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Nobody didn' notice it at de time, but dat night, on de way home, de gemman's hoss runned away en kill' de coachman. W'en we hearn de noos, Aun' Lucy, de cook, she up 'n say she seed de strange nigger eat'n' er de scuppernon's behine de smoke-house; en den we knowed de goopher had b'en er wukkin.
"Go long, boss! w'at you speck I be doin' sailin' 'roun' ter dese yer cullud picnics? Much mo' an' I wouldn't make bread by wukkin' fer't, let 'lone follerin' up a passel er boys an' gals all over keration. Boss, ain't you year 'bout it, sho' 'nuff?" "I haven't, really. What was the matter?" "I got strucken wid a sickness, an' she hit de ole nigger a joe- darter 'fo' she tu'n 'im loose."
The wizened eyes brightened, and when he stopped one of them whispered: "More, black man. Sing some more!" He sang one more song and choked. His eye caught the look of mortal weariness in the tired face of the little girl of six and his voice wouldn't work. "Goddermighty!" he muttered, "dese here babies ought not ter be wukkin lak dis!"
Fac' is, dat Chloe en Jeff wuz so int'rusted in one ernudder sence Jeff be'n up ter de house, dat dey fergot all 'bout takin' de baby doll back ter Aun' Peggy, en it kep' wukkin' fer a w'ile, en makin' Hannibal's feet bu'n mo' er less, 'tel all de folks on de plantation got ter callin' 'im Hot-Foot Hannibal.
"How did you come down here?" "Ben wukkin' on de bres'wuks." "The dickens you have!" "Yes, sah." "How did you get a boat, then?" "Jes' tuk it dry so." "Anybody with you?" "No, Mahs'r." "And you came across the Sound alone in an open boat?" "Yes, Mahs'r; an' fru' de swamp widout any boat." "I should say so," laughed the officer, glancing at his clothes. "What did you come here for?" "Jes' kase."
She gun Aun' Peggy de mess er peas, en tol' her all 'bout Sis' Becky en little Mose. "'Dat is a monst'us small mess er peas you is fotch' me, sez Aun' Peggy, sez she. "'Yas, I knows, 'lowed Aun' Nancy, 'but dis yere is a monst'us small pickaninny. "'You'll hafter fetch me sump'n mo', sez Aun' Peggy, 'fer you can't 'spec' me ter was'e my time diggin' roots en wukkin' cunj'ation fer nuffin.
Fac' is dat Chloe en Jeff wuz so int'rusted in one ernudder since Jeff be'n up ter de house, dat dey fergot all about takin' de baby-doll back ter Aun' Peggy, en it kep' wukkin fer a w'ile, en makin' Hannibal's feet bu'n mo' er less, 'tel all de folks on de plantation got ter callin' 'im Hot-Foot Hannibal.
"Wal, yer see, I'se been a wukkin' fer him ebber sence de s'rrender jes de same ez afore, only dat he pays me an' I owes him. He pays me in sto' orders, an' it 'pears like I owes him mo' an' mo' ebbery time we settles up.
All de time de cunjuh man kep' on wukkin' his roots; en Pete en Primus could see he wuz gittin' weaker en weaker all de time. "'Brer Pete, sezee, bimeby, 'gimme a drink er dem bitters out'n dat green bottle on de she'f yander. I's gwine fas', en it'll gimme strenk fer ter finish dis wuk. "Brer Pete look' up on de mantelpiece, en he seed a bottle in de corner.
"Tenie 'peared ter be out'n her mine fer a long time, en her marster ha' ter lock her up in de smoke-'ouse tel she got ober her spells. Mars Marrabo wuz monst'us mad, en hit would a made yo' flesh crawl fer ter hear him cuss, caze he say de spekilater w'at he got Tenie fum had fooled 'im by wukkin' a crazy 'oman off on him.
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