ing them to the left and to the right, hands
up four, swing corners, right hands up four promonate all around all the
way, git your partners boys. I shoot dice, drink, I got drunk and broke
up church one Sunday night. Me and sister broke up a dinner once because
we got drunk. Whiskey been in circulation a long time. There have been
bad people ever since I been in the world."

--Will Hicks.

Interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden
Person interviewed: Bert Higgins
611 Missouri Street, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Age: 88

"I was born in slavery times. I was thirteen when peace declared. I was
workin' in the field.

"No ma'am, I wasn't born in Arkansas. I was born in Macon, Mississippi.

"Marcus Higgins was my old master. He was good to me. He treated me all
right.

"He had a good big plantation--had two plantations. One in North
Carolina and one in Mississippi.

"Sold? Yes'm, I was put up on the block, but they couldn't quite make
it. Had six of us--boys and girls--and he sold one or two I 'member. But
that's been a long time.

"Yes'm, I can 'member when I was a boy in slavery. Run off too. Old
master ketch me and switch me. Look like the switch would sting so.
'Member the last switchin' I got. Dr. Henderson--I think he was old
master's son-in-law. Me? Well, he whipped me 'cause I'd steal his eggs.
I don't reckon I would a been so bad but I was raised up a motherless
child. My mother died and my stepmother died.

"I can 'member pretty well way back there.

"He'd send me off on a mule to carry the mail to his people around. And
I used to tote water. He had a heap a darkies.

"I could do very well now if I could see and if I wasn't so crippled up.
I was a hard worker.

"We had a plenty to eat and plenty to wear in slavery times.

"Old master would whip me if I went any further than the orchard. If I
did happen to go outside the field, I come in 'fore night. But I hardly
ever went outside. Sometimes I run off and when I come back to the
house, he'd give me a breshin'.

"I seen the Yankees durin' of the War. I run from 'em and hid. I thought
they was tryin' to carry me off. White folks never did tell me nothin'.
They'd come in and throw things outdoors and destroy 'em--old master's
provisions. And they'd take things to eat too.

"My father belonged to Marcus Higgins when I first could remember.

"After freedom we stayed there till I was grown. I don't never 'member
him payin' me, but