Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-02-20

not only ter his own black ones, but
whenebor any oh de folks on de
places all round git ter der mean
ness, a-givin' trouble to dc ober.
scorers, an der white folks, all dat
dey marsters halter do wus jist ter
threaten dem wild sellin' dem ter dat
man-dat wus a gentler-you can
know.
Gle wus trader, what wus called
in dem days nigger trader, an he
got rich, big rich, too, by takin'
droves off to Massasip an oder fur
rim countries. Now, ole master, he
wus a powerful tender-hearted man {;
an | bleve he would hab done mos
any way ruther dan sell any Oh his
folks to Mr.. Rance, but he uster
threaten Sam, and ter tell de truf, l
didn't blame him, kase dat Sam wus
dc out-doinest niger dat eber libed
on plantation. He des would run
away, an steal, an do eberting else
dat right mean nigger kin hatch
up ter do, an dat is sayin' heap, I
kin tell yer. Well, Sam, he kept on
wild his devitry, but ole marster he
past hit by, but hit all come home to
Sam in de end, fur when ole marster
die and de state halter be settle up
an vided, den Sam an sum Oh de
odders hab ter be sole. | wus wiled
to Marse Charlie long time ergo, jist
as done tole yer. Well, when de
day cum fer de sale, mono ob de
chullen wanted Sam, dey membered
his meanness too well. He run
around ter fust one, den anoder ob
dem, an he begged, an he begged,
fust dis one, an den dat one ter buy
him; but doy all say, NO, Sam, yer
too troublesome so he wus put up
on de block, an de auction man, he
say: Now, who's gwine ter give me
twelve hundred dollars fur dis fine
yaller, carpenter nigger-de finest
carpenter in de whole naborhood p
(Which was de truff, ebery word oh
hit, fur he wus all dat,) an den de
bidden commence. Dere wus seve-
raj of dem traders men at de sale, an
de hidden hit went on powerful
peart. Arter while Sam was knocked
down ter ole man Rance. He wanted
Sam an he outbid all de odders. He
knowcd dat such a likely darkey
would fetch fine price. But fore
de Lord, you jst ortcr seed Sam.
He turnt ashley, he did, an he drapt
dat sassy head OBJ hisen, an he
neber look up agin, but jist sot dar
an ncber open his mouff till he went
off in ole RANGES waggin.
"Next mawnin', bout daylite,
Marse Charlie, he cum tarring out
ter my house an he say, Git up,
Uncle Caesar, quick; saddle Firchy
fur me; Sam done run away, an all
de nabors are out ind de dorgs to
hunt him (By dc dorgs he meant
dc blood hounds dat ole Rance alters
kept to hunt runaway niggers), an
he allus had some on the go-hc did.
'Dey is bound ter kctch him. Marse
Charlie said, as | wus ketching de
horse, che has only been gone bout
two hours
81 he'd dat horse saddlcd quicker
dan lightenin', and den l says,
'Marse Charlie, let me kctch Selim,
an go cr long, too; you mought git
hurted ridin' so fast, an hit would
be best ter hab somebody ind yer.
(1'lcss yer sole, boss, Ide most el
died cf he halter say no, but l wus
dat anxious ter get in de racc), SC
when he nodded he head, hit didn't
tcck but half mint ter git dem
horses ready, an off we went, lack
dc win. We conld here de harkin
ob dem orful dorgs, an we knowed
by dc way dey went on dat dcy wus
on a hot tralc, an me an Marsc
Charlie was feared by de racket
dcy wus maxim dat we were gwintc,
miss de fun Oh sccin' him kotchcd
an here we went, plinkcrty plank
Marsc Charlie in de frunt, me or
Sclim jst at his heels.
"I tell yer, boss, dem wus hosscs
sure huff; we jist flew, an jst as
dc sun wus risin' we obcrtook dc
crowd whnt had collected frum al
around, an we jincd in, and here We
went; dc dorgs lcadin' de way wiC
noses ter de groun', dcrc tales curlct
obcr dcrc backs, an barkin' cbcry
step. Ole man Rance, on his oil,
black nag, wus long, too, but he wu
gettin' on in years, an he kept fallin
behind de yungcr men, but he KEEP
hollcrin' every now an then, 'Kctcl
de dem raskil !; kctch him, | say.
We wus coming to dc ole music
groun', which wus great big opcl
place, an knowcd right away G
dat runaway nigger tried ter eros
dat field. he wus a pOncr. De d0r0