CHAPTER XL
The Martyr part2
Tom heard themessage with a forewarning heart; for he knew all the plan of the fugitives'escape, and the place of their present concealment;—he knew the deadlycharacter of the man he had to deal with, and his despotic power. But he feltstrong in God to meet death, rather than betray the helpless.
He sat his basketdown by the row, and, looking up, said, "Into thy hands I commend myspirit! Thou hast redeemed me, oh Lord God of truth!" and then quietlyyielded himself to the rough, brutal grasp with which Quimbo seized him.
"Ay, ay!"said the giant, as he dragged him along; "ye'll cotch it, now! I'll boun'Mas'r's back 's up high! No sneaking out, now! Tell ye, ye'llget it, and no mistake! See how ye'll look, now, helpin' Mas'r's niggers to runaway! See what ye'll get!"
The savage wordsnone of them reached that ear!—a higher voice there was saying, "Fear not them that kill thebody, and, after that, have no more that they can do." Nerve and bone ofthat poor man's body vibrated to those words, as if touched by the finger ofGod; and he felt the strength of a thousand souls in one. As he passed along,the trees and bushes, the huts of his servitude, the whole scene of hisdegradation, seemed to whirl by him as the landscape by the rushing ear. Hissoul throbbed,—his home was in sight,—and the hour of release seemed at hand.
"Well,Tom!" said Legree, walking up, and seizing him grimly by the collar of hiscoat, and speaking through his teeth, in a paroxysm of determined rage,"do you know I've made up my mind to KILL YOU?"
"It's verylikely, Mas'r," said Tom, calmly.
"I have ,"said Legree, with a grim, terrible calmness, "done—just—that—thing , Tom, unless you'll tell me whatyou know about these yer gals!"
Tom stood silent.
"D'yehear?" said Legree, stamping, with a roar like that of an incensed lion."Speak!"
"I han'tgot nothing to tell, Mas'r ," said Tom, with a slow, firm,deliberate utterance.
"Do you dareto tell me, ye old black Christian, ye don't know ?" saidLegree.
Tom was silent.
"Speak!"thundered Legree, striking him furiously. "Do you know anything?"
"I know,Mas'r; but I can't tell anything. I can die! "
Legree drew in along breath; and, suppressing his rage, took Tom by the arm, and, approachinghis face almost to his, said, in a terrible voice, "Hark 'e, Tom!—ye think, 'cause I'velet you off before, I don't mean what I say; but, this time, I've madeup my mind , and counted the cost. You've always stood it out again'me: now, I'll conquer ye, or kill ye! —one or t' other. I'll count every drop of blood there is in you, andtake 'em, one by one, till ye give up!"
Tom looked up tohis master, and answered, "Mas'r, if you was sick, or in trouble, ordying, and I could save ye, I'd give ye my heart's blood; and,if taking every drop of blood in this poor old body would save your precioussoul, I'd give 'em freely, as the Lord gave his for me. O, Mas'r! don't bringthis great sin on your soul! It will hurt you more than 't will me! Do theworst you can, my troubles'll be over soon; but, if ye don't repent, yourswon't never end!"
Like a strangesnatch of heavenly music, heard in the lull of a tempest, this burst of feelingmade a moment's blank pause. Legree stood aghast, and looked at Tom; and therewas such a silence, that the tick of the old clock could be heard, measuring,with silent touch, the last moments of mercy and probation to that hardenedheart.
It was but amoment. There was one hesitating pause,—one irresolute, relenting thrill,—and the spirit of evil came back, with seven-fold vehemence; andLegree, foaming with rage, smote his victim to the ground.
Scenes of blood andcruelty are shocking to our ear and heart. What man has nerve to do, man hasnot nerve to hear. What brother-man and brother-Christian must suffer, cannotbe told us, even in our secret chamber, it so harrows the soul! And yet, oh mycountry! these things are done under the shadow of thy laws! O, Christ! thychurch sees them, almost in silence!
But, of old, therewas One whose suffering changed an instrument of torture, degradation andshame, into a symbol of glory, honor, and immortal life; and, where His spiritis, neither degrading stripes, nor blood, nor insults, can make the Christian'slast struggle less than glorious.
Was he alone, thatlong night, whose brave, loving spirit was bearing up, in that old shed,against buffeting and brutal stripes?
Nay! There stood byhim ONE,—seenby him alone,—"like unto the Son of God."
The tempter stoodby him, too,—blindedby furious, despotic will,—every moment pressing him toshun that agony by the betrayal of the innocent. But the brave, true heart wasfirm on the Eternal Rock. Like his Master, he knew that, if he saved others,himself he could not save; nor could utmost extremity wring from him words,save of prayers and holy trust.
"He's mostgone, Mas'r," said Sambo, touched, in spite of himself, by the patience ofhis victim.
"Pay away,till he gives up! Give it to him!—give it to him!" shouted Legree. "I'll takeevery drop of blood he has, unless he confesses!"
Tom opened hiseyes, and looked upon his master. "Ye poor miserable critter!" hesaid, "there ain't no more ye can do! I forgive ye, with all mysoul!" and he fainted entirely away.
"I b'lieve, mysoul, he's done for, finally," said Legree, stepping forward, to look athim. "Yes, he is! Well, his mouth's shut up, at last,—that's onecomfort!"
Yes, Legree; butwho shall shut up that voice in thy soul? that soul, past repentance, pastprayer, past hope, in whom the fire that never shall be quenched is alreadyburning!
Yet Tom was notquite gone. His wondrous words and pious prayers had struck upon the hearts ofthe imbruted blacks, who had been the instruments of cruelty upon him; and, theinstant Legree withdrew, they took him down, and, in their ignorance, sought tocall him back to life,—asif that were any favor to him.
"Sartin, we 'sbeen doin' a drefful wicked thing!" said Sambo; "hopes Mas'r'll haveto 'count for it, and not we."
They washed hiswounds,—theyprovided a rude bed, of some refuse cotton, for him to lie down on; and one ofthem, stealing up to the house, begged a drink of brandy of Legree, pretendingthat he was tired, and wanted it for himself. He brought it back, and poured itdown Tom's throat.
"O, Tom!"said Quimbo, "we's been awful wicked to ye!"
"I forgive ye,with all my heart!" said Tom, faintly.
"O, Tom! dotell us who is Jesus , anyhow?" said Sambo;—"Jesus, that'sbeen a standin' by you so, all this night!—Who ishe?"
The word roused thefailing, fainting spirit. He poured forth a few energetic sentences of thatwondrous One,—hislife, his death, his everlasting presence, and power to save.
They wept,—both the two savagemen.
"Why didn't Inever hear this before?" said Sambo; "but I do believe!—I can't help it! LordJesus, have mercy on us!"
"Poorcritters!" said Tom, "I'd be willing to bar all I have, if it'll onlybring ye to Christ! O, Lord! give me these two more souls, I pray!"
That prayer wasanswered!
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