S. THE BIG HOUSE WAS MADE OUT OF SQUARE HEWED LOGS jND CHr kED6fIcHLITTLE ROC KS AND DAUBED WITH WHITE CLAY, AND COVERED WITH CYPRESS CLAPBOARDS. I REMEMBER INTO THEM, AND HOLES BORED IN THE FRAME AND HOME MADE ROPE LACED IN TO MAKE IT SPRINGY. THEN A GREAT BIG MATTRESS FULL OF FEATHERS AND TWO OR THREE COMFORTS A S THICK AS MY FOOT WITH CARDED WOLL INSIDE] THEY DIDNT NEED NO FIREPLACES] ONE TIME WE PUT ON A NEW ROOF, AND THE NIGGERS HAULED UP THE CYPRESS LOGS AND SA WED THEM AND FROWED OUT THE CLAPBOARDS BY HAND. THE HOUSE HAD TWO SITTING ROOMS ON ONE SIDE AND A BGKKIT.HENOOM6ON ,HE OTHER, WITH A WIDE PASSAGE IN BETWEEN, AND THEN ABOVE WAS THE SLEEPING ROOMS. THERE WAS NOT NO STAIRWAYS EXCEPTING ON THE OUTSIDE. STEPS RAN UP TO THE SLEEPI NG ROOMS ON ONE SIDE FROM THE PASSAGEWAY AND ON THE OTHER SIDE FROM CLEAN OUTSID E THE HOUSE. JUST ONE BIG CHIMNEY WAS ALL HE HAD, AND IT WAS ON THE KITCHEN END , AND WE DONE ALL THE COOKING IN A FIREPLACE THAT WAS PRETTY NEAR AS WIDE AS THE WHOLE ROOM. IN THE SLEEPING ROOMS THERE WASNT NO FrRES EXCnPTrNG rN kRAZInRS-MADEOUT O F CLAY, AND WE TOTED UP CHARCOAL TO BURN IN THEM WHEN IT WAS COLD MORNINGS AND IN THE WINTER. THEY KEPT WARM WITH THE BED CLOTHES AND THE KNITTED CLOTHES THEY HAD. MASTER NEVER DID MAKE A BIG GALLERY ON THE HOUSE, BUT OUR WHITE FOLKS WOULD SIT OUT IN THE YARD UNDER THE BIG TREES IN THE SHADE. THERE WERE LONG BENCHES MADE OUT OF HEWED LOGS AND ALL PADDED WITH GRAY MOSS AND CORN SHUCK PADDING, AND THEY SET PRETTY SOFT. ALL THE FURNITURE IN THE HOUSE W S OmEMADE, TOO. cHE&BEDS&HAD sQUjRE-POSTS AS BIG jROunD&ASMY SHANK ANDTHE FRAME WAS MORTISED THE QUARTERS WAS A LITTLE PLACE FROM THE BIG HOUSE, jND THEY-RAN ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD THAT GO TO THE FInLDS. jLL-ONE-ROOMLOG CABINS, BUT THEY WAS GOOD AND WARM, AND EVERY ONE HAD A LITTLE OPnN SHED AT THE SIDE WHnRE WE sLnPT IN THE SUMMER TO KEEP COOL. THERE WAS TWO OR THREE WELLS AT THE QUARTERS FOR WATER, AND SOME GOOD SPRIN GS IN THE BRANCH AT THE BACK OF THE FIELDS. YOU COULD CATCH A FISH NOW AND THEN IN THAT BRANCH, BUT YOUNG MASTER USED TO DO HIS FISHING IN WHITE-RIVnR, jND TjK E A NIGGER OR TWO ALONG TO DO THE WORK AT HIS CAMP. IT WAS-NOT VnRY FjNCY AT THE BIG qOUbE,BBUT&IT f SMIGHTY PRETTY JUST THE S AME, WITH THE GREY MOSS HANGING FROM THE BIG TREES AND THE COOL GREEN GRASS ALL OVER THE YARD, AND I CAN SHUT MY OLD EYES AND SEE IT JUST LIKE IT WAS BEFORE THE WAR CAME ALONG AND BUST IT UP. I CjN SEE OLD MASTER SITTrNG-OUT unDnR&A&BIG tREE sMOkrnGONE OF HIS LONG CHEROOTS HIS TOBACCO