kees took and took from 'em. They freed a long time b'fore she
knowed of. She said they would git biscuits on Sunday around. Whoop
'em if one be gone.

"Ole miss went out to the cow pen an' ma jus' a gal like stole outen a
piece er pie and a biscuit and et it. The cook out the cow pen too but
the three gals was doing about in the house and yard. Ma shut polly up
in the shed room. Then she let it out when she et up the pie and
biscuit. Ole miss come in. Polly say, 'Liza shut me up, Liza shut me
up.' She missed the pie. Called all four the girls and ma said, 'I
done et it. I was so hungry.' Ole miss said that what polly talking
'bout, but she didn't understand the bird so very well. Ole miss say,
'I'm goiner tell Ben and have him whoop you.' That scared all four the
girls case he did whoop her which he seldom done. She say when Master
Ben come they stood by the door in a 'joining room. Ma say 'fore God
ole miss tole him. Master Ben sont 'em out to pick up apples. He had a
pie a piece cooked next day and a pan of hot biscuits and brown gravy,
tole 'em to fill up. He tole 'em he knowed they got tired of corn
batter cakes, milk and molasses but it was best he had to give them
till the War was done.

"Ma said her job got to be milking, raising and feeding the fowls,
chickens, ducks, geese, guineas, and turkeys all. The Yankees
discouraged her. They come so many times till they cleaned 'em out she
said.

"What they done to shut up polly's mouf was sure funny. He kept on
next morning saying, 'Liza shut me up, Liza shut me up.' Liza pulled
up her dress and underskirt and walked back'ards, bent down at him. He
got scared. He screamed and then he hollered 'Ball-head and no eyes'
all that day.

"Ma said they had corn shuckings and corn shellings and brush
burnings. Had music and square dancing plenty times.

"When they got free they didn't know what it was nor what in the world
to do with it. What they said 'minds me of folks now what got
education. Seems like they don't know what to do nor where to put it.

"Pa said the nigger men run off to get a rest. They'd take to the
woods and canebrakes. Once four of the best nigger fellars on their
master's place took to the woods for to git a little rest. The master
and paddyrolls took after 'em. They'd been down in there long 'nough
they'd spotted a hollow cypress with a long snag of a limb up on it.
It was in the water. They got them some vines and fixed up on the
snag. They hear