The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-08

CHO Bury 'em in swamps,"
y voice said. Who cares? Yo'
nothin' but a niger"
Should a-taken care O. dat boy"
said another. Hit ain right to lie.
EN- die lax dat"
''Niggers got no rights. Mules
got rights. Mules cost money"
the first voice said bitterly.
Should a-taken care O. dat boy,
q third voice said with deep con-
viction. prison Commission SEE
dey gotter tex care o. you if you's
sick"
HOW INSPECTORS WORK
Yeah. Prison Commission SEE
de doctor gotter be here wen dey
punish you, too"
Somebody oughter write 'em
bout dis boy"
Yeah? An dey'H SEN in
spectOr an he'll report Con got
Gle bes' treatment. De Cap'n an
de doctor'll say de same. An
wen dats over you'll wish you
was out dey wild Con-
Yeah. Nothin' to do 'cept wuk
out 20 time-or die out"
"Or run out"
AN git ketched an put in de
sweat box"
Lots O convicts run out"
Yeah. Whey? Tell me dat?
Whey dey run?"
"Houn' dogs on Ian an wild
cats in de swamps."
Yeah. Dey ain no 'scape TO
niggers."
pUT even TO think of escape makes
~ it easier when the guard curses
and the sweat dribbles down your
body while you bend and rise, bend
and rise, fourteen shovelSful to the \
minute, hour after hour, under a
tropic sun. Shackles are off and
free body runs in the fields, in the
fields, in the SWamps, on the high
way, hunted by man and dogs
but-free.
In the noon period Ebenezer
dropped tiredly beside David at the
roadside and stared morosely at
the spikes.
81 got de blues" he said.
The boy nodded sympathetically.
I'D lax ter see my two chillun,
but doan even know whey dey is"
David did not answer.
Il could fine EN- if 1 was out"
THERE OUGHT TO BE TWO
The suns glare hurt the boys
eyes and he covered them with his
hat. The guard and the walking
boss sat with their backs to tree,
watching the convicts.
Mules grazed on the scared grass.
Il foun' EN- once Wen I run out
an 1 kin do hit again"
"You got tub run out fus"
"Dey oughter be two wen you
run out--one to watch Wen de
others sleepin'."
DAVID turned on his side to look
at him. Ebenezer's eyes were
bright.
"Ain' no use. You'd git ketched
an beat half tub DEATH
mot if 1 meks de swampS at
night. know swamps. 1 lived in
'em till was man-size. Dey ain
nobody kin fine me in swamp in
de dark Nobody. Not even a
houn' dog. An by sunup I'd be
whey dey couldn't fine me even in
daytime"
"Yeah2 Yo' big trouble is
mekkin' de swamps."
Il got dat all figgered out"
The boy raised himself on an
elbow to look with startled interest
at him.
81 got steel file-f'um de black
smith shelter"
whey yo got hit?" the boy
breathed excitedly.
"In de brush near. de grave
Threw hit in we we was carryin'
Con dey."
How you figg'rin mekkin' de
swamps TO- de guard shoots you?"
David asked eagerly.
"Dey cain shoot you in de eve
min. Dey cain even see you.
Gimme ten minutes an dey'll never
fine me. Houn' dogs ain no good
in swamps if you sticks to water"
NAVID shook his head
" How you git ten minutes
start?"
Oats yhut l got all tiggered
OUT Ebenezer said triumphantly
"Jes iii mo'nin' on Cons grave
It was q simple scheme and in
its very simplicity lay the chance
for success. The warden knew the
Negro custom of mourning the
dead and decorating graves with
broken crockery. cans. pots any
thing sufficiently useless not to be
stolen. AS for the closeness to the
been attempted"