Tom soon becomes familiar with what is expected of him on Legree's plantation. He is quiet, diligent, and — despite his disgust with what he sees — trusting in God and hopeful of somehow escaping this life. Legree hates him, for he recognizes Tom's moral superiority and sees that he cannot be manipulated. So Legree determines to break Tom's spirit.
One morning a strange woman appears in the field, working alongside Tom. The others jeer at her for having to work, saying they hope to see her flogged, but she works easily and efficiently. That same day, Lucy is obviously ill and in need of help, so Tom puts some of the cotton from his sack into hers. Sambo, overseeing them, kicks and abuses Lucy, and as soon as he turns away, Tom gives her all of his cotton. She protests, saying he'll be punished for this, and he replies that he is more able to stand that than she is. The strange woman, hearing this, gives Tom some of the cotton from her sack but tells him that he doesn't know the place; in a month, he will not be so kind.
That evening, Sambo tells Legree that Tom is helping Lucy and will cause trouble with the others. Legree tells his overseers that they will have to break Tom in. On the pretext that Lucy's cotton basket is underweight, Legree orders Tom to flog her; Tom refuses. Legree loses his temper and asks if Tom does not belong to him, body and soul. To this, Tom replies that Legree has bought his body but could never own his soul and says that Legree can't harm him. Legree gives Tom to Sambo and Quimbo to be punished.
