Allen say so free time to Caesar, and
den Caesar wait till Massa Huggins go out and Caesar go in to Massa
Allen in de cottage, where um sit down by de table like dat." And the
black rested his head sidewise upon his elbow and hand. "`What you
want, Caesar, lad?' he say, and um put um white hand on Caesar black
arm. `Poor niggah ill and can't work? Bad time, Caesar, to be sick
man.' `Yes, massa,' I say to um. `Berry bad to be sick man.' `Who is
it, my lad?' he say. `Caesar, massa,' I say to um. `Caesar berry
sick.' `You bad, Caesar!' him say. `Your massa berry sorry, for you de
only frien' I got in de worl' now, Caesar.' `Yes, massa,' I say.
`Caesar know dat.' `What de matter, boy?' he say. `Caesar bad to see
massa so berry sick. Caesar 'fraid massa die.' `Ah, dat's berry good
of you, Caesar,' he say--`berry good. Then you no want me to give you
doctor 'tuff?' `No, massa,' I said. `Nigger know what to do when
niggah ill. Shut um mouf up tight free day, and niggah quite well
again.' `Ah, Caesar,' he say, `dat do me no good, dat not do for your
massa.' Then I say to um, `No, massa, but you let Caesar do massa good
and um quite well again and make all de poor niggah happy over again.'
`No, no, my boy,' um say; `nebber again.' `Yes, massa,' I say; `you let
Caesar try.' `What wiv?' um say, laughing; and den I say in um whisper
like: `Fetish, massa.'"

"What!" cried Murray, half indignantly. "You don't believe in that
nonsense, Caesar?"

"Not nonsense, massa."

"Well, my good fellow," said Murray, rather coldly, "I'm not going to
argue with you now, but some other time, I hope. Now tell me, what did
Mr Allen say?"

"Um say, `No, my lad, no; I'll hab none of dat.'"

"Of course; but surely he does not believe in it?"

"Yes, massa; um believe for sure. Massa Allen know what niggah know and
bring from own country. But Massa Allen say, `Nebber, nebber, Caesar.
Your massa done too much bad in dis worl', and he nebber do no more
now.'"

"Well, that's very good of him, Caesar, but I don't quite understand
what you mean."

"No, massa? Dat Huggins bad man do bad things to everybody. Make Massa
Allen ill and go die. Massa Allen say not fit to live."

"And quite right too, Caesar."

"Yes, sah. Massa Allen quite right, and Caesar come one night and bring
niggah Obeah and put in bad Massa Huggin rum. Den Massa Huggin drinkum,
drinkum, and go drefful bad and nebber flog no more poor niggah.
Neb