bones and cut the pigeon-wing, and, besides all that, he was the best
hoe-hand, and could pick more cotton than any other negro on the
plantation. He had amused himself by courting and flirting with all of
the negro girls; but at last he had been caught himself by pretty
Candace, one of the housemaids, and a merry dance she had led him.

She had kept poor Jim six long months on the rack. First she'd say
she'd marry him, and then she'd say she wouldn't (not that she ever
really meant that she wouldn't), for she just wanted to torment him;
and she succeeded so well that Jim became utterly wretched, and went
to his master to know "ef'n he couldn't make dat yaller gal 'have
herse'f."

But his master assured him it was a matter that he had nothing on
earth to do with, and even told Jim that it was but fair that he, who
had enjoyed flirting so long, should now be flirted with.

However, one evening his mistress came upon the poor fellow sitting on
the creek bank looking very disconsolate, and overheard him talking to
himself,

"Yes, sar!" he was saying, as if arguing with somebody. "Yes, sar, by
rights dat nigger gal oughter be beat mos' ter deff, she clean bodder
de life out'n me, an' marster, he jes' oughter kill dat nigger. I
dunno w'at makes me kyar so much er bout'n her no way; dar's plenty er
likelier gals'n her, an' I jes' b'lieve dat's er trick nigger; anyhow
she's tricked me, sho's yer born; an' ef'n I didn't b'long ter nobody,
I'd jump right inter dis creek an' drown myse'f. But I ain't got no
right ter be killin' up marster's niggers dat way; I'm wuff er
thousan' dollars, an' marster ain't got no thousan' dollars ter was'e