NIGGER MADE BY HAND , AND FANNING HIMSELF WITH HIS BIG WIDE HAT ANOTHER NIGGER PLATTED OUT OF YOUNG INSIDE CORN SHUlKS oOR&HrM, jND I CjN H EAR HIM HOLLER AT A BIG BUNCH OF WHITE GEESE WHAT IS GETTING IN HIS FLOWER BEDS AND SEE THEM STRING OFF BEHIND THE OLD GANDER TOWARDS THE BIG ROAD. WHnN THE DAY BEGrN tO lRAlK THE WqOLE-PLjNTATrONBkrE KOUT WITH ALL KINDS O F NOISES, AND YOU COULD TELL WHAT WAS GOING ON BY THE KIND OF NOISE YOU HEARD. COME THE DAYBREAK YOU HEARD THE GUINEA FOWLS STjRT-POtRAlKrNG mOwN AT THE E DGE OF THE WOODS LOT, AND THEN THE ROOSTERS ALL START UP ROUND THE BARN AND THE DUCKS FINALLY WAKE UP AND JOIN IN. YOU CAN SMELL THE SOW BELLY FRYING DOWN AT T HE CABINS IN THE ROW, TO GO WITH THE HOECAKES AND THE BUTTERMILK. THEN PRETTY SOON THE WIND RISE A LITTLE, AND YOU CAN HEAR A OLD BELL DONGIN G WAY ON SOME PLANTATION A MILE OR TWO OFF, AND THEN MORE BELLS AT OTHER PLACES AND MAYBE A HORN, AND PRETTY SOON YONDER GO OLD MASTERS OLD RAM HORN WITH A LON G TOOT AND THEN SOME SHORT TOOTS, AND HERE COME THE OVERSEER DOW THE ROW OF CABI NS, HOLLERING RIGHT AND LEFT, AND PICKING THE HAM OUT OF HIS TEETH WITH A LONG S HINY GOOSE QUILL PICK. BELLS AND HORNS] BELLS AND HORNS FOR THAT] ALL WE KNEW WAS GO AND COME BY THE BELLS AND HORNS] THE OLD RAM HORN BLOW TO SEND US ALL TO THE FIELD. WE ALL LINED UP, ABOUT SEVENTY FIVE FIELD NIGGERS, AND GO BY THE TOOL SHED AND GET OUR HOES, OR MAYBE G O HITCH UP THE MULES TO THE PLOWS AND LAY THE PLOWS OUT ON THE SIDE SO THE OVERS EER CAN SEE IF THE POINTS IS SHARP. ANY PLOW GETS BROKEN OR THE POINT GETS BUNG LED UP ON THE ROCKS IT GOES TO THE BLACKSMITH NIGGER, THEN WE ALL GET ON DOWN TO THE FIELD. THEN THE ANVIL STATRTS DANGLING IN THE kLAlKsMIcH bqO :!DjNK]&DnLrNGDrNp] T ANK] DELINGDING]" AND THAT OLD BULL TONGUE GETTING STRAIGHTENED OUT] COURSE YOU CANT HEAR THE SHOEMAKER AwLrNG jND-PEGGrNG, jND THE CjRD sPrNnnR S, AND THE OLD MAMMY SEWING BY HAND, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN HEAR THE OLD LOOM GOING " FRUMP,FRUMP" AND YOU KNOW IT ALL RIGHT IF YOUR CLOTHES DO BE WEARING OUT, CAUSE YOU GOING TO GET NEW BRITCHES PRETTY SOON] WE HAD ABOUT ONE HUNDRED NIGGERS ON THAT PLACE, YOUNG jND-OLD, jND AkOUT TW ENTY ON THE LITTLE PLACE DOWN BELOW. WE COULD MAKE ABOUT EVERY KIND OF THING BU T COFFEE AND GUNPOWDER THAT OUR WHITEFOLKS AND US NEEDED. WHEN WE NEEDS A HAT WE GET INSIDE CORNSHUCKS AND WEAVE ONE OUT, AND MAKES H ORSE COLLARS THE SAME WAY. JUST TIE TWO LITTLE SOFT SHUCKS TOGETHER AND BEGIN P PLAITING. ALL THE CLOTH EXCEPTING THE MISTRESS SUNDAY