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| =FROGEYE HAD A RIVAL= |
| |
| Come er lef'! come er right! come er rag an' |
| shawl! |
| Come to yo' honey-bunch straight down de hall! |
| Up towa'd de front do', back towa'd de wall, |
| Gimme room to scramble at de Potlicker Ball! |
| |
|"What's this?" demanded the judge ferociously. |
|"Another Potlicker row? I'm going to have to do |
|something about you folks. You're always in hot |
|water." |
| |
|The defendants--a weird assortment of the youth and |
|beauty of the Black Belt, their finery somewhat |
|damaged after a night behind the bars--shifted |
|uneasily on their respective number nines. A |
|cross-eyed mulatto had the courage to speak, albeit |
|a trifle morosely. |
| |
|"Us ain't in no hot water, jedge," she drawled. "Us |
|ain't been doin' nothin' but dancin'." |
| |
|"What's your name, girl?" inquired the clerk. |
| |
|He was answered by Frogeye, who celebrated his |
|latest release from gaol by attending the Potlicker |
|Ball. "Dat's Three-Finger Fanny," stated Frogeye in |
|a voice of authority. "She done start de hull |
|rucus." |
| |
|Three-Finger Fanny bridled. Before she could open |
|her mouth, Frogeye plunged into the tale: "Ef it |
|hadn't er been fo' dat three-fingered, cross-eyed, |
|blistered-footed gal we'd er been dar dancin' yit. |
|But she an Bugabear spill de beans. She come up ter |
|me an' say, 'Mister Frogeye, kin you ball de Jack?' |
|I tells her she don't see no chains on me, do she? |
|An' we whirl right in. Hoccome I knowed she promise |
|dat dance ter Bugabear? We ain't ball de Jack twice |
|'roun' fo' heah he come wid er beer bottle shoutin' |
|dat I done tuk his gal erway