5

Alabama 5

I asked him concerning any difficulties he had had with white men,
whether he drank, cussed danced, or raised hell.

"You's ast a lot of questions."

"I want to write your life..."

"You're going to write my life? That," he scratched his graying head,
"that's how come? I ain't got no life to write ' bout. I ain't going' to tell
nothin'. Yes, I've been drunk. I fought some--not much. I fought William
Tiffin once; he was drunk at a dance, and we had hit 'round and 'round. He was
a white man, you know, and you wouldn't've thought we'd a-fit. Us Warn boys
used to fight them Tiffin boys all the time. They didn't care." He paused:
"Dr. Arch, your uncle says we's right honorable niggers. I never was in no
rale trouble, never did go to jail. You mean, has I ever had any ups and
downs? I's had plenty of 'em!"

"Crops are bad this year..." I suggested.

"I'll make ' bout a half-crop. We's had a lot of overflows. Three or
four bales, I guess. No, th' corn in the bottom ain't no count neither.
"Here, I told you a lie; I did have some trouble." The tone of his
voice conveyed to me his carefulness in telling what he intended to tell;
"You knowed 'bout my trouble, reason you ast. It was with Mr. Epps.

755