The Bounty-hunter and the runaway

Hope springs eternal and every slave dreams of freedom. However for a slave this is mostly a futile dream. Certainly slaves do attempt to escape but in the majority of cases, they are recaptured, returned to their owners and usually face dire consequences.

Why is this the situation?

The routes leading north to the slave-free states are heavily patrolled by bands of bounty-hunters - know to slaves as 'paddyrollers' - who make a living from capturing 'runaways' and returning them to their owners for a reward.

Here we see one such slave, who'd foolishly thought he could escape, being returned to his elderly Master.

Paddyroller: "Sir, I believe this is your property, is it not?"

Slave-owner: "Indeed, he is. He absconded a few days ago and I assumed he'd made good on is escape and I was out-of-pocket."

Paddyroller: "Sir, he very nearly did. We picked him up near the state border. A couple of hundred metres more and he would have been free."

Slave-owner: "Then, I am lucky you recaptured him."

Paddyroller: "I'm sorry Sir. The slave is a little worse for wear. When we picked him up, he wouldn't co-operate and tell us whose property he was and we had to beat it out of him. We did our best don't to damage him too much and eventually he did give us your name as his owner. The bruises will soon fade."

Slave-owner: "That's not a problem! Now that I have him back, a few bruises are the least of his problems. The whip will open up his back!"

Paddyroller: "Good to hear, Sir. That's the only way to deal with a runaway. A hard flogging is the best deterrent I know for preventing future attempts at escape. Sir, I mean no offence, but given your advanced years, are you capable of giving a hard whipping?"

Slave-owner: "No offence taken young man. You're right; my whipping arm isn't what it used to be and I will have to find a someone to punish the wretch."

Paddyroller: "Sir, for a small fee of one dollar a stroke, I can organise for one of our whip-masters to deliver the flogging. Also, I notice the slave is unbranded. In your own interests he should be. That is another service our firm offers and a simple branding is fifty dollars with a clean brand guaranteed."

Slave-owner: "I accept your offer. When can it be done?"

Paddyroller: "If it's convenient, I can organise both the branding and the whipping for tomorrow morning. Meantime, if you show me a secure place, I'll chain the slave securely overnight."

Slave-owner: "Excellent! And what do I owe you for the slave's return?"

Paddyroller: "Sir, our current rate for a 'runaway' is five percent of the slave's value."

Slave-owner: "That's most reasonable and better than a total loss if the slave had succeeded in escaping. I arrange payment for the slave's return plus fifty dollars for fifty strokes of the whip and fifty dollars for the branding. And i trust your man administering the whipping will lay on the whip with a heavy arm"

Paddyroller: "Have no fear there, Sir. The slave will feel every stroke and regret his decision to steal from his lawful owner by running away."

Slave-owner: "The I look forward to your return tomorrow morning."

Picture found at random on the internet. The text is mine.