Lijah wake up ag'in an' heah somefin', an' sho'nuf in de
mawnin' bof his mules wuz dat wo'n out lak dey been a-runnin' in de
mud all night, dat he cain't do no wuk wid 'em.

Lijah, he kinda desprit wid dis, an' so dat night he don' go to bed
but sit up an' hide in de ba'n. Sho'nuf, 'bout twelve o'clock 'long
comes somefin', an' quicker'n nothin' bof dem mules wuz out'n dey
stalls an' away down de road. Lijah, he reckon he seed somefin'
a-ridin' em, an' he know mighty well wat it wuz.

In de mawnin' bof de mules was back ag'in, wo'n out, wid dey eahs
droopin', and ag'in Lijah, he cain't do no wuk.

Dat night he don' set up 'cose 'tain't no use. But he wek' up
sudden an' heah somefin' a-sayin', "Go to de ole house by de swamp
and mebbe yo' fin' somefin'."

In de mawnin' he membah wat he heah an' he feel brave an' sco'nful,
but dat night he don' feel so brave 'cause he knowed 'bout dat
house. Nobody live in it but ha'nts, an' he don' like ha'nts nohow.

Howsomevah he made up his min' t'go, an' 'bout nightfall he fin'
his way to de ole house by de swamp. It mighty lonely deh and
Lijah, he tremmle a bit. He strike a match an' look 'roun'. On de
table dey wuz a lamp, an' Lijah, he light de lamp an' feel a heap
bettah.

Den he set deh a long time, an' all he heah wuz de hootin' of de
owls and de crickets a-chirpin' in de grass. Lijah, he drowse a
bit. Bambye he open his eyes an' deh, across de table, wuz a big
black cat a-settin' an' lookin' at him.

Lijah, he don' say nothin' an' de cat say nothin', jes' look outa'
his big green eyes. Bambye de lamp, it go down an' den it flame up
bright, an' Lijah, he look at de cat an' he think it biggah dan
befo'. De cat, it riz up and stretch an' it seem powahful big.

Lijah, he riz up, too.

"What fo' yo' goin'?" say de cat.

"Ah bleeged to go home," say Lijah, an' he out's thu dat doh
quicker'n nothin' wid de cat aftah him. Lijah, he run fo' his life.
Bambye he catched up wid a rabbit a-lopin' along.

"Outa' my way, rabbit," sez Lijah, "an' let somebody run wat kin
run."

An' all de time dat cat kep' right aftah him, an' he mos' feel its
claws on his back.

Lijah was nigh wo'n out w'en he come to his house. He opens the doh
quick an' slams it shut; den he heahs de cat a-scratchin' on de doh
an kinda' sniffin' 'bo