run away, and he feared he should lose him. He bought him,
he said, of Captain Davenport, who brought him from the Narragansett
country, paying ten pounds and six shillings for him, and he could ill
bear so great a loss. I ventured to tell him that it was wrong to hold
any man, even an Indian or Guinea black, as a slave.
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