of them. It was too hard. And her chest hurt when she thought about it. The fire crackled and sang with the popping wood. Sparks flew out into the purple darkness. Daylily coughed. She felt kind of sick. Maybe she had the miseries comin, like Granny used to say. It would soon be night again, and she felt lower and lower.
âAinât you got no stories you can tell, Luke?â Daylily said. She kept trying to braid her hair, but it wasnât much use without a comb. Luke sat over next to her.
âWell, maybe,â he said. He didnât want to think much about home or about anybody he loved, but maybe he could tell something that was exciting and keep them from being so sad.
Luke and Daylily whispered along with the dogwood and pecan trees that were in this part of the woods. The cool was coming on with the night. Luke looked up at the night sky. He was searching for the drinking gourd, but he didnât see it.
Luke was now as worried as Daylily about Caswell staring into the fire. There was no telling what heâd do, and Luke didnât feel like fishing anybody out of the fire. And what if he burned himself? Then what would they do to help him? Back there after he saw the dead soldiers, Luke realized all they had was each other, so they all had to stay alive and they had to take care of each other.
Luke tried to get comfortable on the ground. It seemed as hard as that anvil he had seen Elijah the blacksmith using to shoe horses. He didnât have much fat left to spare him the rocks and roots. âLemme see,â he said as he threw some pine-cones out of his way.
He could smell the pine needles and hear the crickets and squirrels scurrying around. He thought about that dog at the home place named Black Nigger. Massa Higsaw named him that, and every time he called out âBlack Niggerâ to the dog, somebody on the place would jump to see was he calling them. Then Massa Higsaw would laugh like it was the best joke heâd ever heard. He thought that was real funny. Luke shook his head. He used to laugh too. Now it didnât seem so funny.
âCome on, Luke, please,â Daylily coaxed. âI canât sleep noway.â
âAll right, Iâm just doing this so you leave me alone,â Luke said. He turned over on his side and leaned on his elbow.
âWas a three-legged dog on the place,â he said to Daylily. âName Black Nigger. Dog took to some and hated some. Folks say Black Nigger was trained to kill if Massa Higsaw ordered him to. I never did know if this was true, but us knew he was meaner than the devil.
âSome say if he looked you straight in the eye, it meant you was gonna die soon, cause he was a devil dog. Us knew he just as soon take a bite out your leg as look at you, and the darker you was, the worse that dog hated you.
âHe was trained by Massa Higsaw to hate Black. Saw him bite a man once. Was a terrible thing. Almost clean through his leg. Didnât let loose till Massa told him to let go. Folks say this man smart-mouthed Massa Higsaw.
âUnc Steph say that dog was sent from hell just to give niggers trials and tribulation. Was a big ole ugly dog, you know, slobbering and growling. I reckon I was more scared-a him than anything with two legs.â
Daylily was wondering why sheâd ever asked for a story, but still it was better than crying about home, or thinking about who or what was out there in those dark trees. She wrapped her coat around her tightly and held her arms together, afraid to look anywhere but into the fire.
âMunda was a field hand on the place, Massa Higsaw had a wager about Munda. Folks say Munda tried to get some of his own back with Black Nigger. Folks say Munda died on purpose and almost took Black Nigger along for the ride to hell. Only Black Nigger didnât die. He come out the wager with three legs and it messed up his huntin nose, so Massa lost his prize dog and his prize nigger all at the same
âAinât you got no stories you can tell, Luke?â Daylily said. She kept trying to braid her hair, but it wasnât much use without a comb. Luke sat over next to her.
âWell, maybe,â he said. He didnât want to think much about home or about anybody he loved, but maybe he could tell something that was exciting and keep them from being so sad.
Luke and Daylily whispered along with the dogwood and pecan trees that were in this part of the woods. The cool was coming on with the night. Luke looked up at the night sky. He was searching for the drinking gourd, but he didnât see it.
Luke was now as worried as Daylily about Caswell staring into the fire. There was no telling what heâd do, and Luke didnât feel like fishing anybody out of the fire. And what if he burned himself? Then what would they do to help him? Back there after he saw the dead soldiers, Luke realized all they had was each other, so they all had to stay alive and they had to take care of each other.
Luke tried to get comfortable on the ground. It seemed as hard as that anvil he had seen Elijah the blacksmith using to shoe horses. He didnât have much fat left to spare him the rocks and roots. âLemme see,â he said as he threw some pine-cones out of his way.
He could smell the pine needles and hear the crickets and squirrels scurrying around. He thought about that dog at the home place named Black Nigger. Massa Higsaw named him that, and every time he called out âBlack Niggerâ to the dog, somebody on the place would jump to see was he calling them. Then Massa Higsaw would laugh like it was the best joke heâd ever heard. He thought that was real funny. Luke shook his head. He used to laugh too. Now it didnât seem so funny.
âCome on, Luke, please,â Daylily coaxed. âI canât sleep noway.â
âAll right, Iâm just doing this so you leave me alone,â Luke said. He turned over on his side and leaned on his elbow.
âWas a three-legged dog on the place,â he said to Daylily. âName Black Nigger. Dog took to some and hated some. Folks say Black Nigger was trained to kill if Massa Higsaw ordered him to. I never did know if this was true, but us knew he was meaner than the devil.
âSome say if he looked you straight in the eye, it meant you was gonna die soon, cause he was a devil dog. Us knew he just as soon take a bite out your leg as look at you, and the darker you was, the worse that dog hated you.
âHe was trained by Massa Higsaw to hate Black. Saw him bite a man once. Was a terrible thing. Almost clean through his leg. Didnât let loose till Massa told him to let go. Folks say this man smart-mouthed Massa Higsaw.
âUnc Steph say that dog was sent from hell just to give niggers trials and tribulation. Was a big ole ugly dog, you know, slobbering and growling. I reckon I was more scared-a him than anything with two legs.â
Daylily was wondering why sheâd ever asked for a story, but still it was better than crying about home, or thinking about who or what was out there in those dark trees. She wrapped her coat around her tightly and held her arms together, afraid to look anywhere but into the fire.
âMunda was a field hand on the place, Massa Higsaw had a wager about Munda. Folks say Munda tried to get some of his own back with Black Nigger. Folks say Munda died on purpose and almost took Black Nigger along for the ride to hell. Only Black Nigger didnât die. He come out the wager with three legs and it messed up his huntin nose, so Massa lost his prize dog and his prize nigger all at the same
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