3

Frank Coffee - Alabama 3

dey fight de dogs.

"One night three uv us niggers started out coon huntin' with
four dogs. Dey treed a coon and we got permission from Mr. English,
who owned de land, to cut down de tree. 'Bout dat time some white
folks come up with ten dogs. When we got Mr. Coon down, he wuz mad
as everything. We'd hold all de dogs 'ceptin'one and we'd let him
and de coon fight. That coon whipped all fourteen uv de dogs and one
uv dem won't never hunt no more coons. When he whipped de las' one
and sent him howlin' off through the woods, dat coon jes' walked up
to de tree and set down like he wuz wantin' more dogs to whip. Iffen
we hadn' finally killed dat coon with de ax, he mighta whipped us."

Frank settled back, seemingly enjoying fond memories. I said to
him "Frank, did you ever see a ghost?"

Quickly he replied: "I never seed a ghost in all mylife." His eyes
rolled then, unwittingly, Frank Coffee propounded what might be taken
as sound philosophy. He said: "It's this way, Missus. I never have
looked for ghosts; and people have to hunt ghosts 'fore dey can see any."

I left Frank Coffee then; but I haven't forgotten what he said.

1/30/39

S.J.