through his excitement, was taken violently ill, vomiting as if he had
taken an emetic. He said to White; "I'll return as soon as I take my
wife home," but he never came back. As Boss and the madam rode off,
White came galloping back, and said to Brooks, our overseer: "If I am
shot down on foul play would you speak of it?" Brooks replied: "No, I
don't care to interfere--I don't wish to have anything to do with it."
White was bloodthirsty, and came back at intervals during the entire
night, where we were working, to see if he could find Boss. It is quite
probable that White may have long cherished a secret grudge against
Boss, because he had robbed him of his first love; and, brooding over
these offenses, he became so excited as to be almost insane. Had McGee
returned that night, White would certainly have shot him. Boss became so
uneasy over the situation that he sent one of his slaves, a foreman, to
Panola county, some seventy-five miles distant, to Mrs. McGee's father,
to get her brother, a lawyer, to come and endeavor to effect a
settlement. He came, but all his efforts were unavailing. The men met at
a magistrate's office, but they came to no understanding. Our folks
became dissatisfied, and did not care to remain longer in the place, so
they began to look out for other quarters. Boss finally decided to buy a
farm in Bolivar, Miss., and to remove his family to Memphis, where he
secured a fine place, just outside of the city.

[Illustration: Farmer's Merchants Bank--Three Dollar Banknote]




CHAPTER II.

SOCIAL AND OTHER ASPECTS OF SLAVERY.