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Nobody won't come to de quarter and tote folks away to de swamp when you around." "Who did it?" asked Marcy. Morris laughed as he had not laughed before since Marcy went away. "Now listen at you," said he. "How you reckon a pore niggah know who done it? Everybody afraid of de niggahs now-days; everybody 'cepting de Union folks. Going get 'nother oberseer, Marse Marcy?" "Yes.
"Well massa, you see I would like to do it mighty well; but I live six miles back, and there's so many chiller bout dare, and all the house servants dey can't be trusted. Our oberseer he's a black man, but he do any ting massa say. I don't dare trust him, and if dey kotch me, dey'd hang me, sure. But ders a collored fellah up the road, 'Free Mitchell, he'll keep you if you get dere."
But den, honey, he ain't no born gemmun, nohow; he's jes only er oberseer wat made 'im er little money, an' bought 'im er few niggers; an', I tells yer, he makes 'em wuck, too; we'se got ter be in de fiel' long fo' day; an' I ober-slep mysef tudder mornin' an he Wuz cussin' an' er gwine on, an' 'lowed he wuz gwine ter whup me, an' so I des up an' runned erway fum 'im, an' now I'se skyeert ter go back; an', let erlone dat, I'se skyeert ter stay; caze, efn he gits Mr.
But Courtland had winning ways with all dependents. "But you will answer me ONE question, Sophy, and I'll not ask another. Has" he hesitated in his still uncertainty as to the actuality of his experience and its probable extent "has Cato escaped?" "If yo' mean dat sassy, bull-nigger oberseer of yo'se, cunnle, HE'S safe, yo' bet!" returned Sophy sharply.
He had lots an' lots of money. I doan know how many acres in his plantation, but he had more'n 50 slaves. "When Marse Cassedy was gone, his oberseer would be hard on de slaves, but Marse Cassedy would tell him not to be too hard. He never 'lowed his driver to draw de blood when dey whupped. He fed his slaves. Dey all had gardens and he tuk care of us. He had money in every one of us.
I said, for Margaret kept silent. "And de oberseer, he say leastways he swore, he did dat his will should be done on dis plantation, and he wouldn't have no such work. He say, der's nobody to come togedder after it be dark, if it's two or t'ree, 'cept dey gets his leave, Mass' Ed'ards, he say; and dey won't get it." "But what did he do to Darry?"
"De Lo'd hab us in his holy keeping!" ejaculated Quin, reverently, as he raised his eyes towards heaven. "Do you know them?" asked Dan. "One of dem's Massa Longworth; don't know de oder," replied Quin, his teeth chattering as though he had been suddenly seized with the ague. "Who is he?" "De oberseer on de plantation next to ole massa's."
Dere was old Lady Sally an' her six chullun an' old Jake, her husban', de ox driver, fer de boss. Den dere was old Starlin', Rose, his wife an' fo' chullun. Some of dem was mixed blood by de oberseer. I sees 'em right now. I knowed de oberseer was nothin' but po' white trash, jes a tramp. Den dere was me an' Katherin. Old Lady Sally cooked for de oberseers, seven miles 'way frum de Big House.
He neber did no wrong; he allers 'bey'd his massa, and he neber said no hard word, nor found no fault, not eben w'en de cruel, bad oberseer put de load so heaby on him dat it kill him. Yes, my bredderin and sisters, he hab gone to de Lord; gone whar dey don't work in de swamps; whar de little chil'ren don't tote de big shingles fru de water up to dar knees.
'Sam, har, my children, war wicked, but don't we pity him; don't we tink he had a hard time, and don't we tink de bad oberseer, who'm layin' dar in de house jess ready to gwo and answer for it don't we tink he gabe Sam bery great probincation? 'Dat's so, said a dozen of the auditors. 'Den don't you 'spose dat de blessed Lord know all dat, and dat He pity Sam too?
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