~1abaxna	- 3	29



Boon an‘ put me under de shade of a big ol‘ post~oak tree. Dere I sat all day, an‘ dat tree was my nurse.. It still standin‘ dere ylt, an‘ I won‘t let nobody out it down.

	“Mammy ~ay I never did learn to walk; jes‘ one day she sot me down under de oak, an‘ fust thing she knowed she look up an‘ dere I was walkin‘ down de middle of a cotton row.

	NtNother thing I ‘members when I was a little boy; dat dey was ‘vidin‘ de corn atter de s‘render. Dr. DeGraffenreid measured de corn out to all of ‘em whut was share han‘s. He‘d take a bushel an‘ give ‘em a bushel. When he mos‘ through he‘d throw a ear of corn to dis one, an‘ give himse‘f a ear; den he break a ear in two, an‘ he take part an‘ give dein part . Dat was close measurin ‚ ~ I t eli you.

	“Us lived in de third house frum de big house in de quarter, an‘ Ythen I was a boy it was my job to set out shade trees. An‘ one day de lu K1~~ come ridin‘ by an‘ dey leader was Mister 5tSve Renfroe, (Alabama bandit of Reconstruction days). He wore long hair an‘ he call my pappy out an‘ ax him a heap of questions. WhIle he sittin‘ dere his horse pull up nigh ‘bout all de trees I done sot out.

~	“Atter talk±n‘ to my pappy, he rode on ‘cross H~rn‘g bridge, ‘bout t?7O miles souf of here, an‘ dere he met 01‘ Man Enoch Sledge an‘ Frank Sledge Dey was darkies whut b‘longed. to Marsa Simmy Sledge‘s father, ~it Doctor Sledge. Slaves on dat plantation was ‘lowed pretty good pri‘ ~1lIege atter de s‘rrender an‘ was workin‘ on halveris. Uncle Enock an‘ ?r~nk was in town tradin‘ some ‚ an‘ Mr. Renfroe d‘ t want ‚ ein to have ~r1Ything. When dey lef‘ town, dey pass de K~ Kiuxes raght on de slough bricl.ge. Mister Rerifroe ax Eriock to give hi1~‘a piece of string to fix ht8 saddle wid; den shot him. Frank run to de river, but de Ku Kiuxes ~ ~tOched him an‘ shot him, too.