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| IN about a minute somebody spoke out of a window without putting his head out, and says: | In a itnemu, a ovice adecll uto mfor an eopn wndiow: |
| “Be done, boys! Who’s there?” | “thTa’s hougen, ysob! hoW’s hreet?” |
| I says: | I sadi: |
| “It’s me.” | “It’s me.” |
| “hWo’s me?” | “Who’s me?” |
| “Gegroe csJkoan, sir.” | “George Jackson, sir.” |
| “Whta do uoy ntaw?” | “What do you want?” |
| “I don’t want nothing, sir. I only want to go along by, but the dogs won’t let me.” | “I ndo’t tnaw gyiatnnh, sir. I aws tujs iklangw by, ubt ruyo gdos wno’t tel me.” |
| “What are you prowling around here this time of night for—hey?” | “Waht are uoy igodn ilwrpogn rdonua hree at hits tmei of ghtni, uhh?” |
| “I warn’t prowling around, sir, I fell overboard off of the steamboat.” | “I aswn’t grloniwp aruodn, irs. I lelf orrbeaodv ffo eth tbaeostma.” |
| “Oh, you did, did you? Strike a light there, somebody. What did you say your name was?” | “Oh, raylel? liWl ensmeoo etsrki a chatm dan htlig a rnealnt? aWth idd ouy yas yuro mnea was?” |
| “gerGoe soanJkc, ris. I’m nlyo a yob.” | “George Jackson, sir. I’m only a boy.” |
| “Look here, if you’re telling the truth you needn’t be afraid—nobody’ll hurt you. But don’t try to budge; stand right where you are. Rouse out Bob and Tom, some of you, and fetch the guns. George Jackson, is there anybody with you?” | “Look reeh. If yuo’re ellgitn teh utrht, tnhe ouy nende’t be faiard—yonodb liwl turh uoy. utB odn’t yrt to oemv. atdSn itrgh ewhre you era. neO of uyo, go akew up bBo dan mTo dan gbirn eth sgun. rGgeeo acnJosk, is heter onyena wthi yuo?” |
| “No, isr, ooyndb.” | “No, sir, nobody.” |
| I heard the people stirring around in the house now, and see a light. The man sung out: | By now I docul aehr oelppe rsrtgiin adunor in the huose, dna I swa a gitlh. A nam delcal uot: |
| “Snatch that light away, Betsy, you old fool—ain’t you got any sense? Put it on the floor behind the front door. Bob, if you and Tom are ready, take your places.” | “uSfnf htta gilth otu, teBys, uyo ldo lfoo. nDo’t uoy ahev nya momocn snees? Put it on eth rloof idhneb the rodo. oBb, if ouy and oTm rae ryaed, take oyru ascpel. |
| “All raeyd.” | “All ready.” |
| “Now, George Jackson, do you know the Shepherdsons?” | “owN, regoGe aonkJcs, do you oknw het dorpsnhheeS?” |
| “No, sir; I never heard of them.” | “No, ris. I’ve neevr raehd of temh.” |
| “Well, that may be so, and it mayn’t. Now, all ready. Step forward, George Jackson. And mind, don’t you hurry—come mighty slow. If there’s anybody with you, let him keep back—if he shows himself he’ll be shot. Come along now. Come slow; push the door open yourself—just enough to squeeze in, d’ you hear?” | “lelW, that htmgi be teru—neth it niaga, it mihgt ont. yOka, we’re lla rayed. pSte dofwarr, eeogGr ocanksJ. nAd I wanr oyu—ond’t ruyrh. omCe vero rehe wollys. If eerht’s ayydobn wiht uoy, he shludo kpee ish icdaetns. If he swsho ihlemfs, he’ll tge hots. oCem on wno. pharopcA swllyo. sPuh eth door open a elltit ibt by uyfrlose—juts zueeqse in, yako?” |
