 
BOOK THE FIRST. CHAPTER I. | Author’s first interview with Peter—Peter calls on the Author, and begins his story—his birth and residence—is adopted by Mrs. Mather and lives in Mr. Mather’s house—his “red scarlet coat”—fishing expedition on Sunday with Hagar when he sees the Devil—a feat of horsemanship—saves the life of master’s oldest son, and is bit in the operation by a wild hog—an encounter with an “old-fashioned cat owl” in the Cedar Swamp—a man killed by wild cats—a short “sarmint” at a Quaker Meeting—“I and John makes a pincushion of a calf’s nose, and got tuned for it I tell ye”—holyday’s amusements—the marble egg—“I and John great cronies”—Mistress sick—Peter hears something in the night which he thinks a forerunner of her death—she dies a Christian—her dying words—Peter’s feelings on her death. | Page 17–35 | CHAPTER II. | Peter emancipated by his old Master’s Will—but is stolen and sold at auction, and bid off by GIDEON MOREHOUSE ? Hagar tries to buy her brother back—parting scene—his reception at his new Master’s—sudden change in fortune—Master’s cruelty—the Muskrat skins—prepare to go into “the new countries”—start on the journey “incidents of travel” on the road—Mr. Sterling, who is a sterling-good man, tries to buy Peter—gives him a pocket full of “Bungtown coppers”—abuse—story of the Blue Mountain—Oswego—Mr. Cooper, an Abolitionist—journey’s end—Cayuga county, New York. | Page 36–55 | CHAPTER III. | They get into a wild country, “full of all kinds of varmints,” and begin to build—Peter knocked off of a barn by his master—story of a rattlesnake charming a child—Peter hews the timber for a new house, and gets paid in lashes—Tom Ludlow an abolitionist—Peter’s friends all advise him to run off—the fox-tail company, their expeditions on Oneida Lake—deer stories—Rotterdam folks—story of a pain’ter—master pockets Peter’s share of the booty and bounty—the girls of the family befriend him—a sail on the Lake—Peter is captain, and saves the life of a young lady who falls overboard, and nearly loses his own—kindly and generously treated by the young lady’s father, who gives Peter a splendid suit of clothes worth seventy dollars, and “a good many other notions”—his master ? steals his clothes ? and wears them out himself—Mr. Tucker’s opinion of his character, and Peter’s of his fate. | Page 56–82 | CHAPTER IV. | An affray in digging a cellar—Peter sick of a typhus fever nine months—the kindness of “the gals”—physician’s bill—a methodist preacher, and a leg of tain’ted mutton—“master shoots arter him” with a rifle!!—a bear story—where the skin went to—a glance at religious operations in that region—“a camp meeting”—Peter tied up in the woods in the night, and “expects to be eat up by all kinds of wild varmints”—master a drunkard—owns a still—abuses his family—a story of blood, and stripes, and groans, and cries—Peter finds ‘Lecta a friend in need—expects to be killed—Abers intercedes for him, and “makes it his business”—Mrs. Abers pours oil into Peter’s wounds—Peter goes back, and is better treated a little while—master tries to stab him with a pitchfork, and Peter nearly kills him in self-defence—tries the rifle and swears he will end Peter’s existence now—but the ball don’t hit—the crisis comes, and that night Peter swears to be free or die in the cause. | Page 83–124 | CHAPTER V. | Peter’s master prosecuted for abusing him, and fined $500, and put under a bond of $2000 for good behavior—Peter for a long time has a plan for running away, and the girls help him in it—“the big eclipse of 1806”—Peter starts at night to run away, and the girls carry him ten miles on his road—the parting scene—travels all night, and next day sleeps in a hollow log in the woods—accosted by a man on the Skeneateles bridge—sleeps in a barn—is discovered—two pain’ters on the road—discovered and pursued—frightened by a little girl—encounter with “two black gentlemen with a white ring round their necks”—“Ingens” chase him—“Utica quite a thrifty little place”—hires out nine days—Little Falls—hires out on a boat to go to “Snackady”—makes three trips—is discovered by Morehouse ?—the women help him to escape to Albany—hires out on Truesdell’s sloop—meets master in the street—goes to New York—a reward of $100 offered for him—Capt. comes to take him back to his master, for “one hundred dollars don’t grow on every bush”—“feels distressedly”—but Capt. Truesdell promises to protect him, “as long as grass grows and water runs”—he follows the river. | Page 155–171 | BOOK THE SECOND. CHAPTER I. | Beginning of sea stories—sails with Captain Truesdell for the West-Indies—feelings on leaving the American shore—sun-set at sea—shake hands with a French frigate—a storm—old Neptune—a bottle or a shave—caboose—Peter gets two feathers in his cap—St. Bartholomews—climate—slaves—oranges—turtle—a small pig, “but dam’ old”—weigh anchor for New York—“sail ho!”—a wreck—a sailor on a buoy—get him aboard—his story—gets well, and turns out to be an enormous swearer—couldn’t draw a breath without an oath—approach to New York—quarantine—pass the Narrows—drop anchor—rejoicing times—Peter jumps ashore “a free nigger.” | Page 173–185 | CHAPTER II. | Peter spends the winter of 1806–7 in New York—sails in June in the Carnapkin for Bristol—a sea temp Every body who hates oppression, and don’t believe that it is right, under any circumstances, to buy and sell the image of the Great God Almighty; and to all who love Human Liberty well enough to help to break every yoke, that the oppressed may go free——God bless all such! “I own I am shocked at the purchase of slaves, And fear those that buy them and sell them are knaves; What I hear of their hardships, their tortures and groans, Is almost enough to draw pity from stones.” Cowper.
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