easier right then. I kind of hates to think about standing up on
one of them platforms, kinder sorry to leave my old mammy and the
Master, so I was easy in the heart when he talked like that.

The plantation house was a big frame and the yard was shaded with
trees all around. The Master's children--four boys and two
girls--would play in the yard with me just like I was one of the
family. And we'd go hunting and fishing. There was a creek not far
away and they was good fishing in the stream and squirrels in the
trees. Mighty lot of fun to catch them fishes but more fun when they
is all fried brown and ready for to eat with a piece of hot pone.
Ain't no fish ever taste that good since!

One thing I sort of ponders about. The old Master don't let us have no
religion meetings and reading and writing is something I learn after
the War. Some of the slaves talk about meeting 'round the country and
wants to have preaching on the plantation. Master says NO. No preacher
around here to tell about the Bible and religion will be just a
puzzlement, the Master say, and we let it go at that. I reckon that
was the only thing he was set against.

That and the Yankees. The Master went to the War and stayed 'til it
was most over. He was a mighty sick man when he come back to the old
place, but I was there waiting for him just like always. All the time
he was away I take care around the house. That's what he say for me to
do when he rides away to fight the Yankees. Lot's of talk about the
War but the slaves goes right on working just the same, raising cotton
and tobacco.

The slaves talk a heap about Lincoln and some trys to run away to the
North. Don't hear much about Jeff Davis, mostly Lincoln. He give us
slaves the freedom but we was better off as we was.

The day of freedom come around just [HW: like] any other day, except
the Master say for me to bring up the horses, we is going to town.
That's when he hears about the slaves being free. We gets to the town
and the Master goes into the store. It's pretty early but the streets
was filled with folks talking and I wonder what makes the Master in
such a hurry when he comes out of the store.

He gets on his horse and tells me to follow fast. When we gets back to
the plantation he sounds the horn calling the slaves. They come in
from the fields and meet 'round back of the kitchen building that
stood separate from the Master's house. They all keeps quiet while the
Master talks: "You-all