w de time. Den de o'erseer ketch him one time when he been
come back en wuz grabblin' 'bout de tatoe patch. Say he gwinna make Tom
Bostick stay outer de woods ur kill him 'fore sun up dat day. Tom say
dey take him down 'side de woods en strip he clothes offen him. (I hear
em say dere plenty people bury down 'side dem woods dat dere ain' nobody
know 'bout). Den he say dey tie him to uh tree en take uh fat light'ud
torch en le' de juice drap outer it right on he naked body. He say he
holler en he beg en he ax em hab mercy but dat ne'er didn't do no good.
He mock how de tar make uh racket when it drap on he skin. Yuh know it
gwinna make uh racke't. Dat t'ing gwinna make uh racket when it drap on
anyt'ing wha' fresh. Ain' yuh ne'er hear no hot grease sizzle lak?
Yas'um, hear Tom Bostick tell dat more times den I got fingers en toe."

"Den dey'ud hab sale en sell some uv de colored peoples offen to annuder
plantation hundred mile 'way some uv de time. 'Vide man en he wife. Dey
sho' done it. I hear pa tell 'bout dat. Make em stand up on uh stump en
bid em offen dere jes lak dey wuz hoss. Pa say dey sell he brother Elic
wife 'way wid de onlyest child dey hab. Ne'er didn't see dat wife en
child no more."

"Coase de le' de colored peoples visit 'round from one plantation to
annuder but dey hadder hab uh ticke' wid em. Effen dey meet em in de
road en dey ne'er hab dat ticke' somewhey 'bout on em, dey hadder take
wha' follow. Ne'er 'low em to hab no udder paper 'bout em no whey. Effen
dey see em wid uh paper, dey ax em 'bout it en effen it ne'er been uh
ticke', dey mighty apt to gi'e em uh good t'rashin'."

"Dey tell me some uv de colored peoples use'er take t'ing from dey
Massa, but I ain' ne'er see em do none uv dat on my white folks
plantation. Ne'er hadder take nuthin dere. Ge' 'nough meal en meat dere
to de big house eve'y Friday to las' em aw t'rough de week. Reckon de
ration wuz more wholesome den in dat day en time cause dey take time en
cook dey t'ing done. Hadder cook in de fireplace. Dat how dey done. I
'member wha' good t'ings my ole mammy use'er cook in dat spider. Jes set
it on de coals en keep uh turnin' it 'bout wid de handle. Dere ain'
ne'er nuthin eat no better den dat ash cake she use'er make fa we
chillun. Yuh ain' ne'er hear tell 'bout dat. Jes ster (stir) up uh nice
hoecake en wrap it up in oak leaves wha' right sorta wet. Den yuh rake
uh heap uv ash togedder en lay yuh hoecake on dat en kiver it up wid
som