10

10

"Den one day Massa say, 'George, yuh gotta go be Cap'n
Potter's bodyguard.' I don't wants tuh go but I hab tuh. We
leab wid duh train an' goes 'way up duh coun'ry.

"I lak duh fust two days; us ain't done nuffin' but sleep
an' tend duh horse. Nex' day though I heah some bullets. Dey
go P-I-N-G. Den duh horns blow an' Cap'n Potter say, 'George
git muh horse quick!' 'Bout dat time I heah a big bullet go
ssssh-sh-boom! boom! -- Dey gits so loud yuh ain't heah duh
little 'uns a'tall. I say, 'Cap'n Potter, I can't stay heah I
gotta go home.' Cap'n Potter say, 'George yuh is five hun'ent
miles from home, an' yuh gotta stay!' He say, 'Yuh gwine tuh see
wusser'n dis!' But he warn't talk'n a'tall.

"I run 'way an' jine a wagon train. I see a off'cer I knows.
He say, 'Nigger, whar is Tom Potter?' I tol' 'im I ain't know.
Den he say 'Yuh bettuh by a damn sight fin' 'im.'

"I drop behind but I keep right on gwin'. W'en it gits
dark I'se freez'n. I go in duh woods an' see some hogs. I run 'em
out an' crawls in dey warm bed an' kivers up wid duh pine straw
an' go tuh sleep.

"Atta I wake up I starts walkin'. Atta while I comes tuh
Jonesboro. I slips roun' an' git in duh coach an' hide under
duh bench. W'en duh train git ready tuh leab it is plum full ob
folkses gitt'n 'way from dey coun'ry 'cause Shurmen is comm'n. I
rides 'til I heah 'em holler 'Macon, Georgia.'

"Den I scoot out from under dat bench fast as I could. Eb'ry
body hollers 'Look at dat nigger! Look at dat nigger!' Dey
started atta me but I run fast an' dere wuz so many folks roun'

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