ed Mis' Sally down, den picked up de gun an' shot
er hole in Leonard's ches' big as yo' fis'. Den he took up Mis' Sally
an' toted her in de house. But I wuz so skeered dat I run an' hid in de
stable loft, an' even wid my eyes shut I could see Leonard layin' on de
groun' wid dat bloody hole in his ches' an' dat sneer on his black mouf.

After dat Leonard's brother Burrus hated Ole Marse wus' er snake, den
one night he run away. Mammy say he run away to keep from killin' Ole
Marse. Anyhow, when Ole Marse foun' he wuz gone, he took er bunch of
niggahs an' set out to find him. All day long dey tromped de woods, den
when night come dey lit fat pine to'ches an' kept lookin', but dey
couldn' find Burrus. De nex' day Ole Marse went down to de county jail
an' got de blood houn's. He brung home er great passel of dem yelpin'
an' pullin' at de ropes, but when he turned dem loose dey didn' find
Burrus, kaze he done grease de bottom of his feets wid snuff an' hog
lard so de dogs couldn' smell de trail. Ole Marse den tole all de
niggahs dat if anybody housed an' fed Burrus on de sly, dat he goin' to
shoot dem like he done shot Leonard. Den he went every day an' searched
de cabins; he even looked under de houses.

One day in 'bout er week Mis' Sally wuz feedin' de chickens when she
heard somethin' in de polk berry bushes behin' de hen house. She didn'
go 'roun' de house but she went inside house an' looked through de
crack. Dare wuz Burrus layin' down in de bushes. He wuz near 'bout
starved kaze he hadn' had nothin' to eat since he done run away.

Mis' Sally whisper an' tole him to lay still, dat she goin' to slip him
somethin' to eat. She went back to de house an' made up some more cawn
meal dough for de chickens, an' under de dough she put some bread an'
meat. When she went 'cross de yard she met Marse Jordan. He took de pan
of dough an' say he goin' to feed de chickens. My mammy say dat Mis'
Sally ain't showed no skeer, she jus' smile at Ole Marse an' pat his
arm, den while she talk she take de pan an' go on to de chicken house,
but Ole Marse he go too. When dey got to de hen house Ole Marse puppy
begun sniffin' 'roun'. Soon he sta'ted to bark; he cut up such er fuss
dat Ole Marse went to see what wuz wrong. Den he foun' Burrus layin' in
de polk bushes.

Ole Marse drag Burrus out an' drove him to de house. When Mis' Sally
seed him take out his plaited whip, she run up stairs an' jump in de bed
an' stuff er pillow over her head.