When he turned his head, aiming for a last look at Brother, turned it as much as the rope that connected his neck to the axle of a buckboard allowed…they fastened the iron around his ankles and clamped the wrists as well, there was no outward sign of trembling at all. Nor eighteen days after that when he saw the ditches…door of bars that you could lift on hinges like a cage… He was sent there after trying to kill Brandywine, the man schoolteacher sold him to.
Based on this, I think the man is either a prisoner or slave. However, at the last part we see that he attempted to kill his new owner. This means the man is both a slave and a prisoner. Later on in the story, he stops trembling when he realizes he is being led into a line of other people chained together. The man was most likely fearing for his life, but is comforted to see others in a similar if not the same predicament. This type of fear is relatable, as we have all done something that we knew not to do. Not having concern over possible consequences is costly and actions will come back to bite you.
