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tell nobody 'bout it sah, er ole Mars Silas he'll scole me; 'kase he say dey

ain't no witches. I jis' wish to goodness he was heah now -- den what would he

say! I jis' bet he couldn' fine no way to git aroun' it dis time. But it's awluz

jis' so; people dat's sot, stays sot; dey won't look into notlm' en fine it out

fr deyselves, en when you fine it out en tell um 'bout it, dey doan' b'lieve you."

Tom give him a dime, and

said we wouldn't tell no- ssssssssss

body; and told him to buy ssssssssss

some more thread to tie up his ssssssssss

wool with; and then looks at ssssssssss

Jim, and says: ssssssssss

"I wonder if Uncle Silas

is going to hang this nigger. ssssssssss

If I was to catch a nigger that ssssssssss

was ungrateful enough to run ssssssssss

away, I wouldn't give him up, ssssssssss

I'd hang him." And whilst ssssssssss

the nigger stepped to the ssssssssss

door to look at the dime and ssssssssss

bite it to see if it was good, ssssssssss

he whispers to Jim, and says: ssssssssss

"Don't ever let on to know

us. And if you hear any dig- ssssssssss

ging going on nights, it's us: ssssssssss

we're going to set you free." ssssssssss

Jim only had time to grab us by the hand and squeeze it, then the nigger

come back, and we said we'd come again some time if the nigger wanted ns to;

and he said he would, more particular if it was dark, because the witches went

for him mostly in the dark, and it was good to have folks around then.

ssssssssss

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