The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24
DEFENDED HIM.

DEFENDED HIM.
 An old negro stood under tree muttering "1 ain't gwine let no pus- son talk ergin de man dat l wucks fur. Folks desc days think da ain't got nuthin' ter do but talk bad bout de bes' people in de 'munity."
 "What are you talking about, Simp- son?" asked the planter for whom the negro was working. He had come up and had heard the old negro's mutter- ipgs.
 "Good mawnin', Mir. Clay; good mawnin', sah. Wy. how'd you git up we're so clost widout CT body knowin' it? Step up easier'n any man putty nigh neber seed"
 What were you talking to yourself about just now, Simpson,"
 "Oh, nothin' much, sah, nothin' much. .Ies' hearn some folks talkin' up ter town yistidy, an'-wall, l sorter got inter trouble wid 'em."
 "Who were they talking about?"
 "I doan like ter tell you, boss"
 "But you must tell me. Out with it."
 "Gwine make me tell whudder UT no?"
 "Yes, you must tell me"
 "Wall, now, doan wanter tell, you un'erstsn'; but ef de wust hit comes, wy, I reckon natter tell. Da wuz talkin' erbout yo'se'f, sah'
 "Talking about mel" the planter exclaimed.
 "Yas, sah, dat's whut da wuz doin'."
 "What did they say?"
 "Now, I 'clar' ter goodness Oooking down and leaning heavily against the tree) dat l does hate ter be showed in sich CT manner ez dis we're, 'caze Ps 'feerd no good gwine come outen sich CT Nazus ez dis"
 "Out with 1t, old man. Tell me what they said"
 "Wall, sah, l wuz standin' on de cornaw O de street up dar in town an two white genermen come up an gunter talk, not payin' no 'tention ter me. Jim Clay doan ermount ter nuthin,' says one O 'em. T uster think he wuzer hones' man, but wouldn' trus' him now much farder den CT goose could kick CT watermilon. Tends ter hep de niggers down dar wid dar church, but all he want is ter git holt O whut little money da got Den de udder man he say T has allus hearn it said dat CT coward would beat you eveI'way he could, an know it's dat way in Clay's place. He wouldn' fight flea but he would steal steer'"
 "Who were the internal villians?"
 "Wait CT mint. Den I stepped up, I did. 'Genermen, says I, 'you's talkin' bout CT pusson dat's CT mighty good frien' O mine an CT man dat hab done mo fur de niggers den any man in de 'muDity; so ef yer please doan talk erbout him no mo- 'G'way rum yere, you trifiin' black scoun'rel,' says one O de men. It's all right ter call me CT scoun'rei,' says I, 'oaze I doan kere, bein' ez we doan run in de same s'ciety nohow, but ef yer gwine ter talk bout Mir. Clay, one O de bes' men dat eber libed, wy you natter go 'way summers whar kaint yerc you.' Den one O lem he hauled off an hit me, he did, an de udder one he kicked me, he did, an den CT crowd got erroun' an stood up 3aT sE' ':io1Scc3 der: n:c: fur all da wuz wuth. Oats erbout all dar wuz O hit aR Ts mighty sorry dat you hearn me talkin' ter merse'f, fur didn' hab no notion O teIliR yer bout hit"
 Now, Simpson, tell me who those men were"
 "I sw'ar I won't do dat-I jes' sw'sr it, 'caze I didn' bring erbont dis thing in de fust place, am, sides dat, I ain't CT man dat likes ter see trouble. Wy, Mars Clay, I would1 tell you who dem men wuz eff you'd offer ter gin me dat fine heifer yander-I jes' ain't gwine do 1t. I's wiIiin' ter fight fur you, ah, an gin de lie to all islanders,