DRESSES COME FROM THE SHEEP TO THE CARDERS AND THE SPINNERS AND THE WEAVER, THEN WE DYED IT WITH BUTTERNUT AND HICKORY BARK AND INDIGO AND OTHER THINGS AND SET IT WITH COPPERAS. LEATHER TANN ED ON THE PLACE MADE THE SHOES, AND I NEVER SAW A STORE BOUGHT WAGON WHEEL EXCEP TING AMONG THE STAGES AND THE FREIGHTERS ALONG THE ROAD. WE MADE PRETTY, LONG BACK COMBS OUT OF COW HORN, AND KNITTING NEEDLES OUT O F SECOND HICKORY. SPLIT A YOUNG HICKORY AND PUT IN A BIG WEDGE TO PRIZE IT OPEN , THEN CUT IT DOWN AND LET IT SEASON, AND YOU GOT GOOD BENT GRAIN FOR WAGON HAME S AND CHAIR ROCKERS AND SUCH. IT WAS-JUST-LIKE THAT UNTIL I WAS pROwN, jND THnN-ONE DAY CjME&ANEIGHBOR A ND SAID WE IN THE WAR. LITTLE WHILE YOUNG MASTER FRANK RIDE OVER TO VICKSBURG AND JOINED THE SECES SION ARMY, BUT OLD MASTER JUST GO ON LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED, AND WE ALL DONT HEAR NOTHING MORE UNTIL LONG COME SOME SECESSION SOLDIERS AND TAKE-MOST OLD MASTERS HORSES AND ALL HIS WAGONS. I BEEN WORKING ON THE TOBACCO, AND WHEN I COME BACK TO THE BARNS EVERYTHING 6WAS7 ON(. I WOULD GO INTO THE WOODS AND GET GOOD8HI OY jND2B RN9IT rLL9ITW AS ALL COALS AND PUT IT OUT WITH WATER TO MAKE HICKORY CHARCOAL FOR CURING THE T OBACCO. I HAD ME SOME CHARCOAL IN THE FIRE TRENCHES UNDER THE CURING HOUSES, AL L FULL OF NEW TOBACCO, AND THE OVERSEER CAME AND SAY BUNDLE ALL THE TOBACCO UP A ND HE GOING TO TAKE IT TO SHREVEPORT AND SELL IT BEFORE THE SOLDIERS TAKE IT TOO . AFTER THE HORSES ALL GONE AND MOST THE CATTLE AND THE COTTON AND THE TOBACC O GONE TOO, HERE COME THE YANKEES AND SPREAD OUT ALL OVER THE WHOLE COUNTRY. TH EY HAD A BIG CAMP DOWN BELOW OUR PLANTATION. ONE EVENING A BIG BUNCH OF YANKEE OFFICERS COME UP TO THE BIG HOUSE AND OLD MASTER SET OUT THE BRANDY IN THE YARD AND THEY ACTED PRETTY-NICE. -NEXT DAY THE WHOLE BUNCH LEFT ON OUT OF THAT PART. WHEN THE HORSES AND STUFF ALL GO MASTER SOLD ALL THE SLAVES BUT ABOUT FOUR, BUT HE KEPT MY PAPPY AND MAMMY AND MY BROTHER JIMMIE AND MY SISTER BETTY. SHE WAS NAMED AFTER OLD MISTRESS. PAPPY'S NAME WAS CHARLEY AND MAMMY'S WAS SALLY. THE NIGGERS HE KEPT DID NOT HAVE MUCH WORK WITHOUT HORSES AND WAGONS,BUT THE BLA CKSMITH STARTED IN FIXING UP MORE WAGONS AND HE KEPT THEM HID IN THE WOODS TILL THEY WAS ALL FIXED. THEN ALONG CAME SOME MORE YANKEES, AND THEY TORE EVERYTHING WE HAD UP, AND OLD MASTER WAS AFRAID TO SHOOT THEM ON ACCOUNT OF HIS WOMEN FOLKS, SO HE TRIED T O SNEAK THE FAMILY OUT BUT THEY CAUGHT HIM AND BROUGHT HIM BACK TO THE PLANTATIO N. WE NIGGERS DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS