' wukkin fer a w'ile, en makin' Hannibal's feet bu'n mo'
er less, 'tel all de folks on de plantation got ter callin' 'im Hot-Foot
Hannibal. He kep' gittin' mo' en mo' triflin', 'tel he got de name er
bein' de mos' no 'countes' nigger on de plantation, en Mars' Dugal'
had ter th'eaten ter sell 'im in de spring; w'en bimeby de goopher quit
wukkin', en Hannibal 'mence' ter pick up some en make folks set a little
mo' sto' by 'im.

"Now, dis yer Hannibal was a monst'us sma't nigger, en w'en he got rid
er dem so' feet his min' kep' runnin' on 'is udder troubles. Heah th'ee
er fo' weeks befo' he'd had a' easy job, waitin' on de w'ite folks,
libbin off'n de fat er de lan', en promus' de fines' gal on de
plantation fer a wife in de spring, en now heah he wuz back in de
co'nfiel', wid de oberseah a-cussin' en a r'arin' ef he didn' get a ha'd
tas' done; wid nuffin' but co'n bread en bacon en merlasses ter eat;
en all de fiel-han's makin' rema'ks, en pokin' fun at 'im ca'se he be'n
sont back fum de big house ter de fiel'. En de mo' Hannibal studied
'bout it de mo' madder he got, 'tel he fin'ly swo' he wuz gwine ter git
eben wid Jeff en Chloe ef it wuz de las' ac'.

"So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de co'n
up close ter de big house, 'tel he see Chloe gwine down de road. He
waylaid her, en sezee:--

"'Hoddy, Chloe?'

"'I ain't got no time fer ter fool wid fiel'-han's,' sez Chloe, tossin'
her head; 'W'at you want wid me, Hot-Foot?'

"'I wants ter know how you en Jeff is gittin' 'long.'

"'I 'lows dat's none er yo' bizness, nigger. I doan see w'at 'casion any
common fiel'-han' has got ter mix in wid de 'fairs er folks w'at libs in
de big house. But ef it'll do you any good ter know, I mought say dat me
en Jeff is gittin' 'long mighty well, en we gwine ter git married in de
spring, en you ain' gwine ter be 'vited ter de weddin' nuther.'

"'No, no!' sezee, 'I wouldn' 'spec' ter be 'vited ter de weddin',--a
common, low-down fiel'-han' lak I is. But I's glad ter heah you en Jeff
is gittin' 'long so well. I didn' knowed but w'at he had 'mence' ter be
a little ti'ed.'

"'Ti'ed er me? Dat's rediklus!' sez Chloe. 'W'y, dat nigger lubs me so
I b'liebe he'd go th'oo fier en water fer me. Dat nigger is des wrop' up
in me.'

"'Uh huh,' sez Hannibal, 'den I reckon is mus' be some udder nigger w'at
meets a 'oman down by de crick in de swamp ev'y Sunday ebenin', ter say
nuffin' 'bout two er th'ee times a week.