ls more like cryin' at
night. Us chillen used to sing dis:

"'Where you goin', buzzard,
Where you gwine to go?
I's goin' down to new ground,
For to hunt Jim Crow.'

"I guess Massa Charles, what taken us when Massa Kit die, was 'bout de
same as all white folks what owned slaves, some good and some bad. We
has plenty to eat--more'n I has now--and plenty clothes and shoes. But
de overseer was Uncle Big Jake, what's black like de rest of us, but he
so mean I 'spect de devil done make him overseer down below long time
ago. Dat de bad part of Massa Charles, 'cause he lets Uncle Jake whip de
slaves so much dat some like my papa what had spirit was all de time
runnin' 'way. And even does your stomach be full, and does you have
plenty clothes, dat bullwhip on your bare hide make you forgit de good
part, and dat's de truth.

"Uncle Big Jake sho' work de slaves from early mornin' till night. When
you is in de field you better not lag none. When its fallin' weather de
hands is put to work fixin' dis and dat. De woman what has li'l chillen
don't have to work so hard. Dey works 'round de sugar house and come 11
o'clock dey quits and cares for de babies till 1 o'clock, and den works
till 3 o'clock and quits.

"Massa Charles have a arbor and dat's where we has preachin'. One day
old Uncle Law preachin' and he say, 'De Lawd make everyone to come in
unity and on de level, both white and black.' When Massa Charles hears
'bout it, he don't like it none, and de next mornin' old Uncle Jake git
Uncle Law and put him out in de field with de rest.

"Massa Charles run dat plantation jus' like a factory. Uncle Cip was
sugar man, my papa tanner and Uncle John Austin, what have a wooden leg,
am shoemaker and make de shoes with de brass toes. Law me, dey heaps of
things go on in slave time what won't go on no more, 'cause de bright
light come and it ain't dark no more for us black folks. Iffen a nigger
run away and dey cotch him, or does he come back 'cause he hongry, I
seed Uncle Jake stretch him out on de ground and tie he hands and feet
to posts so he can't move none. Den he git de piece of iron what he call
de 'slut' and what is like a block of wood with little holes in it, and
fill de holes up with tallow and put dat iron in de fire till de grease
sizzlin' hot and hold it over de pore nigger's back and let dat hot
grease drap on he hide. Den he take de bullwhip and whip up and down,
and after all dat throw de pore nigger in de