GONE UNTIL WE SAW THE YANKEES BRINGING HIM BACK. THE YANKEES HAD DONE TOOK CHARGE OF EVERYTHING AND WAS CAMPING IN THE BIG YARD, AND US WAS ALL DOWN AT THE QUARTERS SCARED TO DEATH, BUT THEY WAS JUS T LETTING US ALONE. IT WAS NIGHT WHEN THE WHITE FOLKS TRIED TO GO AWAY, AND STILL NIGHT WHEN TH E YANKEES BROUGHT THEM BACK, AND A HOUSE NIGGER CAME DOWN TO THE QUARTERS WITH T HREE OR FOUR MEN IN BLUE AND TOLD US TO COME UP TO THE BIG HOUSE. THE YANKEES DID NOT SEEM TO BE MAD WITH OLD MASTER, BUT JUST LAUGHED AND TALKED WITH HIM, BUT HE DID NOT TAKE THE JOKES ANY TOO GOOD. THEN THEY ASKED HIM COULD HE DANCE AND HE SAID-NO, jND THEY tOLD HrM tO&DjN CE US MAKE US DANCE. THERE HE STOOD INSIDE A BIG RING OF THEM MEN IN BLUE CLOTH ES, WITH THEIR BRASS BUTTONS SHINING IN THE LIGHT FROM THE FIRE THEY HAD IN THE FRONT OF THE TENTS, AND HE JUST STOOD AND SAID NOTHING, AND IT LOOKED LIKE HE WA S NOT WANTING TO TELL US TO DANCE. SO SOME OF US YOUNG BUCKS JUST STEPPED UP AND SAID WE WERE GOOD DANCERS, AN D WE STARTED SHUFFLING WHILE THE REST OF THE NIGGERS PAT. SOME NIGGER WOMEN GO BACK TO THE QUARTERS AND GOT THE GOURD FIDDLES AND THE CLAPPING BONES MADE OUT OF BEEF RIBS, AND BROUGHT THEM BACK SO WE COULD HAVE SO ME MUSIC. WE GOT ALL WARMED UP AND DANCED LIKE WE NEVER DID DANCE BEFORE] I SUSPECT WE INVENTED SOME NEW STEPS THAT NIGHT] WE ACTED LIKE WE WERE DANCING FOR THE YANKEES, BUT WE WERE TRYING TO PLEASE MASTER AND OLD MISTRESS MORE THAN ANYTHING, AND PRETTY SOON HE BEGAN TO SMILE A LITTLE AND WE ALL FELT A LOT BETTER. NEXT DAY THE YANKEES MOVED ON AWAY FROM OUR PLACE, AND OLD MASTER STARTED G ETTING READY TO MOVE OUT. WE GOT THE WAGONS WE HID, AND THE WHOLE PASSEL OF US LEFT OUT FOR SHREVEPORT. JUST LEFT THE OLD PLACE STANDING LIKE IT WAS. IN SHREVEPORT OLD MASTER GOT HIS COTTON AND TOBACCO MONEY WHAT HE HAD BEEN AFRAID TO HAVE SENT BACK TO THE PLANTATION WHEN HE SOLD HIS STUFF, AND WE STRUCK OUT NORTH THROUGH ARKANSAS. THAT WAS THE AWFULLEST TRIP ANY MAN EVER MADE] WE HAD TO HIDE FROM EVERYBO DY UNTIL WE FOUND OUT IF THEY WERE YANKEES OR SECHESH, AND WE WENT ALONG LITTLE OLD BACK ROADS AND UP ONE MOUNTAIN AND DOWN ANOTHER, THROUGH THE WOODS ALL THE W AY. AFTER A LONG TIME WE GOT TO THE MISSOURI LINE, AND KIND OF CUT OFF THROUGH THE CORNER OF THAT STATE INTO KANSAS. I DO NOT KNOW HOW WE EVER GOT ACROSS SOME OF THEM RIVERS BUT WE DID. THERE NEARLY ALWAYS wOuLD BE sOME sOLDInRS jROunD T HE FORDS, AND THEY WOULD HELP US FIND THE BEST CROSSING. SOMETIMES WE HAD TO UN LOAD THE WAGONS AND DRY OUT THE STUFF