My stormy life at Covey's had been of service to me.

The things that would have seemed very hard, had I gone direct to Mr.Freeland's, from the home of Master Thomas, were now (after the hardships at Covey's) "trifles light as air." I was still a field hand, and had come to prefer the severe labor of the field, to the enervating duties of a house servant.

I had become large and strong; and had begun to take pride in the fact, that I could do as much hard work as some of the older men.

There is much rivalry among slaves, at times, as to which can do the most work, and masters generally seek to promote such rivalry.
But some of us were too wise to race with each other very long.

Such racing, we had the sagacity to see, was not likely to pay.