now. I 'member now old marster's overseer comin' to de field; his name
was McElduff. Him say: 'Al, Marse William say come to de house'. I goes
dere on de run. When I git dere, him 'low: 'Calvin, I wants you to take
Al, I give him to you. Al, you take good care of your young marster'. I
always did and if Marse Calvin was livin' he'd tell you de same.

"I forgit to tell you one thing dat happen down dere befo' I left. Dere
was a powerful rich family down dere name Cockrell; I forgits de fust
name. Him brudder tho', was sheriff and live in Winnsboro. Dere was a
rich Mobley family dat live jinin' him, two miles sunrise side of him.
One day de Cockrell cows got out and played thunder wid Mr. Mobley's
corn. Mr. Mobley kilt two of de cows. Dat made de Cockrells mad. They
too proud to go to law 'bout it; they just bide deir time. One day Marse
Ed Mobley's mules got out, come gallopin' 'round and stop in de Cockrell
wheat field. Him take his rifle and kill two of them mules. Dat made Mr.
Mobley mad but him too proud to go to law 'bout it. De Mobley's just
bide deir time. 'Lection come 'round for sheriff nex' summer. No
Cockrell was 'lected sheriff dat time. You ask Mr. Hugh Wylie 'bout dat
nex' time him come to de Boro. Him tell you all 'bout it.

"Dat call to my mind another big man, dat live 'bove White Oak then,
Marse Gregg Cameron. He was powerful rich, wid many slaves. Him lak to
bar-room and drink. Him come by marster's house one day, fell off his
hoss and de hoss gallop on up de road. Dat was de fust drunk man I ever
see. Marster didn't know what to do; him come into de house and ask
Mistress Mary. Him tell her him didn't want to scandal de chillun. She
say: 'What would de good Samaritan do?' Old marster go back, fetch dat
groanin', cussin', old man and put him to bed, bathe his head, make Sam,
de driver, hitch up de buggy, make West go wid him, and take Marse Gregg
home. I never see or hear tell of dat white man anymore, 'til one day
after freedom when I come down here to Robinson's Circus. Him drop dead
dat day at de parade, when de steam piano come 'long a tootin'. 'Spect
de 'citement, steam, and tootin', was too much for him.

"Niggers never learn to read and write. It was 'ginst de law. White
folks fear they would write deir passes and git 'way to de free states.

"Us slaves 'tend Concord Church, tho' Marse Calvin jine de Seceders and
'tend New Hope. Why us go to Concord? 'Cause it too far to walk to New
Hope and n