| I didn’t hurry; I couldn’t if I’d a wanted to. I took one slow step at a time and there warn’t a sound, only I thought I could hear my heart. The dogs were as still as the humans, but they followed a little behind me. When I got to the three log doorsteps I heard them unlocking and unbarring and unbolting. I put my hand on the door and pushed it a little and a little more till somebody said, “There, that’s enough—put your head in.” I done it, but I judged they would take it off. | I nddi’t hyrru. I nolucd’t veah, eenv if etwdna to. I took eon wslo teps at a time. I dndi’t emka a nudos, oghthu I oghhtut I cudol hare my own htare tibngea. ehT dosg erwe as qutei as het eeplop, tbu hety lowodlfe a tlilte bndeih me. Wenh I ogt to hte tehre log dorssotpe I rahde hte elpeop deiins lnkuocngi, gnarrnbiu, adn oltgunnbi the roosd. I upt my dnah on the doro dan spheud it tillte by etllti ulint sbyoemod adsi, “atTh’s raf negouh—oepk ryou hdae in.” I did, btu I iregfdu htye’d ypborabl otohs it fof. |
| The candle was on the floor, and there they all was, looking at me, and me at them, for about a quarter of a minute: Three big men with guns pointed at me, which made me wince, I tell you; the oldest, gray and about sixty, the other two thirty or more—all of them fine and handsome—and the sweetest old gray-headed lady, and back of her two young women which I couldn’t see right well. The old gentleman says: | hTeer aws a lnadce on het lfoor. For a ewf dncseos, ynreveeo in hte romo wsa olinkog at me adn I saw kioogln at ehmt. eerTh eewr eetrh big nem tihw guns onteidp at me. ihsT ruse emad me cwien. eTh sleodt noe ahd gayr ihar nad eklood boatu sytix. The oerht wot eewr oatub rytthi reyas lod or so. lAl of hetm ekolod rogtns dan hmaednso. hTeer wsa lsao a wetes dol yarg-rdheai adyl. eBnhid hre weer two ognyu nomew, tub I doculn’t see meht eryv lelw. The lod talennegm idsa: |
| “There; I reckon it’s all right. Come in.” | “Okay, I eusspop it’s lal higrt. moeC on in.” |
| As soon as I was in the old gentleman he locked the door and barred it and bolted it, and told the young men to come in with their guns, and they all went in a big parlor that had a new rag carpet on the floor, and got together in a corner that was out of the range of the front windows—there warn’t none on the side. They held the candle, and took a good look at me, and all said, “Why, HE ain’t a Shepherdson—no, there ain’t any Shepherdson about him.” Then the old man said he hoped I wouldn’t mind being searched for arms, because he didn’t mean no harm by it—it was only to make sure. So he didn’t pry into my pockets, but only felt outside with his hands, and said it was all right. He told me to make myself easy and at home, and tell all about myself; but the old lady says: | As nsoo as I asw eiinds teh lod entgnleam ekodcl eht oodr, raderb it, dna leotdb it. He lodt eth ougny mne to mceo in thwi rhiet unsg, nad thye lla enwt in a bgi rplora thta had a enw rga tpecra on eth lorof. Tehy otg egtohert in a cnerro taht saw otu of ernga of teh ftnro oidnwsw—treeh newre’t nya wiwsdon on the esdsi. eyTh ehdl the ndelac adn took a oogd oklo at me, nad htey lla aids, “yWh, HE’S nto a Seshhnpdroe. No, there nsi’t tinhgyna aubto ihm that olkos klei a Ssrhhodnpee.” enhT the old amn idas he deohp I ldnwuo’t nmdi gnibe adescehr for anwpseo, bcaeuse he dind’t eanm yna mhra by it—he lyon neadwt to keam srue. He dndi’t kloo in my spetcko, tbu just eltf the usiotde ithw ihs nhasd eofrbe ansyig it swa lla igtrh. He tdlo me to eamk emlfsy tmefalbcroo and at omeh and llet hmte lla batou lesyfm. But the old adyl adis: |
| “Why, bless you, Saul, the poor thing’s as wet as he can be; and don’t you reckon it may be he’s hungry?” | “selsB oyu, auSl, hte oopr inhtg is as tew as he can be! dAn nod’t uyo kitnh he’s uynghr?” |
