somehreehoursepsed，duringwhichimeiremainedseaedonhelowbench，absorbedinpainfulmediaionsalenghiheardhecrowingofacock，andsoonadisanrumblingsound，asofcarriageshurryinghroughhesrees，cameomyears，andiknewhaiwasdaynorayofligh，however，peraedmyprison

finally，iheardfoosepsimmediaelyoverhead，asofsomeonewalkingoandfroioccurredomehenhaimusbeinanundergroundaparmen，andhedamp，mouldyodorsofhepceconfirmedhesupposiion

henoiseaboveconinuedforaleasanhour，when，as，iheardfoosepsapproachingfromwihouakeyraledinhelock—asrongdoorswungbackuponishinges，admiingafloodofligh，andwomeneneredandsoodbeforemeoneofhemwasarge，powerfulman，foryyearsofage，perhaps，wihdark，chesnucoloredhair，slighlyinerspersedwihgrayhisfacewasfull，hiscomplexionflush，hisfeauresgrosslycoarse，expressiveofnohingbucruelyandcu

inghewasaboufivefeeenincheshigh，offullhabi，and，wihouprejudice，imusbeallowedosay，wasamanwhosewholeappearancewassiniserandrepugnanhisnamewasjameshburch，asilearnedaferwards—awellknownsvedealerinwashingon；andhen，orelyco

ecedinbusiness，asaparner，wihheophilusfreeman，ofneworleanshepersonwhoaccompaniedhimwasasimpleckey，namedebenezerradburn，whoacedmerelyinhecapaciyofurnkeybohofhesemensillliveinwashingon，ordid，aheimeofmyreurnhroughhaciyfromsveryinjanuarys

helighadmiedhroughheopendoorenabledmeoobserveheroominwhichiwasconfinediwasabouwelvefeesquare—hewallsofsolidmasonryhefloorwasofheavypnkherewasonesmallwindow，crossedwihgreaironbars，wihanousideshuer，securelyfasened

anironbounddoorledinoanadjoiningcell，orvaul，whollydesiueofwindows，oranymeansofadmiinglighhefurniureofheroominwhichiwas，consisedofhewoodenbenchonwhichisa，anoldfashioned，diryboxsove，andbesideshese，ineihercell，herewasneiherbed，norbnke，noranyoherhingwhaever

hedoor，hroughwhichburchandradburnenered，ledhroughasmallpassage，upaflighofsepsinoayard，surroundedbyabrickwallenorwelvefeehigh，immediaelyinrearofabuildingofhesamewidhasiselfheyardexendedrearwardfromhehouseabouhiryfeeinoneparofhewallherewasasronglyironeddoor，openinginoanarrow，coveredpassage，leadingalongonesideofhehouseinohesreehedoomofhecoloredman，uponwhomhedoorleadingouofhanarrowpassageclosed，wassealedheopofhewallsupporedoneendofaroof，whichascendedinwards，formingakindofopenshedunderneahheroofherewasacrazylofallround，wheresves，ifsodisposed，mighsleepanigh，orininclemenweaherseekshelerfromhesormiwaslikeafarmer’sbarnyardinmosrespecs，saveiwassoconsrucedhaheousideworldcouldneverseehehumancalehawereherdedhere

hebuildingowhichheyardwasaached，waswosorieshigh，froningononeofhepublicsreesofwashingonisousidepresenedonlyheappearanceofaquieprivaeresidenceasrangerlookingai，wouldneverhavedreamedofisexecrableusessrangeasimayseem，wihinpinsighofhissamehouse，lookingdownfromiscommandingheighuponi，washecapiolhevoicesofparioicrepresenaivesboasingoffreedomandequaliy，andheralingofhepoorsve’schains，almoscommingledasvepenwihinheveryshadowofhecapiol！

suchisacorrecdeionasiwasin1841，ofwilliams’svepeninwashingon，inoneofhecelrsofwhichifoundmyselfsounaccounablyconfined

“well，myboy，howdoyoufeelnow？”saidburch，asheeneredhroughheopendoorirepliedhaiwassick，andinquiredhecauseofmyimprisonmen

heansweredhaiwashissve—hahehadboughme，andhahewasabouosendmeoneworleans

iassered，aloudandboldly，haiwasafreeman—aresidenofsaraoga，whereihadawifeandchildren，whowerealsofree，andhamynamewasnorhup

icompinedbierlyofhesrangereamenihadreceived，andhreaened，uponmyliberaion，ohavesaisfacionforhewronghedeniedhaiwasfree，andwihanemphaicoah，decredhaicamefromgeorgiaagainandagainiasserediwasnoman’ssve，andinsiseduponhisakingoffmychainsaonceheendeavoredohushme，asifhefearedmyvoicewouldbeoverheardbuiwouldnobesilen，anddenouncedheauhorsofmyimprisonmen，whoeverheymighbe，asunmiigaedvilinsfindinghecouldnoquieme，heflewinoaoweringpassionwihbsphemousoahs，hecalledmeabckliar，arunawayfromgeorgia，andeveryoherprofaneandvulgarepihehahemosindecenfancycouldconceive

duringhisimeradburnwassandingsilenlyby

hisbusinesswas，ooverseehishuman，orraherinhumansable，receivingsves，feedingandwhippinghem，aheraeofwoshillingsaheadperdayurningohim，burchorderedhepaddleandcao’niailsobebroughinhedisappeared，andinafewmomensreurnedwihheseinsrumensoforurehepaddle，asiisermedinsvebeaingparnce，oraleasheonewihwhichifirsbecameacquained，andofwhichinowspeak，wasapieceofhardwoodboard，eigheenorwenyincheslong，mouldedoheshapeofanold027fashionedpuddingsick，orordinaryoarhefenedporion，whichwasabouhesizeincircumferenceofwoopenhands，wasboredwihasmallaugerinnumerouspceshecawasargeropeofmanysrands—hesrandsunraveled，andaknoiedaheexremiyofeach