How old was I? Well, I reckon I was about fourteen.
You see, honey, I never could read or write, but I can count, and I can
remember--Lawdy! how I can remember. Well, there I was on the block,
just scairt and shivering--I was just cold all over--and them there
nigger traders was jest a talkin', when down that long lane came Massa
Sid, and I'm tellin' you, it was the Dear Lawd that sent him. He was a
ridin' on his hoss, and he stopped right in front of me, standing there
on the block. He looked at his boys, then he turned to them nigger
traders and yelled out, "What you all doin' here?" The boys told him
there was just so many niggers on the place, and they wanted some money
and when the nigger traders come along they thought they would sell a
few niggers. Honey, I'm tellin' you, Massa Sid turned to them nigger
traders and said, "you nigger traders get out of here. These are my
niggers and I don't sell niggers. I can feed them all, I don't want any
help." He grabbed me right off of the block and put me on the hoss in
front of him and set me down in front of my cabin. Sceered, oh Lawdy I
was sceered! No, suh, Massa Sid never sold no niggers."
"I must tell you about what happened one night while we were all there
in the camp. One of the massa's boys that loved my uncle, came crawling
on all fours, just like a pig, into camp.
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