ress was always tellin' him 'bout how fine and handsome-like he was.
He must of got use to it; howsomever, marster grin every time she talk
like dat.

"My pappy was bought from de Adamson peoples; they say they got him off
de ship from Africa. He sho' was a man; he run all de other niggers 'way
from my mammy and took up wid her widout askin' de marster. Her name was
Lavinia. When us got free, he 'sisted on Adamson was de name us would go
by. He name was William Adamson. Yes sir! my brothers was: Justus,
Hillyard, and Donald, and my sisters was, Martha and Lizzettie.

"'Deed I did work befo' freedom. What I do? Hoed cotton, pick cotton,
'tend to calves and slop de pigs, under de 'vision of de overseer. Who
he was? First one name Mr. Cary, he a good man. Another one Mr. Tim
Gladden, burn you up whenever he just take a notion to pop his whip. Us
boys run 'round in our shirt tails. He lak to see if he could lift de
shirt tail widout techin' de skin. Just as often as not, though, he tech
de skin. Little boy holler and Marster Tim laugh.

"Us live in quarters. Our beds was nailed to de sides of de house. Most
of de chillun slept on pallets on de floor. Got water from a big spring.

"De white folks 'tend to you all right. Us had two doctors, Doctor
Carlisle and Doctor James.

"I see some money, but never own any then. Had plenty to eat: Meat,
bread, milk, lye hominy, horse apples, turnips, collards, pumpkins, and
dat kind of truck.

"Was marster rich? How come he wasn't? He brag his land was ten miles
square and he had a thousand slaves. Them poor white folks looked up to
him lak God Almighty; they sho' did. They would have stuck their hands
in de fire if he had of asked them to do it. He had a fish pond on top
of de house and terraces wid strawberries, all over de place. See them
big rock columns down dere now? Dats all dats left of his grandness and
greatness. They done move de whippin' post dat was in de backyard. Yes
sah, it was a 'cessity wid them niggers. It stood up and out to 'mind
them dat if they didn't please de master and de overseer, they'd hug dat
post, and de lend of dat whip lash gwine to flip to de hide of dat back
of their's.

"I ain't a complainin'. He was a good master, bestest in de land, but he
just have to have a whippin' post, 'cause you'll find a whole passle of
bad niggers when you gits a thousand of them in one flock.

"Screech owl holler? Women and men turn socks and stockings wrong side
ou