THE MAID OF THE POTOMAC

"Go, girl! Show me you're the fastest horse in Baltimore County." Katie galloped through the Maryland woods and down an embankment. "Up and over now," I said. She reached the stream, embedded her front feet, dug in her haunches, and leapt. For a few seconds Katie and I floated free of gravity courtesy of her powerful hind legs.

     We hit on the other side and she scampered up the embankment and onto the forest path again. I slapped her neck several times. "Good girl, Katie. You're a good girl."

     We broke into an open field and I guided her towards a four-rail fence. "Charge!" I said. "We're free now, Katie. Sword in hand, it's time to attack."

     I leaned low over her neck, working the reins, squeezing every ounce of effort out of her. "You're one of the few horses that can do this. Go to it, girl!"

     We approached the fence at breakneck speed, and several feet from it Katie flew into the air. I glanced at her hind feet as they cleared the wood with two feet to spare. Turning forward again, I yelled, "Yaaaaaa haaaaa!"

     Pulling up on the reins, she drew back, slowed, and I lead her towards the left. She streaked off like winged-Pegasus down a wooded path with barely enough room for horse and rider. Ducking several tree limbs, I threw out my hand and yelled again, "Yaaaaaa haaaaa!"

     A minute later, Katie broke from the tall summer weeds populated mostly by Queen Anne's Lace and galloped down the entranceway road towards Harmony House. I leaned forward in the saddle holding my head low over her neck, my pant legs chaffing heavily against her rhythmic sides, the smell of summer foliage filling my nostrils.

     "All right, girl, let's fly away home!" Encouraging her with my spurless heals, she fairly flew with her hooves hardly contacting the ground. On reaching the circular drive, I noticed a gathering of mostly slaves near the front plantation entrance. Sitting up and squinting, I pulled back on Katie's reins as I approached-until I saw what our overseer was up to.

     The son of a-

     I dug in my heals and lowered my head over Katie's neck again. Nearly there, I lifted my left leg over Katie's haunches and held fast to the saddle horn. As she passed within a few feet of Mr. Jarvis, I let go, flung myself on his back, and wrapped one arm around his neck. We hit to the ground breaking into two entities as we rolled over several times.

     I had concentrated on the whip with my free hand and managed to tear it from his hand sending it flying several feet from us. My momentum made me roll over again, this time into a headfirst roll that landed me on my feet. I ran to the whip, snatched it up, and darted over to Mr. Jarvis.

     I wish I had broken his damn fool neck.

     As rage devoured me, one I knew could make me capable of killing the filthy pig, my eye caught Mr. Jarvis's target. Annie, the kitchen slave, whom he so graciously stripped naked to the waist before licking her with the whip, knelt on the ground, hunched over clutching herself with her arms.

     "Stay down, Mr. Jarvis." I pointed to Annie kneeling on the ground. The deep gully lines in her back lay open and bloodied like a gutted deer. "Someone get her covered up. There's been enough whipping for one day."

     "Yes, Miss Samantha," Lucas, the livery slave, said. He walked towards Annie with several other slaves joining him. They helped her up and pulled her torn dress top up so she could secure it with her hands.

     Mr. Jarvis looked up at me. "I don't think your father is going to approve of your interference."

     "He's not here at the moment. You have to answer to his daughter now, you retchsome oaf."

     "And we'll see just how long you do interfere … after I've had a jaw with him."

     I whipped the ground just inches from his face. "I don't care! I see you do this again, and I'll have your hide, you disgusting, despicable, lump of pasture dung."

     "Miss Lee!" He pulled his arms forward and sat up. I whipped the ground and nicked his behind. He jumped. "Yeow! Now, take it easy, Miss Lee. You ain't never interfered on any other day. Why now?"

     I bent over. "Because it is this day … the day I decided I can't take it anymore." I walked a quarter of the way around him. "I've seen you, you worthless toadstool. You look for any reason to whip the slaves." I reached a point directly behind him. He started to turn. "Stop! Keep looking away from me." He stopped. "I've got you where I want you." My whip pummeled him, and I enjoyed watching him flail to ward off the blows. The leather split his shirt open twice and found flesh, drawing blood and splattering it across the rest of his back.

     He spun and reached out towards me. Eventually he grabbed the whip and yanked me forward, separating me from it. Climbing to his feet, he threw the whip aside and stepped towards me rolling up his sleeves.

     I smiled. "Going to thrash me within an inch of my dainty life, Mr. Jarvis?"

     "I ought to, but instead I'll ruffle you up a little." He reached over his left shoulder, rubbed around, and withdrew his hand to study his reddened fingertips. "You deserve it. Just look at yourself … all dressed up in a man's riding outfit. You think you can really wear the pants around here?"

     He approached and I let a booted-foot fly, caught him in his manly place, and watched as he doubled over. I balled up my left fist and smashed it across his face, and he plopped over.

     Ignoring the pain running up and down my left arm, I stepped over him. "Next time, Mr. Jarvis, when you go to abuse the helpless, don't lead with your manhood."

     I marched to Katie, grabbed her reins, and walked her towards the livery stable. "If I have anything to say about it, your newly found unemployment will necessitate you to leave early tomorrow morning to procure a position elsewhere."

     Lucas jumped in front of me. "Here, Miss Samantha, I'll take Katie for you."

