{"id":"01KG6YHAB7W1F9APGA1ZKVQN82","cid":"bafkreifrzjfpw4abbow5xsu5iiwpxzx6izl2yrqm2sfqm2ao7sdeuqesbi","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":7659,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:55.413Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 3","source_file":"01KG6YDDF6PTWG4P7JTS5THSTD","start_line":7598,"text":"shortly follows, no shade of palliation can be given. He acted out of\r\nmere delight in tyranny and cruelty, by virtue of a quality in him\r\ninherited from Sycorax his mother. Armed now with that shocking\r\nblunderbuss, strong in the thought of being master of that horrid isle,\r\nhe panted for a chance to prove his potency upon the first specimen of\r\nhumanity which should fall unbefriended into his hands.\r\n\r\nNor was he long without it. One day he spied a boat upon the beach,\r\nwith one man, a negro, standing by it. Some distance off was a ship,\r\nand Oberlus immediately knew how matters stood. The vessel had put in\r\nfor wood, and the boat’s crew had gone into the thickets for it. From a\r\nconvenient spot he kept watch of the boat, till presently a straggling\r\ncompany appeared loaded with billets. Throwing these on the beach, they\r\nagain went into the thickets, while the negro proceeded to load the\r\nboat.\r\n\r\nOberlus now makes all haste and accosts the negro, who, aghast at\r\nseeing any living being inhabiting such a solitude, and especially so\r\nhorrific a one, immediately falls into a panic, not at all lessened by\r\nthe ursine suavity of Oberlus, who begs the favor of assisting him in\r\nhis labors. The negro stands with several billets on his shoulder, in\r\nact of shouldering others; and Oberlus, with a short cord concealed in\r\nhis bosom, kindly proceeds to lift those other billets to their place.\r\nIn so doing, he persists in keeping behind the negro, who, rightly\r\nsuspicious of this, in vain dodges about to gain the front of Oberlus;\r\nbut Oberlus dodges also; till at last, weary of this bootless attempt\r\nat treachery, or fearful of being surprised by the remainder of the\r\nparty, Oberlus runs off a little space to a bush, and fetching his\r\nblunderbuss, savagely commands the negro to desist work and follow him.\r\nHe refuses. Whereupon, presenting his piece, Oberlus snaps at him.\r\nLuckily the blunderbuss misses fire; but by this time, frightened out\r\nof his wits, the negro, upon a second intrepid summons, drops his\r\nbillets, surrenders at discretion, and follows on. By a narrow defile\r\nfamiliar to him, Oberlus speedily removes out of sight of the water.\r\n\r\nOn their way up the mountains, he exultingly informs the negro, that\r\nhenceforth he is to work for him, and be his slave, and that his\r\ntreatment would entirely depend on his future conduct. But Oberlus,\r\ndeceived by the first impulsive cowardice of the black, in an evil\r\nmoment slackens his vigilance. Passing through a narrow way, and\r\nperceiving his leader quite off his guard, the negro, a powerful\r\nfellow, suddenly grasps him in his arms, throws him down, wrests his\r\nmusketoon from him, ties his hands with the monster’s own cord,\r\nshoulders him, and returns with him down to the boat. When the rest of\r\nthe party arrive, Oberlus is carried on board the ship. This proved an\r\nEnglishman, and a smuggler; a sort of craft not apt to be\r\nover-charitable. Oberlus is severely whipped, then handcuffed, taken\r\nashore, and compelled to make known his habitation and produce his\r\nproperty. His potatoes, pumpkins, and tortoises, with a pile of dollars\r\nhe had hoarded from his mercantile operations were secured on the spot.\r\nBut while the too vindictive smugglers were busy destroying his hut and\r\ngarden, Oberlus makes his escape into the mountains, and conceals\r\nhimself there in impenetrable recesses, only known to himself, till the\r\nship sails, when he ventures back, and by means of an old file which he\r\nsticks into a tree, contrives to free himself from his handcuffs.\r\n\r\nBrooding among the ruins of his hut, and the desolate clinkers and\r\nextinct volcanoes of this outcast isle, the insulted misanthrope now\r\nmeditates a signal revenge upon humanity, but conceals his purposes.\r\nVessels still touch the Landing at times; and by-and-by Oberlus is\r\nenabled to supply them with some vegetables.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 3"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG6YGBWBP27MZM102JNCMSXJ","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG6YDDF6PTWG4P7JTS5THSTD","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG6YCG626JN4FCG8QK17CQCF","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG6YHAB5EB2WTPCBKB86MDGQ","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG6YHAB7D4MX7QC6SVEGARNH","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T07:57:57.479Z","ts":"2026-01-30T07:58:07.425Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}