Ok1ab~ma Writers1 Project	-.4—	347



tied them all in th wagon, and when they had seen the hanging he asked them if they was scared of them dead. men hanging up there • They ail said yes ~‚ of course, but ~ old tincle Nick was a bail Negro and he said, “No, I amt ar‘feared. of them nor nothing else in this world.“ ‚ and. old. Mas ter ji~ ed. on him whi le he was tied. and. beat him wi th a rope ‚ ~xid then when they got home he tied. old. Nick to a tree axid. took hie shirt off and. poared the cat—o—~inetails to him until he fainted away and. fell over like he was dead.

	I never forget seeing all that blood all over5uq‘ uncle, and if I could hate that old. Indian any n~ re I g~xess I would ‚ but I hated hisi all I could already I reckon.

	Old Master wasntt the only hellion neither. Old. Mistress just as bad., and~ she took most of her wrath out hitting us children all the tin~• She WaS afraid of the grown Negroés. Mraid. of what they might do while old. Master was away, but she beat us children all the time.

	She would. call me ‚ N Come here Auniel „ and I would.n~ t know what to do. If I went when she called. “Annie“ my i~mmy would beat me for answering to that name ‚ and if I dith~ ~ t go old Iii stress wo~].d. beat me for that • That made me hate both of them, and. I got the devil in me and. I wouldntt come to either one. My grandmam~ minded the Maeter~s yard, and. she set on the front porch ail the time, and. when I was called I would run to her and she wouldn ~ t let anybody touch me.

	When I was eight yeare old old Mistress died, and. Grandmanm~ told me iby old Mistress picked. on me so • She told. me about me being half Mister ~e&t s blood., Then I knowed. why Mister Ned. would. say, “Let her along, she got big, big blood. in her“ ‚ and. then laugh.