Oklahoma Writers‘ Project . .‚	—2~~‘	89




Mistress say I been mean.

	One time I te].]. him, you better pu~t me in your pocket (sell me), Master Jim, else I‘se going rim away1. He à.on‘t pay no mind., and I don~t try to run away ~ cause of the whips .

	I done see one whipping and. timt enoi~gh. They wa~ntt no fooling about it. A runaway slave from the Jenkin1s plantation was broi.ight back, and. there was a public whipping, sois the slaves could. see what happens when they tries to get away.

	The runaway was chained to the whipping post, and I was full of mi sery when I see the lash cutting d.eep into that boy‘ ~ ~k±ii, He swell up like a dead. horse, but he gets over it, only he was never no count for work no more,

	while Master Jim is out fighting the Yanks, the Mistress is. fiddling round with a neighbor man, Mister Headsmith. I is young then, but I knows enongh that Master Jim‘ ~ going be mighty mad when he hears about it.

	The Mistress didn‘t know I knows her secret, and Vin fixing to even up for some of them whippings she put off on me. That‘s w1~y. I tell Master Jim next ~time he come home.

	See that crack in the wall? Master Jim say yes, and I say, its just like the open door when the eyes are close to the wall. He peek and see into the bedroom.

	Thatts how I find. out àbout the Mistress and. Mister Head.smith, I tells him, and I see hets getting mad.
.	.	What you mean? And. Master Jim g~‘abs~me hard by the arm like I was

trying to get away.	.
	‚	I . see them ‚ in the bed. ~ ~ .	.	. ~

That1 s all I say. The Demon‘ s got him and Master Jim tears out of