an' pass de time er
day, kaze ef I'd 'a' whipt on by, dey'd 'a' said I wuz gwine back bofe
on my church an' on my color. I dunner how long dey kep' me, but time
I got ter Proctor's sto', I know'd I'd been on de way too long.

"I notice a crowd er men out dar, some settin' an' some stan'in', but I
run'd in, I did, an' de young man what do de clerkin', he foller me in
an' ax what I want. I say I want a dime's wuff er bluin', an' fer ter
please, suh, wrop it up des ez quick ez he kin. I tuck notice dat
while he wuz gittin' it out'n de box, he sorter stop like he lis'nin'
an' den agin, whiles he had it in de scoop des ready fer ter drap it in
de scales, he held his han' an' wait. Den I know'd he wuz lis'nin'.

"Dat makes me lis'n, an' den I hear Marse Tumlin talkin', an' time I
hear 'im I know'd he wuz errytated. Twa'n't bekaze he wuz talkin'
loud, suh, but 'twuz bekaze he wuz talkin' level. When he talk loud,
he feelin' good. When he talk low, an' one word soun' same ez anudder,
den somebody better git out'n his way. I lef' de counter an' step ter
de do' fer ter see what de matter wuz betwix' um.

"Well, suh, dar wuz Marse Tumlin stan'in' dar close ter Tom Ferryman.
Marse Tumlin, low, 'Maybe de law done 'pinted you my gyardeen. How you
know I been swindled?' Tom Ferryman say, 'Bekaze I hear you say he
bought yo' wil' lan' fer a little er nothin'. He'll swindle you ef you
trade wid 'im, an' you done trade wid 'im.' Marse Tumlin low, 'Is Paul
Conant ever swindle _you_?' Tom Ferryman say, 'No, he ain't, an' ef he
wuz ter I'd give 'im a kickin'.' Marse Tumlin low, 'Well, you know you
is a swindler, an' nobody ain't kick you. How come dat?' Tom Ferryman
say, 'Ef you say I'm a swindler, you're a liar.'

"Well, suh, de man ain't no sooner say dat dan _bang_! went Marse
Tumlin's pistol, an' des ez it banged Marse Paul Conant run 'twix' um,
an' de ball went right spang th'oo de collar-bone an' sorter sideways
th'oo de pint er de shoulder-blade. Marse Tumlin drapt his pistol an'
cotch 'im ez he fell an' knelt down dar by 'im, an' all de time dat ar
Tom Ferryman wuz stan'in' right over um wid his pistol in his han'. I
squall out, I did, 'Whyn't some er you white men take dat man pistol
'way fum 'im? Don't you see what he fixin' ter do?'

"I run'd at 'im, an' he sorter flung back wid his arm, an' when he done
dat somebody grab 'im fum behind. All dat time Marse Tumlin wuz axin'
Marse Paul Conant ef he hurt much