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Hot-Foot Hannibal   213

udder troubles. Heath th'ee er fo' weeks
befo' he'd had a' easy job, waitin' on
de w'ite folks, libbin' off'n de fat er de
lan'. en promus' de fines' gal on de plantation
fer a wife in de spring, en now
heah he quz back in de co'n-fiel', wid de
oberseah a-cussin' en a-r'arin' ef he 
did n' get a ha'd tas' done; wid nuffin
but co'n bread en bacon en merlasses ter
eat; en all de fiel'-han's makin' rema'ks,
en pokin' fun at 'im 'ca'se he'd be'n sont
back fum de big house ter de fiel'. En
de mo' Hannibal studied 'bout it de mo'
madder he got, 'tel he fin'lly swo' he wuz
gwine ter git eben wid Jeff en Chloe, ef
it wuz de las' ac'.
   "So Hannibal slipped 'way fum de
qua'ters one Sunday en hid in de co'n
up close ter de big house, 'tel he see
Chloe gwine down de road. He waylaid
her, en sezee:-
   "'Hoddy, Chloe?'
   "'I ain't got no time fer ter fool wid