78
Oklahoma ?Ii‘iterst Project
whut whipped nie to make me call him niaster, well, he whipped i~y mamma. He tied. her to a tree and. beat her unn~erciful and. cut her tender parts. I don‘t know why he tied. her to that tree.

	The first time you. was caught trying to read or write, you was whipped with a cow~‘hide, the next time with a cat—o~‘nine tails ai~d the third time they cut the first jint offen your forefinger. They was very severe. You most allus got 30 and 9 lashes.

	They carried. news from one plantation by whut they call relay. Iffen you was caught ‚ they whipped you till you said, “Oh ‚ pray Ma“ One day a man gitt ing whipped was saying Oh pray mas t er ‚ Lord have mercy!“ They‘ d say “Keep whipping tlat nigger Goddamn him.“ He was whipped till he said,“Oh pray Master, I gotta nuff. „ Then they said, “Let him up now, ~ cause h‘ ~ praying to the right man.~~

	w~. father was the preacher and. an educated. man. You know the sermon they give hirn to preach? ~ Servant, Obey Yo~ur vaster. Our favorite baptizing hymn was On Jordants Stormy sank I Stand. My favorite song is Nobody Xnows the Trouble Itve Seen.

	Oh, them patrollers! They had a chief an& he glttem together and iffen they caught you without a pass and. sometimes with a pass, they‘d beat you. But iffen you had a pass, they had. to answer to the law. One old niaster had two slave s ‚ brothers ‚ on hi s place • They was both preacher s • Mitchell was a bardehell BaIi~i st and. Andrew was a Miss tonary Bapti et . One ~ay the patroller chief was rambling thoot the place and. found some letters writ to Mitchell and. Andrew. He went to the master and. said, ~ you know you had some niggers that could read. and. write?“ Master said., “No, but I might have, who do you ~ spect? „ The patroller answered ‚ “Mi tchell and. Andrew. ~ The old. master said., ‘tI never knowed. Andrew to tell me a lie Ibout nothing!“