     I held an arm between his reach and Katie. "It's all right, Lucas. I need a moment to regain my Southern, aristocratic composure."

     By that time Annie had joined us. "Thank you, Miss Samantha. I'll never forget your kindness." She held out one hand. "Here, let me look at your hand. It must hurt right smart."

     "Not as much as Mr. Jarvis is hurting. His pain sort of helps it feel better."

     The Negroes broke up and left Mr. Jarvis to recover on his own. Lucas and Annie walked off towards the slave quarters. I reached the stables, led Katie inside, and into her stall. I had removed the saddle and started brushing her when I heard it-a faint, muffled moaning.

     Peeking my head out of Katie's stall, I looked down the line of stall doors on both sides. "Anyone there?"

     I set the brush down on one of the cross beams, stepped into the breezeway, and closed Katie's door. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

     Walking down the line of doors I heard a muffled scream-like someone held a hand over their mouth when they yelled. I broke into a run until I heard it again and stopped by the stall from which the noise seemed to emanate.

     I shoved the door open and found no horse inside. Instead, my eldest brother Marcus jumped off a naked slave girl and pulled up his pants.

     "What in the …?" I blurted.

     "Sam," Marcus said, struggling with his belt. "Weren't you out riding?"

     I stepped in and glared at the slave girl. "My God, Marcus. Have you been doing this all along? Celia's only fourteen. What kind of perversion are you practicing?"

     Marcus fastened his belt. "Sam, I-I-I-"

     "Never mind," I waved for Celia to come. "Where are your clothes, girl?"

     She looked at the ground. "Massa Marcus, he make me take 'em off before we walks in here. He likes to see me walk naked."

     "Do you know you can get with child?"

     "No, ma'am."

     "Does your mother know what you're doing?"

     "Yes, ma'am. She says it comes with being a slave girl. What the massa' wants, the massa' always gets."

     I shoved her out the stable door. "Go on. Get out of here. Put your clothes on and go home to your mother. If my brother comes after you again, you tell me about it, and it will be the last time …" I glared at Marcus. "… because he'll have nothing left with which to have anymore interest in you."

     She ran for the stable back door. I turned and watched Marcus continue to straighten his clothing. "You like to define them as animals. Congratulations, brother, you just fornicated with a cow … no, make that a calf. Do you feel moral and righteous now?"

     Marcus spread his arms and looked up. "Sam, they're just slaves. Besides it saves us money if we can breed them instead of buy them."

     I pursed my lips and nodded. "Great logic, brother. Please tell me what part of the Bible supports that philosophy. You do have the chapter and verse on that, don't you?" I stepped up to him and ripped the front of my shirt exposing my undergarments. "Why don't you fornicate with me? I'm your sister. Incest is a step up from bestiality."

     He backed away. "Sam, don't start."

     I stopped advancing. "Oh? Did you suddenly grow a set of morals?" I studied him trying to think of more insults, and then I flipped my hand. "You're not worth it. This place makes me ill."

     I walked back to Katie and continued brushing her.

     "Katie, I've got to get away from here. The war's been going on for over a year now, and I can't stand this Southern mentality." Visions of Papa coming home and finding out about Mr. Jarvis swam through my head. "What am I going to say to Papa? Mr. Jarvis is right. After he and my father have had their little jaw, Papa will continue letting him do as he pleases." I stopped brushing and leaned my head against hers. "But, Katie … I had to do something. I just can't stand by anymore and do nothing. All my brothers and my father embrace the slavery of other people, and they call God in to give them cause. I just can't stand by and let it continue … I just can't." I stood up straight and continued brushing. "So, today, Katie, I've decided that I'll do whatever I have to do, and if I get thrown out on my behind penniless … then so be it."

     "And you will."

     I turned to see my brother, John, standing in the doorway.

     He didn't wait for a response, but stepped up to Katie, grabbing her head and stroking it. "What in the hell has gotten into my little sister? Do you know the significance of what you did to Mr. Jarvis?"

     "It was no less so than what I just did to our perverted older brother."

     "Oh, you know about that."

     I stepped up to Katie's head and forced his arm off her. "You knew? I just found out by walking in on him and young Celia. Did you know she's only fourteen?"

     John stepped back. "It comes with the institution. It's strictly an economic necessity."

     "Oh, yes … Marcus explained the economics to me. You impregnate the Negro females and more slaves are born … less to purchase. I have an idea. Why don't I offer myself to a young, black buck? I can birth slaves as well as any Negro fourteen-year-old."

     He screwed up his face and raised his eyebrows.

     "It's the same thing," I said, "and it makes good business sense." He turned away. "Tell me, John, do you practice slave economics like Marcus does?"

     He walked to the other side of Katie's head and stroked her again. "Me? I don't have the stomach for it."

     I jumped back. "This whole place makes me sick!" I hurled the brush at him, but he caught it with one hand. I spun and ran out of the stall.

     "Brother George taught you too well to take care of yourself." Running towards the main door, I looked over my shoulder and saw John step out the stable door. "If he hadn't, you wouldn't have so thoroughly thrashed Mr. Jarvis; and you wouldn't be in so much trouble. You should thank him for your coming downfall."

     I disappeared through the door and ran for the house; but I still caught his last remark.

     "Sam, you've got to accept the world you're in."

     No I don't.

email graphic by Victoriana.com,
A Victorian Antique Marketplace

Go Back to Novel Menu

Go to the Main Menu