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342 QUASHI.
when he was well served, and policy to award good behaviour. But, unfortunately, for his faithful ser-vant, if he conceived a fault committed, he was in-exorable. Even when there was only an apparent cause of suspicion, he was too apt to allow prejudice to usurp the place of proof. Something hap-pened on the plantation, which Quashi could not explain so as to clear himself to the satisfaction of his master, and he was threatened with the shame-ful, as well as painful punishment of the cart whip; and he knew his master too well to doubt of the execution of his threatening
5. "It is well known in the West Indies, that a negro who has grown to manhood, without going the punishment of the cart whit, is apt to feel a pride in the smoothness of his skin; and is at greater pains to escape the lash from this, than, perhaps, from any other consideration.
6. "It is not uncommon for a slave, when he is flogged of threatened with it, for what he reckons no fault, or if any, a very trifling one, to stab him-self. Such is the sense of honor, which some of them entertain, that, rather than be disgraced, they would choose to die.
7. "Dreading this mortal wound to his honor, Quashi secretly withdrew from his master. It is not unusual for slaves, when they are afraid of punishment, to apply to some friend of their mas-ter's to intercede for them . Such mediation a humane master readily accepts in the case of some
QUASHI. 343
trifling offence. Of this custom, Quashi intended to avail himself.
8. "To save the flossy honors of his skin, he resolved to hide himself, until he should find an opportunity of a friend of advocate his cause. He lurked among his master's negro huts, and his fel-low slaves had too great of a regard for him, to dis-cover to his master the place of his retreat. In-deed, it is almost impossible to prevail with one slave, in any such case, to inform against another.
9. "It happened, that at this time his master's nephew became of age, and, for the celebration of the event, a feast was to be made. This oppor-tunity Quashi determined to improve; hoping, that amid the good humor and festivities of the day, he might be able, through the intervention of an advocate, to obtain the reconciliation of his master.
10. "But most unhappily, before he could exe-cute his design, perhaps aaaa the very time he was setting out to solicit the aid of a mediator, his master happened to be walking in the fields, and discovered him. Quashi, the moment he was discovered, ran off; and his master pursued him: but just as his master stretched out his hand to lay hold of him, he struck his foot against a stone or clod, and fell.
11. "They fell together, and both being stout men, they struggled hard for the mastery. After a severe conflict, in which each was several times uppermost, Quashi seated himself on his master's

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-06-20 12:45:23