and him.

"We'uns am not use' to sich and some runs off. When dey am cotched there
am a whippin' at de stake. But dat Delbridge, he sold me to Massa House,
in Blanco County. I's sho' glad when I's sold, but it am short gladness,
'cause here am another man what hell am too good for. He gives me de
whippin' and de scars am still on my arms and my back, too. I'll carry
dem to my grave. He sends me for firewood and when I gits it loaded, de
wheel hits a stump and de team jerks and dat breaks de whippletree. So
he ties me to de stake and every half hour for four hours, dey lays ta
lashes on my back. For de first couple hours de pain am awful. I's never
forgot it. Den I's stood so much pain I not feel so much and when dey
takes me loose, I's jus' 'bout half dead. I lays in de bunk two days,
gittin' over dat whippin', gittin' over it in de body but not de heart.
No, suh, I has dat in de heart till dis day.

"After dat whippin' I doesn't have de heart to work for de massa. If I
seed de cattle in de cornfield, I turns de back, 'stead of chasin' 'em
out. I guess dat de reason de massa sold me to his brother, Massa John.
And he am good like my first massa, he never whipped me.

"Den surrender am 'nounced and massa tells us we's free. When dat takes
place, it am 'bout one hour by sun. I says to myself, 'I won't be here
long.' But I's not realise what I's in for till after I's started, but I
couldn't turn back. For dat means de whippin' or danger from de patter
rollers. Dere I was and I kep' on gwine. No nigger am sposed to be off
de massa's place without de pass, so I travels at night and hides durin'
de daylight. I stays in de bresh and gits water from de creeks, but not
much to eat. Twice I's sho' dem patter rollers am passin' while I's
hidin'.

"I's 21 year old den, but it am de first time I's gone any place, 'cept
to de neighbors, so I's worried 'bout de right way to Massa Haley's
place. But de mornin' of de third day I comes to he place and I's so
hongry and tired and scairt for fear Massa Haley not home from de army
yit. So I finds my pappy and he hides me in he cabin till a week and den
luck comes to me when Massa Haley come home. He come at night and de
next mornin' dat Delbridge am shunt off de place, 'cause Massa Haley
seed he niggers was all gaunt and lots am ran off and de fields am not
plowed right, and only half de sheep and everything left. So massa say
to dat Delbridge, 'Dere am no words can 'splain what yous don