Part 21 (1/2)

”Was it you, Daddy?” asked Dumps.

”Wy, no, honey, hit wan't me, hit wuz my forecisters.”

”What's a forecister, Daddy?” asked Diddie, rather curious about the relations.h.i.+p.

”Yer forecisters,” explained Daddy, ”is dem uv yer _way back folks_, wat's born'd fo' you is yerse'f, an' fo' yer pa is. Now, like my ole marster, yer pa's gran'pa, wat riz me in ole Furginny, he's you chil'en's forecister; an' dis n.i.g.g.e.r wat I'm tellin' yer 'bout'n, he waz my _fuss forecister_; an' dats' de way dat I've allers hyearn dat he come ter be black, an' his hyar kinky; an' I b'lieves. .h.i.t, too, caze er n.i.g.g.e.r's de sleepies'-headed critter dey is; an' den, 'sides dat, I've seed er heap er n.i.g.g.e.rs in my time, but I ain't nuber seed dat n.i.g.g.e.r yit wat's wite, an' got straight hyar on his head.

”Now I ain't er talkin' 'bout'n _murlatters_, caze dey ain't no reg'lar folks 'tall; dey's des er mixtry. Dey ain't wite, an' dey ain't black, an' dey ain't nuffin'; dey's des de same kin' er _folks_ ez de muel is er _horse_!

”An' den dar's Injuns; dey's ergin ernudder kin' er folks.

”I usen ter hyear 'em say dat de deb'l made de fuss Injun. He seed de Lord er makin' folks, an' he 'lowed he'd make him some; so he got up his dut and his water, an' all his 'grejunces, an' he went ter wuck; an'

wedder he cooked him too long, or wedder he put in too much red clay fur de water wat he had, wy, I ain't nuber hyeard; but den I knows de deb'l made 'im, caze I allers hyearn so; an', mo'n dat, I done seed 'em fo'

now, an' dey got mighty dev'lish ways. I wuz wid yer gran'pa at Fort Mimms, down erbout Mobile, an' I seed 'em killin' folks an' sculpin' uv 'em; an, mo'n dat, ef'n I hadn't er crope under er log, an' flattent myse'f out like er allergator, dey'd er got me; an' den, ergin, dey don't talk like no folks. I met er Injun one time in de road, an' I axed 'im wuz he de man wat kilt an' sculpt Sis Leah, wat usen ter b'longst ter yer gran'pa, an' wat de Injuns kilt. I axt 'im 'ticklur, caze I had my axe erlong, an' ef'n he wuz de man, I 'lowed fur ter lay him out.

But, bless yer life, chile, he went on fur ter say,

”'Ump, ump, kinterlosha wannycoola tusky n.o.ba, inickskymuncha fluxkerscenuck kintergunter skoop.'

”An' wen he sed dat, I tuck'n lef' him, caze I seed hit wouldn't do fur ter fool 'long him; an', mo'n dat, he 'gun fur ter s.h.i.+ne his eyes out, an' so I des off wid my hat, an' scrope my lef' foot, an' said, 'Good ebenin', marster, same ez ef he wuz er wite man; an' den I tuck thu de woods tell I come ter de fork-han' een' er de road, an' I eberlastin'

dusted fum dar! I put deze feets in motion, yer hyeard me! an' I kep'

'em er gwine, too, tell I come ter de outskwirts uv de quarters; an'

eber sence den I ain't stopped no Injun wat I sees in de road, an' I ain't meddled 'long o' who kilt Sis Leah, nudder, caze she's ben in glory deze fifty years or mo', an' hit's all one to her now who sculpt her.”

But now, as it was getting late, Daddy said he was afraid to stay out in the night air, as it sometimes ”gun him de rheumatiz,” and wound up his remarks by saying,

”Tell yer ma I'm mighty 'bleeged fur de cake an' drinkin's, an' weneber yer gits de time, an' kin come down hyear any ebenin', de ole man he'll 'struck yer, caze he's gwine erway fo' long, an' dem things wat he knows is...o...b..knownst ter de mos' uv folks.”

”Where are you going, Daddy,” asked Diddie.

”I gwine ter de 'kingdum,' honey, an' de Lord knows. .h.i.t's time; I ben hyear long ernuff; but hit's 'bout time fur me ter be er startin' now, caze las' Sat'dy wuz er week gone I wuz er stretchin' my ole legs in de fiel', an' er rabbit run right ercross de road foreninst me, an' I knowed 'twuz er sho' sign uv er death; an' den, night fo' las', de scritch-owls wuz er talkin' ter one ernudder right close ter my do', an'

I knowed de time wuz come fur de ole n.i.g.g.e.r ter take dat trip; so, ef'n yer wants him ter 'struck yer, yer'd better be er ten'in' ter it, caze wen de Lord sen's fur 'im he's er _gwine_.”

The children were very much awed at Daddy's forebodings, and Dumps insisted on shaking hands with him, as she felt that she would probably never see him again, and they all bade him good-night, and started for the house.

”Miss Diddie, did you know ole Daddy wuz er _trick_ n.i.g.g.e.r?” asked Dilsey, as they left the old man's cabin.

”What's er trick n.i.g.g.e.r?” asked Dumps.

”Wy, don't yer know, Miss Dumps? Trick n.i.g.g.e.rs dey ties up snakes' toofs an' frogs' eyes an' birds' claws, an' all kineter charms; an' den, wen dey gits mad 'long o' folks, dey puts dem little bags under dey do's, or in de road somewhar, whar dey'll hatter pa.s.s, an' dem folks wat steps ober 'em den dey's _tricked_; an' dey gits sick, an' dey can't sleep uv nights, an' dey chickens all dies, an' dey can't nuber hab no luck nor nuf'n tell de tricks is tuck off. Didn't yer hyear wat he said 'bout'n de snakes? an' de folks all sez ez how ole Daddy is er trick n.i.g.g.e.r, an'

dat's wat makes him don't die.”

”Well, I wish I was a trick n.i.g.g.e.r, then,” remarked Dumps, gravely.

”Lordy, Miss Dumps, yer'd better not be er talkin' like dat,” said Dilsey, her eyes open wide in horror. ”Hit's pow'ful wicked ter be trick n.i.g.g.e.rs.”

”I don't know what's the matter with Dumps,” said Diddie; ”she's gettin' ter be so sinful; an' ef she don't stop it, I sha'n't sleep with her. She'll be er breakin' out with the measles or sump'n some uv these days, jes fur er judgment on her; an' I don't want ter be catchin' no judgments just on account of her badness.”