What evidence does the author provide in the opening sentence of the story and the paragraph that follows to suggest the risk that the main character will take to escape slavery?

In the opening sentence of the story the author states that "you were always a gambler" and you, "took chances." This shows that the main character is willing and able to take any and all risks necessary in order to escape slavery. This sets the tone for the type of person that the main character strives to be. The text foreshadows more to describe the main character being on a wooden ship.