~x—s1ave Stories	p~e ~rwo	• 219
(Texae)






a hole to put de head through and. ‘nother hole at de bottom to put de lege through. Den ieï split ‚ em up de side, so‘ s u~s CO~Lld ran and play withoat dem tyin‘ us •roand de knees and. throw us down. Even at dat, dey shoe was&t nO good to do no tree climbin ‚ ‚ ‘ n you pull dem moe ~ up over you head.

	“Us chilien ran down to de rail gate when us see dus‘ ciotids coinin‘

and watch de sojere ridin‘ and marchin‘ by. Dey ain‘t never do no fightin‘ around us, but dey‘s gunboats down de bayous a ways and as could hear de big

gLins from de other fights. Us liii niggers ~ iilce to wave to dem sojere, arid when de men on iiOSSC$ gq by, deyseern like dey more enjoyin‘ cieyeelvee

•an de others.

	$1 ~ have de old. gramina what coLe from Tirginny. lier name Mandy Brown. Dey ‚ low her hi re her own t une out . She wasn ‚ t freeborn but dey give her dat much freedom. She co~ld go git her a job anywhere jes‘ as long as she brung de old missy half what she done make. Iffen she make $5.00, she give Miss Prances $2.50 and like dat.

	“De old. massa he plumb good I ain‘t Icnowed of but one dein mens on de place and culiud preachers. chilien have to ~o to he cabin and. too. He de shoemaker on de plantation.

	“My mama done told me ‘bout de dances day have in de quarters. 1~y tage de big sugar hogahead. and stretch rawhide over de top. Den de man straddle de barrel and beat on de top for de drum. Dat de onlies‘ mu~sic dey have.
to he slaves. He have a good many but what he ever whip. He have a church right Dey old Pet er Green and every i~ us be teach u.s prayers. He teach us to count,
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