know w'at in de name er de
Lord I gwine do. I wuz des ez wringin' wet ez if I'd a-bin baptize in de
water; en de man he wuz mo' wetter dan w'at I wuz, en goodness knows how
long he bin layin' dar. I run back ter de big 'ouse, suh, mighty nigh a
mile, en I done my level bes' fer fin' some er de niggers en git um fer
go wid me back dar en git de man. But I ain' fin' none un um, suh. Dem
w'at ain' gone wid de Sherman army, dee done hide out. Den I went in de
big 'ouse, suh, en tell Mistiss 'bout de man down dar in de gully, en
how he done hurted so bad he ain' kin walk. Den Mistiss--I speck you
done fergit Mistiss, suh--Mistiss, she draw herse'f up en ax w'at
business dat man er any yuther man got on her plan'ation. I say:
'Yassum, dat so; but he done dar, en ef he stay dar he gwine die dar.'
Yes, suh; dat w'at I say. I des put it at Mistiss right pine-blank.

"Den my young mistiss--dat's Miss Lady, suh--she say dat dough she spize
um all dez bad az she kin, dat man mus' be brung away from dar. Kaze,
she say, she don't keer how yuther folks go on, de Tomlinsons is bleeze
to do like Christian people. Yes, suh; she say dem ve'y words. Den
Mistiss, she 'low dat de man kin be brung up, en put in de corn-crib,
but Miss Lady she say no, he mus' be brung en put right dar in de big
'ouse in one er de upsta'rs rooms, kaze maybe some er dem State er
Georgy boys mought be hurted up dar in de Norf, en want some place fer
stay at. Yes, suh; dat des de way she talk. Den Mistiss, she ain' say
nothin', yit she hol' her head mighty high.

"Well, suh, I went back out in de yard, en den I went 'cross ter de
nigger-quarter, en I ain' gone fur tell I year my ole man prayin' in dar
some'r's. I know 'im by he v'ice, suh, en he wuz prayin' des like it
wuz camp-meetin' time. I hunt 'roun' fer 'im, suh, en bimeby I fin' 'im
squattin' down behime de do'. I grab 'im, I did, en I shuck 'im, en I
'low: 'Git up fum yer, you nasty, stinkin' ole villyun, you!' Yes, suh;
I wuz mad. I say: 'W'at you doin' squattin' down on de flo'? Git up fum
dar en come go 'long wid me!' I hatter laugh, suh, kaze w'en I shuck my
ole man be de shoulder, en holler at 'im, he put up he two han', suh, en
squall out: 'Oh, pray, marster! don't kill me dis time, en I ain' never
gwine do it no mo'!'

"Atter he 'come pacify, suh, den I tell him 'bout de man down dar in de
gully, en yit we ain' know w'at ter do. My ole man done hide out some er
de mules en hosses down in de swamp