e made to Charlie
like he wasn't goin' to hurt him none, and got him to come peaceful.
When he took him home, he tied him and beat him for a turrible long
time. Then he took a big, pine torch and let burnin' pitch drop in spots
all over him. Old Charlie was sick 'bout four months and then he died.

"Marse Bob knowed me better'n most the slaves, 'cause I was round the
house more. One day he called all the slaves to the yard. He only had
sixty-six then, 'cause he had 'vided with his son and daughter when they
married. He made a little speech. He said, 'I'm going to a war, but I
don't think I'll be gone long, and I'm turnin' the overseer off and
leavin' Andrew in charge of the place, and I wants everything to go on,
just like I was here. Now, you all mind what Andrew says, 'cause if you
don't, I'll make it rough on you when I come back home.' He was jokin',
though, 'cause he wouldn't have done nothing to them.

"Then he said to me, 'Andrew, you is old 'nough to be a man and look
after things. Take care of Missus and see that none the niggers wants,
and try to keep the place going.'

"We didn't know what the war was 'bout, but master was gone four years.
When Old Missus heard from him, she'd call all the slaves and tell us
the news and read us his letters. Little parts of it she wouldn't read.
We never heard of him gittin' hurt none, but if he had, Old Missus
wouldn't tell us, 'cause the niggers used to cry and pray over him all
the time. We never heard tell what the war was 'bout.

"When Marse Bob come home, he sent for all the slaves. He was sittin' in
a yard chair, all tuckered out, and shuck hands all round, and said he's
glad to see us. Then he said, 'I got something to tell you. You is jus'
as free as I is. You don't 'long to nobody but you'selves. We went to
the war and fought, but the Yankees done whup us, and they say the
niggers is free. You can go where you wants to go, or you can stay here,
jus' as you likes.' He couldn't help but cry.

"The niggers cry and don't know much what Marse Bob means. They is sorry
'bout the freedom, 'cause they don't know where to go, and they's allus
'pend on Old Marse to look after them. Three families went to get farms
for theyselves, but the rest just stay on for hands on the old place.

"The Federals has been comin' by, even 'fore Old Marse come home. They
all come by, carryin' they little budgets, and if they was walkin'
they'd look in the stables for a horse or mule, and t