e) "On Rutledge
Plantation a man wouldn't take no beating. Found a large hollow
cypress tree been rotten out long years. Gone in. Lie down sleep.
Fore day wake up! Feel something crawl over him. Nother one crow
like game chicken!" (Negroes all say rattlers crow!) "Smell him.
Crawl over him. Crawl out. Get out."

Stella: "Revents had it wuz a man in a cypress tree and seven--how
much wuz it? Twelve? These twelve monster snake crawl over him. If
you move, he strike."

Uncle Ben: "Right there where Dr. Ward stay had a big old
stable--see these two hole in my jaw. Had a stable high as that
tree. Big Jersey bull gone in there eating that straw like we
thrashing. Big rattle-snake pop 'um. Fell dead."

"How does we mark shoat? Under-bit; upper-bit. Swallow fork in the right
year! And a square crop in the left!

"How much been task? A quarter (acre) if you mashing ground. Ten compass
digging ground. Cutting rice one half acre a day." (awful job.)

Stella: "Plow; harrow 'em."

Ben: "Ain't you mash 'em?"

Stella: "Mash a bed a day three task deep."

Ben: "Mashing raw ground half acre--some quarter. Mash 'em--take
hoe full up them hole, level dem, chop dem big sod!"

Stella: (age 65) "You got a mis-sheen (machine). Ox pull dat
mis-sheen!"

Ben: "Dat mis-sheen come in YOU day, darling! My day I trenching
hoe trench dat! I done dat, Stella. You come on sow in trench lak
(like) dey sow turnip. YOU day got mis-sheen! Ox pull 'em. Great I
AM! Missus, fifteen to old islant (island), twenty silver islant,
(I been Silver Islant. Cross old islant go Silver islant.) Josh
Ward one some four or five hundred acre. Something been here,
darling! Something been here! Left Brookgreen go Watsaw; left
Watsaw gone Longwood. Plant ALL DEM plantation. I work there. Cut
rice there. Cutting rice task been half acre a day.

"Squirrel creek? Cedar tree and cypress hang low. Squirrel love dem
ball. Tree work up wid dem. Good place for go shoot squirrel. Give
'em name Squirrel Creek.

"Bury live? I did hear some talk o' that. I didn't know whether
they bury 'em to scay 'em (scare 'em) or what. I DID hear tell bout
it. I most know that man name. Some these white people that day
something! They either manage you or kill you."

Lillie: (To Primus who was a listener to