WHAT GOT ALL WET, AND CAMP A DAY OR TWO TO FIX UP AGAIN. PRETTY SOON WE GOT TO FORT SCOTT, AND THAT WAS WHERE THE ROADS FORKED EVERY WHICH WAY. ONE WENT ON NORTH AND ONE EAST AND ONE WENT DOWN INTO THE INDIAN CO UNTRY. IT WAS FULL OF SOLDIERS COMING AND GOING BACK AND FORTH TO ARKANSAS AND FORT GIBSON. WE TOOK THE ROAD ON WEST THROUGH KANSAS, AND MADE FOR COLORADO SPRINGS. FORT SCOTT WAS ALL RUN DOWN, AND THE OLD PLACES WHERE THEY USED TO HAVE THE SOLDIERS WAS ALL FELL IN IN MOST PLACES. JUST OLD RICKETY WALLS AND LEAKY ROOFS, AND A BIG POLE FENCE MADE OUT OF POLES SET IN THE GROUND ALL TIED TOGETHE R, BUT IT WAS FALLING DOWN, TOO. THERE WERE LOTS OF WAGONS ALL AROUND WHAT BELONGED TO THE ARMY, HAULING STU FF FOR THE SOLDIERS, AND SOME FOLKS TOLD OLD MASTER HE COULD NOT MAKE US NIGGERS GO WITH HIM, BUT WE SAID WE WANTED TO GO ANYWAYS, SO WE JUST WENT ON WEST ACROS S KANSAS. WHEN WE GOT AWAY ON WEST WE COME TO A FORT, AND THE BEST ROAD WENT-KIND-OF SOUTH INTO MEXICO, AND WE COME TO A LITTLE PLACE CALLED CLAYTON, MEXICO WHERE WE CAMPED A WHILE AND THEN WENT NORTH. THAT PLACE IS IN NEW MEXICO NOW, BUT OLD MASTER JUST CALLED IT MEXICO. SOM EBODY SHOWED ME WHERE IT IS ON THE MAP, AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT IS A LONG WAY OFF OF OUR ROAD TO COLORADO SPRINGS, BUT I GUESS THE ROAD JUST WOUND OFF DOWN THAT W AY AT THE TIME WE WENT OVER IT. IT WAS JUST TWO OR THREE HOUSES MADE OUT OF MUD AT THAT TIME, AND A STORE WHERE THE SOLDIERS AND THE INDIANS CAME AND DID TRADI NG. ABOUT THAT TIME OLD MASTER SELL OFF SOME OF THE STUFF HE HAD BEnN c krnGAL ONG, CAUSE THE WAGONS WERE LOADED TOO HEAVILY FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND HE FIGURED H E HAD BETTER HAVE THE MONEY THAN SOME OF THE STUFF, I GUESS. ON THE WAY NORTH IT WAS A FUNNY COUNTRY. WE JUST CLIMBED ALL DAY LONG GETT ING UP ONE SIDE OF ONE BUNCH OF MOUNTAINS, AND ALL THE NIGGER MEN HAD TO PUSH ON THE WHEELS WHILE THE MULES PULLED AND THEN SCOTCH THE WHEELS WHILE THE MULES RE STED. EVERYBODY BUT THE WHITE FOLKS HAD TO WALK MOST OF THE TIME. DOWN IN THE VALLEYS IT WAS WARM LIKE IN LOUISIANA, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THE S UN AINT SO HOT ON THE HEAD, BUT IT LOOKED LIKE EVERY TIME NIGHT CAME IT CAUGHT U S UP ON TOP OF ONE OF THEM MOUNTAINS, AND IT WAS ALMOST AS COLD AS IN THE WINTER TIME] ALL THE NIGGERS HAD SHOES AND PLENTY OF WARM CLOTHES AND WE WRAPPED UP AT N IGHT IN EVERYTHING WE COULD GET. WE GOT TO FORT SCOTT AGAIN, AND THEN THE YANKEE OFFICERS CAME AND ASKED ALL US NIGGERS IF WE WANTED TO LEAVE