I come ter de fork-han' een' er de road, an' I eberlastin'
dusted fum dar! I put deze feets in motion, yer hyeard me! an' I kep'
'em er gwine, too, tell I come ter de outskwirts uv de quarters; an'
eber sence den I ain't stopped no Injun wat I sees in de road, an' I
ain't meddled 'long o' who kilt Sis Leah, nudder, caze she's ben in
glory deze fifty years or mo', an' hit's all one to her now who sculpt
her."

But now, as it was getting late, Daddy said he was afraid to stay out in
the night air, as it sometimes "gun him de rheumatiz," and wound up his
remarks by saying,

"Tell yer ma I'm mighty 'bleeged fur de cake an' drinkin's, an' weneber
yer gits de time, an' kin come down hyear any ebenin', de ole man he'll
'struck yer, caze he's gwine erway fo' long, an' dem things wat he knows
is onbeknownst ter de mos' uv folks."

"Where are you going, Daddy," asked Diddie.

"I gwine ter de 'kingdum,' honey, an' de Lord knows hit's time; I ben
hyear long ernuff; but hit's 'bout time fur me ter be er startin' now,
caze las' Sat'dy wuz er week gone I wuz er stretchin' my ole legs in de
fiel', an' er rabbit run right ercross de road foreninst me, an' I
knowed 'twuz er sho' sign uv er death; an' den, night fo' las', de
scritch-owls wuz er talkin' ter one ernudder right close ter my do', an'
I knowed de time wuz come fur de ole nigger ter take dat trip; so, ef'n
yer wants him ter 'struck yer, yer'd better be er ten'in' ter it, caze
wen de Lord sen's fur 'im he's er _gwine_."

The children were very much awed at Daddy's forebodings, and Dumps
insisted on shaking hands with him, as she felt that she would probably
never see him again, and they all bade him good-night, and started for
the house.

"Miss Diddie, did you know ole Daddy wuz er _trick_ nigger?" asked
Dilsey, as they left the old man's cabin.

"What's er trick nigger?" asked Dumps.

"Wy, don't yer know, Miss Dumps? Trick niggers dey ties up snakes' toofs
an' frogs' eyes an' birds' claws, an' all kineter charms; an' den, wen
dey gits mad 'long o' folks, dey puts dem little bags under dey do's, or
in de road somewhar, whar dey'll hatter pass, an' dem folks wat steps
ober 'em den dey's _tricked_; an' dey gits sick, an' dey can't sleep uv
nights, an' dey chickens all dies, an' dey can't nuber hab no luck nor
nuf'n tell de tricks is tuck off. Didn't yer hyear wat he said 'bout'n
de snakes? an' de folks all sez ez how ole Daddy is er trick nigger, an'
dat's wat makes him