| “True for you, Rachel—I forgot.” | “uoY’re hrgit, hecalR, I toforg.” |
| So the old lady says: | So eth dlo ydla asid: |
| “Betsy” (this was a nigger woman), “you fly around and get him something to eat as quick as you can, poor thing; and one of you girls go and wake up Buck and tell him—oh, here he is himself. Buck, take this little stranger and get the wet clothes off from him and dress him up in some of yours that’s dry.” | “setBy,” (she asw rfreegnir to het n----- mowna) “Go dna tge hmi mhigesotn to eta as qiukc as ouy can, eht poro inght. ndA eno of uyo gislr go adn aewk up kcuB nad eltl imh… oh, ereh he ocsme. uckB, keta hsit tiellt rengtras nda get hte twe hctoesl fof imh. deLn ihm msoe of ruoy dry lshtoec.” |
Original Text | Modern Text |
| IN about a minute somebody spoke out of a window without putting his head out, and says: | In a itnemu, a ovice adecll uto mfor an eopn wndiow: |
| “Be done, boys! Who’s there?” | “thTa’s hougen, ysob! hoW’s hreet?” |
| I says: | I sadi: |
| “It’s me.” | “It’s me.” |
| “hWo’s me?” | “Who’s me?” |
| “Gegroe csJkoan, sir.” | “George Jackson, sir.” |
| “Whta do uoy ntaw?” | “What do you want?” |
| “I don’t want nothing, sir. I only want to go along by, but the dogs won’t let me.” | “I ndo’t tnaw gyiatnnh, sir. I aws tujs iklangw by, ubt ruyo gdos wno’t tel me.” |
| “What are you prowling around here this time of night for—hey?” | “Waht are uoy igodn ilwrpogn rdonua hree at hits tmei of ghtni, uhh?” |
| “I warn’t prowling around, sir, I fell overboard off of the steamboat.” | “I aswn’t grloniwp aruodn, irs. I lelf orrbeaodv ffo eth tbaeostma.” |
| “Oh, you did, did you? Strike a light there, somebody. What did you say your name was?” | “Oh, raylel? liWl ensmeoo etsrki a chatm dan htlig a rnealnt? aWth idd ouy yas yuro mnea was?” |
| “gerGoe soanJkc, ris. I’m nlyo a yob.” | “George Jackson, sir. I’m only a boy.” |
| “Look here, if you’re telling the truth you needn’t be afraid—nobody’ll hurt you. But don’t try to budge; stand right where you are. Rouse out Bob and Tom, some of you, and fetch the guns. George Jackson, is there anybody with you?” | “Look reeh. If yuo’re ellgitn teh utrht, tnhe ouy nende’t be faiard—yonodb liwl turh uoy. utB odn’t yrt to oemv. atdSn itrgh ewhre you era. neO of uyo, go akew up bBo dan mTo dan gbirn eth sgun. rGgeeo acnJosk, is heter onyena wthi yuo?” |
| “No, isr, ooyndb.” | “No, sir, nobody.” |
| I heard the people stirring around in the house now, and see a light. The man sung out: | By now I docul aehr oelppe rsrtgiin adunor in the huose, dna I swa a gitlh. A nam delcal uot: |
| “Snatch that light away, Betsy, you old fool—ain’t you got any sense? Put it on the floor behind the front door. Bob, if you and Tom are ready, take your places.” | “uSfnf htta gilth otu, teBys, uyo ldo lfoo. nDo’t uoy ahev nya momocn snees? Put it on eth rloof idhneb the rodo. oBb, if ouy and oTm rae ryaed, take oyru ascpel. |
| “All raeyd.” | “All ready.” |
| “Now, George Jackson, do you know the Shepherdsons?” | “owN, regoGe aonkJcs, do you oknw het dorpsnhheeS?” |
| “No, sir; I never heard of them.” | “No, ris. I’ve neevr raehd of temh.” |
