d 'low us sop
bread in potlicker till de world look level. Dat good eatin' and all my
life I ain't have no better.

"Massa didn't 'low no overseer on he place. One my uncles de driver, and
massa blow de old conk shell long 'fore day, and if de darkies didn't
git goin' you'd hear dem whips crackin'.

"I seed one my sisters whip 'cause she didn't spin 'nough. Dey pull de
clothes down to her waist and laid her down on de stomach and lash her
with de rawhide quirt. I's in de field when dey whips my Uncle Lewis for
not pickin' 'nough cotton. De driver pull he clothes down and make him
lay on de groun'. He wasn't tied down, but he say he scart to move.

"De women am off Friday afternoon to wash clothes and all de hands git
Saturday afternoon and mos' de man go huntin' or fishin'. Sometimes dey
have parties Saturday night and couples git on de floor and have music
of de fiddle and banjo. I only 'members one ring play:

"Hop light, li'l lady,
The cakes all dough,
Don't mind de weather,
Jus' so de wind don't blow.

"De bigges' day to blacks and whites was fourth of July. De hands was
off all day and massa give de big dinner out under de trees. He allus
barbecue de sheep or beef and have cakes and pies and fancy cookin'.
He's one de bes' bosses round dat country. He 'lieve in makin' dem work
and when dey need whippin' he done it, but when it come to feedin' he
done dat right, too. And on Christmas he give us clothes and shoes and
nuts and things and 'nother big dinner, and on Christmas night de
darkies sing songs for de white folks.

"Us git some book larnin' 'mongst ourselves, round de quarters, and have
our own preacher. Mos' de time us chillen play, makin' frog holes in de
sand and mud people and things.

"I done hear lots of talk 'bout ghosts and hants and think I seed one
onct. I's comin' home from de neighbors at night, in de moonlight, and
'rectly I seed something white by side de road. De closer I gits de
bigger it gits. I's scart but I walks up to it and it nothin' but de big
spiderweb on de bush. Den I says to myself, 'Dere ain't nothin' to dis
ghost business.'

"Massa have one son go to war and he taken a old cullud man with him. I
seed soldiers on hosses comin' and goin' de big road, and lots of dem
come to Port Caddo in boats. De pretties' sight I ever seed am a soldier
band all dress in de uniforms with brass buttons. When de soldiers come
back from de war dey throwed cannon balls 'long de road and us chi