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en hearn how it all happenā€™, he didnā€™ hab much ter say. Wiley wuz shot so bad he wuz shoā€™ he wuz gwine ter die, so he upā€™n says ter ole marster:ā ā€”

ā€œā€Šā€˜Mars Dugalā€™,ā€™ sezee, ā€˜I knows Iā€™s beā€™n a monstā€™us bad nigger, but befoā€™ I go I wanter git sumpā€™n offā€™n my mine. Dave didnā€™ steal dat bacon wā€™at wuz tuk outā€™n de smoke-ā€™ouse. I stole it all, en I hid de ham under Daveā€™s cabin fer ter thā€™ow de blame on himā ā€”en may de good Lawd fergib me fer it.ā€™

ā€œMars Dugalā€™ had Wiley tuk back ter de plantation, en sont fer a doctor fer ter pick de shot outā€™n ā€™im. En de veā€™y nexā€™ mawninā€™ Mars Dugalā€™ sont fer Dave ter come up ter de big house; he felt kinder sorry fer de way Dave had beā€™n treated. Coā€™se it waā€™nā€™t no fault er Mars Dugalā€™s, but he wuz gwine ter do wā€™at he could fer ter make up fer it. So he sont word down ter de quarters fer Dave en all de yuther hanā€™s ter ā€™semble up in de yard befoā€™ de big house at sun-up nexā€™ mawninā€™.

ā€œYearly in de mawninā€™ de niggers all swarmā€™ up in de yard. Mars Dugalā€™ wuz feelinā€™ so kine dat he had brung up a bairl er cider, en tole de niggers all fer ter heā€™p deyselves.

ā€œAll de hanā€™s on de plantation come but Dave; en bimeby, wā€™en it seem lack he waā€™nā€™t cominā€™, Mars Dugalā€™ sont a nigger down ter de quarters ter look fer ā€™im. De sun wuz gittinā€™ up, en dey wuz a heap er wuk ter be done, en Mars Dugalā€™ sorter got tiā€™ed waitinā€™; so he upā€™n says:ā ā€”

ā€œā€Šā€˜Well, boys en gals, I sont fer yer all up yer fer ter tell yer dat all dat ā€™bout Daveā€™s stealinā€™ er de bacon wuz a mistake, ez I sā€™pose yer all done hearn befoā€™ now, en Iā€™s mighty sorry it happenā€™. I wants ter treat all my niggers right, en I wants yer all ter know dat I sets a heap by all er my hanā€™s wā€™at is honesā€™ en smart. En I want yer all ter treat Dave des lack yer did befoā€™ dis thing happenā€™, en mine wā€™at he preach ter yer; fer Dave is a good nigger, en has had a hard row ter hoe. En de fusā€™ one I ketch sayinā€™ anythinā€™ ā€™gā€™inā€™ Dave, Iā€™ll tell Mister Walker ter gin ā€™im forty. Now take ernudder drink er cider all rounā€™, en den git at dat cotton, fer I wanter git dat Persimmon Hill tracā€™ all pickā€™ ober ter-day.ā€™

ā€œWā€™en de niggers wuz gwine ā€™way, Mars Dugalā€™ tole me fer ter go en hunt up Dave, en bring ā€™im up ter de house. I went down ter Daveā€™s cabin, but couldnā€™ fine ā€™im dere. Den I lookā€™ rounā€™ de plantation, en in de aidge er de woods, en ā€™long de road; but I couldnā€™ fine no sign er Dave. I wuz ā€™bout ter gin up de sarch, wā€™en I happenā€™ fer ter run ā€™cross a foot-track wā€™at lookā€™ lack Daveā€™s. I had wukked ā€™long wid Dave so much dat I knowed his tracks: he had a monstā€™us long foot, wid a holler instep, wā€™ich wuz sumpā€™n skase ā€™mongsā€™ black folks. So I follered dat track ā€™cross de fielā€™ fum de quarters ā€™tel I got ter de smoke-ā€™ouse. De fusā€™ thing I noticeā€™ wuz smoke cominā€™ outā€™n de cracks; it wuz cuā€™ous, caze dey hadnā€™ beā€™n no hogs killā€™ on de plantation fer six montā€™ er so, en all de bacon in de smoke-ā€™ouse wuz done kyoed. I couldnā€™ ā€™magine fer ter sabe my life wā€™at Dave wuz doinā€™ in dat smoke-ā€™ouse. I went up ter de doā€™ en hollered:ā ā€”

ā€œā€Šā€˜Dave!ā€™

ā€œDey didnā€™ nobody answer. I didnā€™ wanter open de doā€™, fer wā€™ite folks is monstā€™us pertickler ā€™bout dey smoke-ā€™ouses; en ef de oberseah had a-come up en cotch me in dere, he mouā€™t not wanter bā€™lieve I wuz des lookinā€™ fer Dave. So I sorter knock at de doā€™ en callā€™ out agā€™in:ā ā€”

ā€œā€Šā€˜O Dave, hitā€™s meā ā€”Julius! Doan be skeered. Mars Dugalā€™ wants yer ter come up ter de big houseā ā€”he done ā€™skivered who stole de ham.ā€™

ā€œBut Dave didnā€™ answer. En wā€™en I lookā€™ rounā€™ agā€™in en didnā€™ seed none er his tracks gwine way fum de smoke-ā€™ouse, I knowed he wuz in dere yit, en I wuz ā€™termineā€™ fer ter fetch ā€™im out; so I push de doā€™ open en look in.

ā€œDey wuz a pile er bark burninā€™ in de middle er de floā€™, en right ober de fier, hanginā€™ fum one er de rafters, wuz Dave; dey wuz a rope rounā€™ his neck, en I didnā€™ haf ter look at his face moā€™ dā€™n once fer ter see he wuz dead.

ā€œDen I knowed how it all happenā€™. Dave had kepā€™ on gittinā€™ wusser en wusser in his mine, ā€™tel he des got ter bā€™lievinā€™ he wuz all done turnt ter a ham; en den he had gone en built a fier, en tied a rope rounā€™ his neck, des lack de hams wuz tied, en had hung hisseā€™f up in de smoke-ā€™ouse fer ter kyo.

ā€œDave wuz buried down by de swamp, in de plantation buryinā€™ grounā€™. Wiley didnā€™ died fum de wounā€™ he got in Mars McIntyreā€™s hen ā€™ouse; he got well atter a wā€™ile, but Dilsey wouldnā€™ hab nuffin moā€™ ter do wid ā€™im, en ā€™t waā€™nā€™t long ā€™foā€™ Mars Dugalā€™ solā€™ ā€™im ter a spekilater on his way soufā ā€”he say he didnā€™ want no sich a nigger on de plantation, ner in de county, ef he could heā€™p it. En wā€™en de eenā€™ er de year come, Mars Dugalā€™ turnt Mars Walker off, en run de plantation hisseā€™f atter dat.

ā€œEber sence den,ā€ said Julius in conclusion, ā€œwā€™eneber I eats ham, it minā€™s me er Dave. I lacks ham, but I nebber kin eat moā€™ dā€™n two er thā€™ee pounā€™s befoā€™ I gits ter studyinā€™ ā€™bout Dave, en den I has ter stop en leab de

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