OLD MASTER AND STAY THERE AND WORK, CAUSE WE WERE ALL FREE NOW. OLD MASTER SAID WE COULD DO WHAT WE PLEASED ABOUT IT. A FEW OF THE NIGGERS STAYED THERE IN FORT SCOTT, BUT MOST OF US SAID WE WER E GOING TO STAY WITH OLD MASTER, AND WE DID NOT CARE IF WE WERE FREE OF NOT. WHEN WE GET BACK TO MONROE TO THE OLD PLACE US NIGGERS GET A BIG SURPRISE. WE DID NOT HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT SOME OF OLD MASTER'S KINFOLKS BACK IN VIRGINIA DO NE COME OUT THERE AND FIXED THE PLACE UP AND KEPT IT FOR HIM WHILE WE WERE IN CO LORADO, AND IT LOOKED ABOUT AS GOOD AS WHEN WE LEFT IT. HE CUT IT UP IN CHUNKS AND PUT US NIGGERS OUT ON IT ON THE HALVES, BUT HE H AD TO SELL PART OF IT TO GET THE MONEY TO GET US MULES AND TOOLS AND FOOD TO RUN ON. THEN AFTER A WHILE HE HAD TO SELL SOME MORE, AND HE SEEMED LIKE HE WAS GET TING OLD MIGHTY FAST. YOUNG MASTER HAD BEEN IN THE BIG BATTLES IN VrRGrNIA, jND HE7 OT HIT, jND H EN HE GOT SICK, AND WHEN HE CAME HOME HE WAS JUST LIKE AN OLD MAN HE WAS SO FEEB LE. ABOUT THAT TIME THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING INTO THAT COUNTRY FROM TH E NORTH, AND THEY KEPT TELLING THE NIGGERS THAT THE THING FOR THEM TO DO WAS TO BE FREE, AND COME AND GO WHERE THEY PLEASED. THEY TRIED TO GET THE DARKIES TO GO AND VOTE BUT NONE OF US FOLKS TOOK MUCH STOCK BY WHAT THEY SAID. OLD MASTER TOLD US PLENTY TIME TO MIX IN THE POLITICS WHEN THE YOUNG ONES GOT EDUCATED AND KNEW WHAT tO mO. JUST THE SAME HE NEVER MINDED IF WE WENT TO THE DANCES AND THE SINGING AND SUCH. HE ALWAYS LENT US A WAGON IF WE WANTED TO BORROW ONE TO GO IN, TOO. SOME OF THE NIGGERS WHAT WORKED FOR THE WHITE FOLKS FROM THE NORTH ACTED PRETTY UPPITY AND BIG, AND CAME PESTERING AROUND THE DANCE PLACES AND TRIED TO T ALK UP RUCTIONS AMONGST US, BUT IT DID NOT LAST LONG. THE KU KLUXERS STARTED RIDING AROUND AT NIGHT,AND THEY PASS THE WORD THAT T HE DARKIES GOT TO HAVE A PASS TO GO AND COME AND TO STAY AT THE DANCES. THEY HA VE TO GET THE PASS FROM THE WHITE FOLKS THEY ARE WORKING FOR, AND THE PASSES WRI TTEN BY NORTHERN PEOPLE WOULD NOT DO NO GOOD. THAT WAS THE WAY THE KLUXERS KEPT THE DARKIES IN LINE. THE KLUXERS JUST RIDE UP TO THE DANCE AND LOOK AT EVERYBODY'S PASSES, AND IF SOME DARKY IS THERE WITHOUT A PASS OR GOT A PASS FROM THE WRONG MAN THEY RUN HIM HOME, AND IF THE DARKY TALK BIG AND WON'T GO HOME THEY WHIP HIM AND MAKE HI M GO. ANY NIGGER OUT ON THE ROAD AFTER DARK LIABLE TO RUN ACROSS THE KLUXERS, AND HE HAD BETTER HAVE A GOOD PASS] ALL THE DANCES GOT TO BUST UP AT ABOUT ELEVnN OCLOCK, TOO. ONE