The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-11-09

him not ter, but on he went an we crouched down an watchei the outcome 1t want long in comin'. De man he sorter jumped wen he seed my brur an snatched de thing oen his shoulder, hiP 1t out an den dar come CT awful noise wid smoke. De smoke cl'ared erway vile we crouched down closer an closer an den seed brudder tumblin' an over on de leaves an blood spurtin' outen his head. Den sister-mighty tender hearted she wuz too-jumped up an run ter brur an all at once de man he snatched suthin' outen his belt didn' know whut belt wuz den-an' den dar come CT nudder noise almos e loud ez de fust De smoke cl'ared erway an dar laid sister, dead. Den erway an got in de holler. Putty soon nanny she come, an wen we tole her w'ut had happened she cried awful she did, an didn' sleep none dat night. De naixt mornin' she lowed dat she had ter go out an she gunter climb down wen bang went CT nudder awful noise an mammy laid dead at de foot O de tree. Oh, dat CT sw- ful day. All O us wuz killed but me. I crouched down in de hoer an didn git out till de nsixt day Den come out ter git suthin' ter eat. wuz all by myself I didn know whut ter do Er sadness filled my heart. De outlines in de woods an de laughnness in de runnin' water wuz dun gone. De birds whut had sung so sweet befo' wuz hushed up now an eben de cry O de hawk dat sailed 'way
 
 some. stood on de bank O de creek I didn' know which way ter go. De fox run outen de hole un'er de buf, parked an galloped erway an eben de pa ole rabbit dat had alus laughed at, peercd ter enjoy hisse'f. De sparrer-hawk sailed roun' am roun De ole owl huttered in de top O or sycamore at night heared CT strange song, an lissened close; an den crept long come ter house-er cabin-didn' know whut it meant den . brurs an sisters DA wuz singin' CT song an wuz happy All at once got mad l neber wuz mad befo'. When my people wuz killed l didn' know how ter git mad, it wuz 30 strange; but got mad wen 1 stood dar7-er ruther wen got down on de groun' dar-an' seed dem folks laughin an talkin' DAr I wuz, all by myself. Outside all wuz dark. De tops O de trees, wavin in de wind, went hoo O. ho o-o-o, an de fire inside snapped wid CT sort O good feelin'-'chup, chup, chup it said, blazin' all de time De big back klog laid dar, wid de fire runnin' up 'longside O it, an de light wood snapped an de backlog grunted. thought O my people dat wuz desd-o' my brur dat had lounced on de dead leaves O my nanny dat wuz killed an said ter merse'f dat could slip in an spie all dat happiness. l slipped in wuz aimin' ter jump on de main man. All at once CT young pusson cried out. De joy wuz stopped de man grabbed his-it wuz CT gun-an' den stood dar, facin' him. Thinks l. 'Whut is he gwine ter do? Oats de thing dat killed my folks. Ken it kill me2 Did da feel any pain wen dem bad folks done dar work wid it? Whut he holdin' it out dat way furp He kain't reach me wid itP I yeard CT noise-I think yeard it-but den dar wuz-wuz-nothin'."
 1t 'peared ter me dat tuck CT long nap" the old negro continued, after pause. "It 'peared ter me dat fur CT long time somebody wuz tryin' ter wake me, but dat wuz drowsy, an couldn' be woke. Den CT light gunter glimmer, sorter. All 'round me wuz CT awful dark night, an hip out my hans towards de light. It growed brighter an brighter an, all At once lay on ar bed. l Yered CT song