I repeatedly requested my master to part with him;
but the Ethiopian being a very powerful man, and able, when he chose, to
move a pipe of wine without assistance, the avarice of the Jew would not
permit him to accede to my repeated solicitations.
One morning I entered the cooperage, and found the Ethiopian fast asleep
by the side of a cask which I had been wanting for some time, and
expected to have found ready. Afraid to punish him myself, I brought my
master to witness his conduct. The Jew, enraged at his idleness, struck
him on the head with one of the staves. The Ethiopian sprang up in a
rage, but on seeing his master with the stave in his hand, contented
himself with muttering, "That he would not remain to be beaten in that
manner," and re-applied himself to his labour. As soon as my master had
left the cooperage, the Ethiopian vented his anger upon me for having
informed against him, and seizing the stave, flew at me with the
intention of beating out my brains. I stepped behind the cask; he
followed me, and just as I had seized an adze to defend myself, he fell
over the stool which lay in his way--he was springing up to renew the
attack, when I struck him a blow with the adze which entered his skull,
and laid him dead at my feet.
I was very much alarmed at what had occurred; for although I felt
justified in self-defence, I was aware that my master would be very much
annoyed at the loss of the slave, and as there were no witnesses, it
would go hard with me when brought before the cadi.
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