TIME I SAW THREE OR FOUR KLUXERS ON HORSES, ALL WRAPPED uP rN WHITE, jN D THEY WAS MAKING A BLACK BOY GET HOME. THEY WAS RIDING HORSES AND HE WAS TROTT ING DOWN THE ROAD AHEAD OF THEM. EVERY TIME HE STOPED AND STARTED TALKING THEY POPPED THE WHIP AT HIS HEELS AND HE STARTED TROTTING ON. HE WAS SO MAD HE WAS C RYING, BUT HE WAS GETTING ON DOWN THE ROAD JUST THE SAME. I SAW THEM COMING AND I GOT OUT MY PASS YOUNG MASTER WROTE SO I COULD SHOW IT, BUT WHEN THEY RODE BY ONE IN FRONT JUST TURNED IN HIS SADDLE AND LOOKED BACK AT THE OTHER MEN AND NODDED HIS HEAD, AND THEY JUST RODE ON BY WITHOUT STOPPrNG TO SEE MY PASS. THAT MAN KNEW ME, I RECKON. I LOOKED tO2SEE F&IKNEW THE HO RSE, BUT THE KLUXERS SOMETIMES SWAPPED THEIR HORSES AROUND AMONGST THEM, SO THE HORSE MAYBE WAS NOT HIS. THEY WERE NOT VERY BAD CAUSE THE NIGGERS AROUND THERE WAS NOT BAD, BUT I HE ARD PLENTY OF THE DARKIES GOT WHIPPED IN OTHER PLACES CAUSE THEY ACTED UP AND SA ID THEY DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE OFF THEIR HATS IN THE WHITE STORES AND SUCH. ANY NIGGER THAT BEHAVED HIMSELF AND DID NOT GO RUNNING AROUND LATE AT NIGHT AND DRINKING NEVER HAD NO TROUBLE WITH THE KLUXERS. YOUNG MISTRESS GO OFF AND GOT MARRIED, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER THE NAME CAUSE SHE LIVED OFF SOMEWHERE ELSE, AND THE NEXT YEAR, I THINK IT WAS, MY PAPPY AND MA MMY WENT ON A PLACE ABOUT FIVE MILES AWAY OWNED BY A MAN NAMED MISTER BUMPUS, AN D I WENT WITH MY SISTER BETTY AND BROTHER JIMMIE TO HELP THEM. I LIVED AROUND THAT PLACE AND NEVER MARRIED TILL OLD MAMMY AND PAPPY BOTH G ONE, AND JIMMIE AND BETTY BOTH MARRIED AND I WAS GETTING ABOUT FORTH YEARS OLD M YSELF, AND THEN I WENT UP IN KANSAS AND WORKED AROUND TILL I GOT MARRIED AT LAST . I WAS I FORT SCOTT, AND I MARRIED MATHILDA BLACK IN 1900, AND SHE IS SEVEN TY THREE YEARS OLD NOW AND WAS BORN IN TENNESSEE. WE WENT TO PITTSBURG, KANSAS, AND LIVED FROM 1907 TO 1913 WHEN WE CAME TO TULSA. YOUNG MASTER'S CHILDREN WROTE TO ME ONCE IN A WHILE AND TOLD ME HOW THEY WE RE GETTING ALONG UP TO ABOUT TWENTY YEARS AGO, AND THEN I NEVER HEARD NO MORE AB OUT THEM. I NEVER HAD NO CHILDREN, AND IT LOOKED LIKE MY WIFE IS GOING TO OUTLI VE ME, SO MY MAIN HOPE WHEN I GO ON IS SEEING MAMMY AND PAPPY AND OLD MASTER. OLD OVERSEER, I SUSPECT, WAS TOO DEVILISH MEAN TO BE THERE] COURSE I LOVE MY LORD JESUS SAME AS ANYBODY, BUT YOU SEE I NEVER8HEjRD-MU.H ABOUT HrM uNTrL I WAS pROWN, AND IT SEn S-L KE OUG OT O&HEjR& OUTRELIGION WHEN YOU ARE LITTLE TO SOAK IT UP AND PUT MUCH BY IT. NOBODY COULD READ THE BIB LE WHEN I WAS A BOY, AND THERE WASN'T NO WHITE PREACHERS THAT TALKED TO THE NIGG ERS. WE HAD MEETING SOMETIMES, BUT THE NIGGER PREACHER JUST TALKED ABOUT BEING A GOOD NIGGER AND DOING TO PLEASE THE MASTER, AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT HE MEANT TO P LEASE OLD MASTER, AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT ANYWAYS. SO THAT IS THE REASON I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE TIME OLD MASTER PASSED ON. IT WAS ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER THE WAR, AND OLD MASTER BEEN MIGHTY POORLY ALL THE TIME. ONE DAY WE WERE WORKING IN THE BUMPUS FIELD AND A NIGGER CAME ON A MULE AND SAID OLD MISTRESS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE US GO OVER TO THE OLD PLACE CAUSE OLD MASTER MIGHTY LOW AND WAS CALLING MY AND PAPPY'S AND MAMMY'S NAMES. OLD MAN BUMPUS SAID GO RIGHT AHEAD. WHEN WE GOT TO THE BIG HOUSE OLD MASTER WAS SITTING PROPPED UP IN THE BED A ND YOU COULD SEE HE WAS MIGHTY LOW AND OUT OF HIS HEAD. HE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT GETTING THE OATS STACKED, CAUSE IT SEEMED TO HIM LIKE IT WAS GETTING GLOOMY DARK, AND IT WAS GOING TO RAIN, AND HAIL GOING TO CAT CH THE OATS IN THE SHOCKS. SOME NIGGER CAME RUNNING UP TO THE BACK DOOR WITH AN OLD HORN OLD MISTRESS SENT HIM OUT TO HUNT UP, AND HE BLEW IT SO OLD MASTER COU LD HEAR IT. THEN PRETTY SOON THE DOCTOR CAME TO THE DOOR AND SAID OLD MASTER WANTS THE BELL RUNG CAUSE THE SLAVES OUGHT TO BE IN FROM THE FIELDS, CAUSE IT GETTING TOO DARK TO WORK. SOMEBODY GOT A WAGON TIRE AND BEAT ON IT LIKE A BELL RINGING, RIG HT OUTSIDE OLD MASTER'S WINDOW, AND THEN WE ALL GO UP ON THE PORCH AND PEEP IN. EVERYBODY WAS SNUFFLING KIND OF QUIET, CAUSE WE CAN'T HELP IT. WE HEARD OLD MASTER SAY:"THAT IS ALL RIGHT, SIMMONS. I DON'T WANT MY NIGGE RS WORKING IN THE RAIN. GO DOWN TO THE QUARTERS AND SEE THEY ALL DRIED OFF GOOD . THEY AINT GOT NO SENSE BUT THEY ARE ALL GOOD NIGGERS." EVERYBODY AROUND THE BED WAS CRYING, AND WE ALL WAS CRYING TOO. THEN OLD MISTRESS CAME TO THE DOOR AND SAID WE COULD GO IN AND LOOK AT HIM IF WE WANTED TO. HE WAS STILL SITTING PROPPED UP, BUT HE WAS GONE. I STAYED IN LOUISIANA A LONG TIME AFTER THAT, BUT I DIDN'T CARE NOTHING ABO UT IT, AND IT LOOKED LIKE I AM STAYING A LONG TIME PAST MY TIME IN THIS WORLD, C AUSE I DON'T CARE MUCH ABOUT STAYING NO LONGER ONLY I HATE TO LEAVE MATHILDA. BUT ANY TIME THE LORD WANTS ME I AM READY, AND I LIKE TO THINK WHEN HE IS R EADY HE IS GOING TO TELL OLD MASTER TO RING THE BELL FOR ME TO COME ON IN. X XXX