but it was between the mattress
and the feather bed and I couldn't get to it. I don't guess it would
have done any good though fer I guess it was jest a sperit.

The funniest thing that ever happened to me was when I was a real
young gal. Master and Miss Julie was going to see one of his sisters
that was sick. I went along to take care of the baby fer Miss Julie.
The baby was about a year old. I had a bag of clothes and the baby to
carry. I was riding a pacing mule and it was plumb gentle. I was
riding along behind Master Frank and Miss Julie and I went to sleep. I
lost the bag of clothes and never missed it. Purty soon I let the baby
slip out of my lap and I don't know how far I went before I nearly
fell off myself and jest think how I felt when I missed that baby! I
turned around and went back and found the baby setting in the trail
sort of crying. He wasn't hurt a mite as he fell in the grass. I got
off the mule and picked him up and had to look fer a log so I could
get back on again.

Jest as I got back on Master Frank rode up. He had missed me and come
back to see what was wrong. I told him that I had lost the bag of
clothes but I didn't say anything about losing the baby. We never did
find the clothes and I sho' kept awake the rest of the way. I wasn't
going to risk losing that precious baby again! I guess the reason he
didn't cry much was because he was a Indian baby. He was sho' a sweet
baby though.

Jest before the War people would come through the Territory stealing
niggers and selling 'em in the states. Us women dassent git fur from
the house. We wouldn't even go to the spring if we happened to see a
strange wagon or horsebacker. One of Master Sam Love's women was stole
and sold down in Texas. After freedom she made her way back to her
fambly. Master Frank sent one of my brothers to Sherman on an errand.
After several days the mule come back but we never did see my brother
again. We didn't know whether he run off or was stole and sold.

I was glad to be free. What did I do and say? Well, I jest clapped my
hands together and said, "Thank God Almighty, I'se free at last!"

I live on the forty acres that the government give me. I have been
blind for nine years and don't git off my bed much. I live here with
my son, Ed. Isom has been dead for over forty years. I had fifteen
children, but only ten of them are living.

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves

DANIEL WILLIAM LUCAS
Age 94 yrs.
Red Bird,