off him.

"Us didn't have no church in de country for Niggers, an' dey went to
church wid deir white folkses, if dey went a tall. De white folks sot in
front, an' de Niggers sot in de back. All de time dat overseer wuz right
dar wid his gun. When dey baptized de Niggers dey tuk 'em down to de
river and plunged 'em in, while dem what had done been baptized sang:
"Dar's a Love Feast in Heb'en Today."

"Yes Ma'am, de white folkses had deir cemetery, an' dey had one for de
slaves. When dere wuz a funeral 'mong de Niggers us sung:

'Dark was de night
And cold was de groun'
Whar my Marster was laid
De drops of sweat
Lak blood run down
In agony He prayed.'

"Dem coffins sho' wuz mournful lookin' things, made out of pine boa'ds
an' painted wid lampblack; dey wuz black as de night. Dey wuz big at de
head an' little at de foot, sort a lak airplanes is. De inside wuz lined
wid white clawf, what dey spun on de plantation.

"De patterollers wuz right on dey job. Slaves use' to frame up on 'em if
dey knowed whar dey wuz hidin', 'waitin' to cotch a Nigger. Dey would
git hot ashes an' dash over 'em, an' dem patterollers dey sho' would
run, but de slaves would git worse dan dat, if dey was cotched.

"Miss, in slav'ry time when Niggers come from de fields at night dey