e de paddyrollers
comin'. He scared to death cas he did'n hab no pass. He kno' iffen dey
finds him whut dey do. So pappy he gets down in de ditch an' throw sand
an' grunts jes like a hawg. Sho' nuf dey thinks he a hawg and dey pass
on, cept one who was behin' de others. He say: 'Dat am de gruntin'es
ol' hawg I ebber hear. I think I go see him.' But de udders day say:
'Jes let dat ol' hawg lone an' min' yo own business.' So day pass on.
Pappy he laff 'bout dat for long time.

"I mind ol' Mose, he hab monthly pass from de massa but he forgit it
one day and de paddyrollers whup him and throw him in de callaboose. In
de mawnin' when de massa wake and fin no fresh water and no fire in de
stove and de cows not milk, he say: 'I know Mose in de callaboose,' and
he hab to go atter Mose.

"Lots of de pore niggahs run away, but 'twarn't no use. Der wa'nt no
place to go. Day was allus lookin' for you and den you had to work
harder den ebber, 'sides all kin's of punishment you got. Den dey
nearly sta've you to def, jes feed you on bread and water for long
time.

"De niggahs nebber kno' nothin' 'bout learnin', jes wuk' all dey's fit
for. De only thing I ebber do wif a book is jes to dust it off. I mind
two little niggahs whose missy teach dem to read. Emily, she look lik'
a white gal. She was treated jes like she white. Her daddy was a white
man. Emily was a sma't gal. She belong to one of de Johnson mens. She
do all de sewin' for her missy. When de missy go to buy clothes for de
chillun she allus take Emily along. Her pappy pay no more 'tention to
her den to de res' of de niggahs. But de missy she was good to her. She
never stay in de quarters, she stay in de house with de white fokes.
But Emily have de saddes' look on her yaller face cas' de other niggahs
whisper 'bout her pappy.

"Many de pore niggah women hab chillun for de massa, dat is iffen de
massa a mean man. Dey jes tell de niggahs whut to do and dey know
better den to fuss.

"Ol' missus she good to me. I mind one time I got tubble mad an' say
some ugly words. Marse Ellis he come up ahin' me and he say: ''Lizabeth
I gwina wallup yo' good for dat.' I 'mense cryin' and run to de missus
and she say: 'Look heah Ellis Mixon, y'all mind yo' own business an'
look atter yo' own niggahs. Dis one b'longs to me.' Jes same when de
missus went upstairs Marse Ellis take me in de smoke house and sta't to
hit me. I yell for de missus an' when she come she plenty mad. Marse
say he ne