'
'Why did Sam run away?'
''Cause de Oberseer flog him. He use him bery hard, massa.'
'What had Sam done?'
'Nuffin', massa.'
'Then why was he flogged? Did the Colonel know it?'
'Oh, yas; Moye cum de possum ober de Cunnel, and make him b'lieve Sam
war bad. De Cunnel dunno de hull ob dat story.'
'Why didn't _you_ tell him? The Colonel trusts you.'
'Twudn't hab dun no good; de Cunnel wud hab flogged _me_ for tellin' on
a wite man. Nigga's word ain't ob no account.'
'What is the story about Sam?'
'You won't tell dat _I_ tole you, massa?'
'No, but I'll tell the Colonel the truth.'
'Wal den, sar, you see Sam's wife am bery good-lookin', her skin's most
wite,--her mudder war a mulatter, her fader a wite man,--she lub'd Sam
'bout as well as de wimmin ginrally lub dar husbands,' (Jim was a
bachelor, and his observation of plantation morals had given him but
little faith in the sex), 'but most ob 'em, ef dey'm married or no, tink
dey must smile on de wite men, so Jule she smiled on de Oberseer,--so
Sam tought,--and it made him bery jealous. He war sort o' sassy, and de
Oberseer strung him up and flog him bery hard. Den Sam took to de swamp,
but he didn't know whar to gwo, and de dogs tracked him; he'd ha' got
'way dough ef de Oberseer hadn't shot him; den he cudn't run.
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