m if they run off he
would whoop 'em. He didn't have no dogs, young mistress. They be a white
man near by owned nigger hounds, young mistress. He take his hounds, go
hunt a runaway, young mistress. You would pay him, I reckon, young
mistress.

"I did get some whoopings, young mistress. They used a cow hide strap on
me, young mistress. They blistered me a right smart, young mistress.

"We didn't have so much to eat. They give us one peck meal, four pounds
meat a week. Mama done our cooking, young mistress. We had good clothes,
warm clothes, woolen clothes, young mistress. We had a few sheep about
the place. We had a few geese 'mong the turkeys, guineas, ducks, and
chickens. They kept the peafowls for good luck, young mistress.

"Fur a fact they had a big garden, young mistress. Boss William Green
worked the garden. He made us pull the plow--four of us boys. He said
the stock would tromp down more'n they'd make, young mistress. Two of
his boys and me and George pulled his plough. We had a big garden.

"I chopped in the field, picked up chips on the clearings. I chopped
cook wood right smart, young mistress.

"When freedom come on, grandpa come after mama. Boss William Green told
her, 'You free.' He give her ten bushels corn, good deal of meat--back
bone and spareribs. He come one Saturday evening, young mistress. She
took 'long whatever she had at our house in the way of clothing and such
lack, young mistress. Well, grandpa was share crapping, young mistress.

"The Ku Kluckses come one night. They kept us getting 'em water to run
through something under their sheets. The water was running out on the
ground. We did see it for a fact, young mistress. We was scared not to
do that. They was getting submission over the country, young
mistress. They would make you be quiet 'long the roadside, young
mistress. They would make you be quiet where you have meeting. They
would turn the pots down on the floor at the doors, young mistress. The
Ku Kluckses whooped some, tied some out to trees and left 'em. They was
rough, young mistress.

"I worked in the field all my life.

"Times is good fer me, young mistress. I live with my niece. I get
twelve dollars assistance 'cause I been sick, young mistress. I owns a
pony. All I owns, young mistress.

"I hab voted, young mistress. I'm too old to vote now, young mistress. I
reckon I voted both ways some, young mistress.

"Young folks is so strong and happy they is different from old