it wan't me, hit wuz my forecisters."

"What's a forecister, Daddy?" asked Diddie, rather curious about the
relationship.

"Yer forecisters," explained Daddy, "is dem uv yer _way back folks_,
wat's born'd fo' you is yerse'f, an' fo' yer pa is. Now, like my ole
marster, yer pa's gran'pa, wat riz me in ole Furginny, he's you
chil'en's forecister; an' dis nigger wat I'm tellin' yer 'bout'n, he waz
my _fuss forecister_; an' dats' de way dat I've allers hyearn dat he
come ter be black, an' his hyar kinky; an' I b'lieves hit, too, caze er
nigger's de sleepies'-headed critter dey is; an' den, 'sides dat, I've
seed er heap er niggers in my time, but I ain't nuber seed dat nigger
yit wat's wite, an' got straight hyar on his head.

"Now I ain't er talkin' 'bout'n _murlatters_, caze dey ain't no reg'lar
folks 'tall; dey's des er mixtry. Dey ain't wite, an' dey ain't black,
an' dey ain't nuffin'; dey's des de same kin' er _folks_ ez de muel is
er _horse_!

"An' den dar's Injuns; dey's ergin ernudder kin' er folks.

"I usen ter hyear 'em say dat de deb'l made de fuss Injun. He seed de
Lord er makin' folks, an' he 'lowed he'd make him some; so he got up his
dut and his water, an' all his 'grejunces, an' he went ter wuck; an'
wedder he cooked him too long, or wedder he put in too much red clay fur
de water wat he had, wy, I ain't nuber hyeard; but den I knows de deb'l
made 'im, caze I allers hyearn so; an', mo'n dat, I done seed 'em fo'
now, an' dey got mighty dev'lish ways. I wuz wid yer gran'pa at Fort
Mimms, down erbout Mobile, an' I seed 'em killin' folks an' sculpin' uv
'em; an, mo'n dat, ef'n I hadn't er crope under er log, an' flattent
myse'f out like er allergator, dey'd er got me; an' den, ergin, dey
don't talk like no folks. I met er Injun one time in de road, an' I axed
'im wuz he de man wat kilt an' sculpt Sis Leah, wat usen ter b'longst
ter yer gran'pa, an' wat de Injuns kilt. I axt 'im 'ticklur, caze I had
my axe erlong, an' ef'n he wuz de man, I 'lowed fur ter lay him out.
But, bless yer life, chile, he went on fur ter say,

"'Ump, ump, kinterlosha wannycoola tusky noba, inickskymuncha
fluxkerscenuck kintergunter skoop.'

"An' wen he sed dat, I tuck'n lef' him, caze I seed hit wouldn't do fur
ter fool 'long him; an', mo'n dat, he 'gun fur ter shine his eyes out,
an' so I des off wid my hat, an' scrope my lef' foot, an' said, 'Good
ebenin', marster, same ez ef he wuz er wite man; an' den I tuck thu de
woods tell