"Now, dis yer Hannibal was a monst'us sma't nigger, en w'en he got rid
er dem so' feet, his min' kep' runnin' on 'is udder troubles. Heah
th'ee er fo' weeks befo' he 'd had a' easy job, waitin' on de w'ite
folks, libbin' off'n de fat er de lan', en promus' de fines' gal on de
plantation fer a wife in de spring, en now heah he wuz back in de
co'n-fiel, wid de oberseah a-cussin' en a-r'arin' ef he did n' get a
ha'd tas' done; wid nuffin but co'n bread en bacon en merlasses ter eat;
en all de fiel'-han's makin' rema'ks, en pokin' fun at 'im 'ca'se he'd
be'n sont back fum de big house ter de fiel'. En de mo' Hannibal studied
'bout it de mo' madder he got, 'tel he fin'lly swo' he wuz gwine ter git
eben wid Jeff en Chloe, ef it wuz de las' ac'.
"So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de co'n
up close ter de big house, 'tel he see Chloe gwine down de road. He
waylaid her, en sezee:--
"'Hoddy, Chloe?'
"'I ain' got no time fer ter fool wid fiel'-han's,' sez Chloe, tossin'
her head; 'w'at you want wid me, Hot-Foot?'
"'I wants ter know how you en Jeff is gittin' 'long.
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