GENERAL SAMANTHA LEE
A Tiger's Heart

"Go, Katie!" I shouted. "Show me you're the fastest horse in Baltimore County." Katie galloped through the Maryland woods and down an embankment. "Up and over now." She reached the stream, embedded her front feet, dug in her haunches, and leapt. For a few seconds, we 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. A warm glow expanded throughout my body while I slapped her neck several times. "Good girl, Katie. You're a good girl."

     We broke into an open field, and I guided her toward 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, my heart racing as fast as Katie's hooves hit the ground. Several feet from it, Katie flew into the air. Clearing the top rail, I yelled, "Yaaaaaa haaaaaa!"

     Pulling up on the reins, Katie drew back, slowed, and I led her toward 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 stretched out my hand and yelled again, "Yaaaaaa haaaaaa!"

     A minute later, Katie broke from the tall summer weeds populated mostly by Queen Anne's Lace and galloped down the entranceway road toward 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 spur-free heels, she fairly flew, her hooves hardly contacting the ground. On reaching the circular drive, a gathering of mostly slaves near the front plantation entrance caught my eye. Sitting up and squinting, I pulled back on Katie's reins as we approached-until I saw a demonstration of our overseer's wickedness.

     My body tensed, and my leg muscles quivered. "Saint Lucifer!"

     I dug in my heels 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 the ground breaking into two entities and rolled over several times.

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

     My teeth gnashed so hard, I thought they would break. He should have broken his damn fool neck!

     While rage tried to convince me that the filthy pig deserved to die, my eye caught Mr. Jarvis's target. Annie, the kitchen slave, whom he so graciously stripped naked to the waist, knelt on the ground, hunched over clutching herself with her arms.

     "Stay down, Mr. Jarvis." I pointed to Annie. 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 toward Annie with several other slaves joining him. They helped her gain her feet and pulled her torn dress top up so she could secure it with her hands.

     Mr. Jarvis looked up at me, balled up his fists, and slammed them into the ground. "You wait 'til your father finds out what you've done."

     My hand squeezed so hard around the whip handle that my nails dug into my palm. "He's not here at the moment," I growled through clenched teeth. "You have to answer to his daughter now, you retchsome oaf!"

     "And we'll see you in hell for your interference … after I've had a jaw with him."

     I whipped the ground just inches from his face. "Who cares what you do?" I shot a finger at Annie. "However, if you do this again, your hide will be mine, you disgusting, despicable lump of pasture dung."

     "Miss Lee!" He pulled his arms inward and sat up. I lashed out the whip again 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 and squinted. "Because it is this day … the day I cannot take it any longer." I walked a quarter of the way around him. "You are one disgusting, 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 paused. "Now you're in the right place." My whip pummeled him, and my eyes danced in watching him flail to ward off the blows. The leather split his shirt open twice and dug flesh, drawing blood and splattering it everywhere.

     A glance at the slaves' faces saw them lit with the vicarious enjoyment of watching the man who beat them take a beating himself.

     Mr. Jarvis spun and reached out toward 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 toward me rolling up his sleeves.

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

     "Not quite. Maybe a little roughing up instead." He reached over his left shoulder, rubbed around, and withdrew his hand to study his reddened fingertips. "You deserve it. Just look at you … all dressed up in a man's riding outfit. You think you can really wear the pants around here?"

     He approached, and my booted-foot flew catching him in his manly place. He doubled over and froze. I balled up my left fist and smashed it across his face. He plopped over, still hunched up and holding himself.

     Ignoring the pain running up and down my left arm, I stepped over him, my insides pleading to continue the thrashing. "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 toward the livery stable. "If it were left up to me," I said over my shoulder, "your newly found unemployment will necessitate you to leave early tomorrow morning to procure a position elsewhere."

     Lucas jumped in front of me beaming a smile like glowing sunshine. "Here, Miss Samantha, let me 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."

     Annie 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 kind of helps my hand feel better."

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

     Poking 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. "Wait just a minute, sweetheart."

     Walking down the line of stall doors, I heard a muted scream-as if someone held a hand over a mouth. 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.

     My facial muscles tightened. "What in the …?"

     "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 twelve. What kind of perversion are you practicing?"

     Marcus fastened his belt. "Sam, wha-wha-what-"

     "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 the stables. 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 through the stable doorway. "Go on! Get out of here!" She stared at me from a hunched over position, breathing hard, her arms out by her sides. I glared back. "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 clenched and unclenched my fists several times and glanced at Marcus. "… because he'll have nothing left with which to have further 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 only 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 gave him a glare that should have stopped his heart, stepped closer, and ripped the front of my shirt exposing my undergarments. "Why don't you fornicate with me? I'm your sister. Incest is a bit above bestiality."

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

     I stopped advancing. "Oh? Did you suddenly grow a set of morals? There is a place at which you'll draw the line?" I studied him and tried to think of more insults. Giving up, I flipped my hand. "You're not worth it. This place makes me ill."

     I walked back to Katie tucking my ripped shirt back in on itself and continued brushing her.

     "Katie, we need to get away from here. The war's been going on for over a year now, and this Southern mentality is driving me insane." 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 … action was called for. No decent person could stand by and do nothing. All my brothers and my father embrace the slavery of other people; and they call God in to give them cause. It's just not possible to stand by and let it continue." I stood up straight and continued brushing. "So, today, Katie, my mind is finally made up. I'll do whatever it takes, 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, grabbed her head, and stroked 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 twelve?"

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

     I cocked my head to the side and closed one eye. "Oh, yes … Marcus explained it all to me. You impregnate the Negro females and more slaves are born … less to purchase." I ran my hand over Katie's neck and smiled. "Here is a good idea. Why don't I offer myself to a black buck?" My eyes seared him. "A white woman can birth slaves as well as any Negro twelve-year-old."

     He screwed up his face and raised his eyebrows.

     "It's the same thing," I said, nodding, "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? Oh, I tried it a time or two, but it's not really my mint julep."

     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 toward the main door, I looked over my shoulder and saw John step through Katie's stable doorway. "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 toward the house.

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

     No I don't.