iwonderedomyselfwhabusinesshecouldpossiblyhavewihme，andurninground，gazedahimunilhehadapproachedwihinasepduringmylongresidenceonhebayou，ihadbecomefamiliarwihhefaceofeverypnerwihinmanymiles；buhismanwasanuersranger—cerainlyihadneverseenhimbefore

“yournameisp，isi？”heasked

“yes，maser，”iresponded

poiningowardsnorhup，sandingafewrodsdisan，hedemanded—“doyouknowhaman？”

ilookedinhedirecionindicaed，andasmyeyesresedonhiscounenance，aworldofimageshrongedmybrain；amuliudeofwellknownfaces—a

e’s，andhedearchildren’s，andmyolddeadfaher’s；allhescenesandassociaionsofchildhoodandyouh；allhefriendsofoherandhappierdays，appearedanddisappeared，fliingandfloainglikedissolvingshadowsbeforehevisionofmyimaginaion，unilasheperfecmemoryofhemanrecurredome，andhrowingupmyhandsowardsheaven，iexcimed，inavoicelouderhanicoulduerinalessexciingmomen—“henrybnorhup！hankgod—hankgod！”

inaninsanicomprehendedhenaureofhisbusiness，andfelhahehourofmydeliverancewasahandisaredowardshim，buhesheriffseppedbeforeme

“sopamomen，”saidhe；“haveyouanyohernamehanp？”

“solomonnorhupismyname，maser，”ireplied

“haveyouafamily？”heinquired

“ihadawifeandhreechildren”

“whawereyourchildren’snames？”

“elizabeh，margareandalonzo”

“andyourwife’snamebeforehermarriage？”

“a

ehampon”

“whomarriedyou？”

“imohyeddy，offoredward”

“wheredoeshagenlemanlive？”againpoiningonorhup，whoremainedsandinginhesamepcewhereihadfirsrecognizedhim

“helivesinsandyhill，washingoncouny，newyork，”washereply

hewasproceedingoaskfurherquesions，buipushedpashim，unablelongeroresrainmyselfiseizedmyoldacquainancebybohhandsicouldnospeakicouldnorefrainfromears

“sol，”hesaidalengh，“i’mgdoseeyou”

iessayedomakesomeanswer，buemoionchokedalluerance，andiwassilenhesves，uerlyconfounded，soodgazinguponhescene，heiropenmouhsandrollingeyesindicaingheumoswonderandasonishmenforenyearsihaddwelamonghem，inhefieldandinhecabin，borhesamehardships，parakenhesamefare，mingledmygriefswihheirs，paricipaedinhesamescanyjoys；neverheless，nounilhishour，hesiwasoremainamonghem，hadheremoessuspicionofmyruename，orheslighesknowledgeofmyrealhisory，beenenerainedbyanyoneofhem

noawordwasspokenforseveralminues，duringwhichimeiclungfasonorhup，lookingupinohisface，fearfulishouldawakeandfindialladream

“hrowdownhasack，”norhupadded，finally；“yourcoonpickingdaysareovercomewihusohemanyoulivewih”

iobeyedhim，andwalkingbeweenhimandhesheriff，wemovedowardshegreahouseiwasnounilwehadproceededsomedisancehaihadrecoveredmyvoicesufficienlyoaskifmyfamilywerealllivingheinformedmehehadseena

e，margareandelizabehbuashorimepreviously；haalonzowassillliving，andallwerewellmymoher，however，icouldneverseeagainasibeganorecoverinsomemeasurefromhesuddenandgreaexciemenwhichsooverwhelmedme，igrewfainandweak，insomuchiwaswihdifficulyicouldwalkhesheriffookholdofmyarmandassisedme，orihinkishouldhavefallenasweeneredheyard，eppssoodbyhegae，conversingwihhedriverhayoungman，faihfulohisinsrucions，wasenirelyunableogivehimheleasinformaioninanswerohisrepeaedinquiriesofwhawasgoingonbyheimewereachedhimhewasalmosasmuchamazedandpuzzledasboboruncleabram

shakinghandswihhesheriff，andreceivinganinroducionomrnorhup，heinviedheminohouse，orderingme，ahesameime，obringinsomewoodiwassomeimebeforeisucceededincuinganarmful，sceneinhecoonfield，solomondeliveredup

having，somehow，unaccounablyloshepowerofwieldingheaxewihanyma

erofprecisionwhenieneredwihias，heablewassrewnwihpapers，fromoneofwhichnorhupwasreadingiwasprobablylongerhannecessiyrequired，inpcinghesicksuponhefire，beingparicurasoheexacposiionofeachindividualoneofhemiheardhewords，“hesaidsolomonnorhup，”and“hedeponenfurhersays，”and“freeciizenofnewyork，”repeaedfrequenly，andfromheseexpressionsundersoodhahesecreihadsolongreainedfrommaserandmisressepps，wasfinallydevelopingilingeredaslongasprudencepermied，andwasabouleavingheroom，wheneppsinquired，“p，doyouknowhisgenleman？”

“yes，maser，”ireplied，“ihaveknownhimaslongasicanremember”

“wheredoeshelive？”

“helivesinnewyork”

“didyoueverlivehere？”

“yes，maser—bornandbredhere”

“youwasfree，hennowyoud—dnigger，”heexcimed，“whydidyounoellmehawheniboughyou？”

“maserepps，”ianswered，inasomewhadifferenohanheoneinwhichihadbeenaccusomedoaddresshim“maserepps，youdidnoakeheroubleoaskme；besides，ioldoneofmyowners—hemanhakidnappedme—haiwasfree，andwaswhippedalmosodeahfori”