How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #10
They were coming up the road. It sounded like about fifty of them; we could hear the feet hurrying, and a kind of panting murmur. It was not singing exactly, it was not that loud; it was just a sound, a breathing, a kind of gasping murmuring chant and the feet whispering fast in the deep dust. I could hear women too and then all of a sudden I began to smell them. "N*****s," I whispered. (3.1.33)
Phew. This is a tough one, but it's important. Bayard Sartoris has grown up seeing slavery as a natural state of being. He recognizes the escaping slaves by their smell, which is a terribly sad thing. It makes us realize how access to soap, water, and doctors was limited for the slaves and made them live like animals. Not easy to stomach, but it tells us a bunch about that time.