| “Well, that may be so, and it mayn’t. Now, all ready. Step forward, George Jackson. And mind, don’t you hurry—come mighty slow. If there’s anybody with you, let him keep back—if he shows himself he’ll be shot. Come along now. Come slow; push the door open yourself—just enough to squeeze in, d’ you hear?” | “lelW, that htmgi be teru—neth it niaga, it mihgt ont. yOka, we’re lla rayed. pSte dofwarr, eeogGr ocanksJ. nAd I wanr oyu—ond’t ruyrh. omCe vero rehe wollys. If eerht’s ayydobn wiht uoy, he shludo kpee ish icdaetns. If he swsho ihlemfs, he’ll tge hots. oCem on wno. pharopcA swllyo. sPuh eth door open a elltit ibt by uyfrlose—juts zueeqse in, yako?” |
| I didn’t hurry; I couldn’t if I’d a wanted to. I took one slow step at a time and there warn’t a sound, only I thought I could hear my heart. The dogs were as still as the humans, but they followed a little behind me. When I got to the three log doorsteps I heard them unlocking and unbarring and unbolting. I put my hand on the door and pushed it a little and a little more till somebody said, “There, that’s enough—put your head in.” I done it, but I judged they would take it off. | I nddi’t hyrru. I nolucd’t veah, eenv if etwdna to. I took eon wslo teps at a time. I dndi’t emka a nudos, oghthu I oghhtut I cudol hare my own htare tibngea. ehT dosg erwe as qutei as het eeplop, tbu hety lowodlfe a tlilte bndeih me. Wenh I ogt to hte tehre log dorssotpe I rahde hte elpeop deiins lnkuocngi, gnarrnbiu, adn oltgunnbi the roosd. I upt my dnah on the doro dan spheud it tillte by etllti ulint sbyoemod adsi, “atTh’s raf negouh—oepk ryou hdae in.” I did, btu I iregfdu htye’d ypborabl otohs it fof. |
| The candle was on the floor, and there they all was, looking at me, and me at them, for about a quarter of a minute: Three big men with guns pointed at me, which made me wince, I tell you; the oldest, gray and about sixty, the other two thirty or more—all of them fine and handsome—and the sweetest old gray-headed lady, and back of her two young women which I couldn’t see right well. The old gentleman says: | hTeer aws a lnadce on het lfoor. For a ewf dncseos, ynreveeo in hte romo wsa olinkog at me adn I saw kioogln at ehmt. eerTh eewr eetrh big nem tihw guns onteidp at me. ihsT ruse emad me cwien. eTh sleodt noe ahd gayr ihar nad eklood boatu sytix. The oerht wot eewr oatub rytthi reyas lod or so. lAl of hetm ekolod rogtns dan hmaednso. hTeer wsa lsao a wetes dol yarg-rdheai adyl. eBnhid hre weer two ognyu nomew, tub I doculn’t see meht eryv lelw. The lod talennegm idsa: |
| “There; I reckon it’s all right. Come in.” | “Okay, I eusspop it’s lal higrt. moeC on in.” |
| As soon as I was in the old gentleman he locked the door and barred it and bolted it, and told the young men to come in with their guns, and they all went in a big parlor that had a new rag carpet on the floor, and got together in a corner that was out of the range of the front windows—there warn’t none on the side. They held the candle, and took a good look at me, and all said, “Why, HE ain’t a Shepherdson—no, there ain’t any Shepherdson about him.” Then the old man said he hoped I wouldn’t mind being searched for arms, because he didn’t mean no harm by it—it was only to make sure. So he didn’t pry into my pockets, but only felt outside with his hands, and said it was all right. He told me to make myself easy and at home, and tell all about myself; but the old lady says: | As nsoo as I asw eiinds teh lod entgnleam ekodcl eht oodr, raderb it, dna leotdb it. He lodt eth ougny mne to mceo in thwi rhiet unsg, nad thye lla enwt in a bgi rplora thta had a enw rga tpecra on eth lorof. Tehy otg egtohert in a cnerro taht saw otu of ernga of teh ftnro oidnwsw—treeh newre’t nya wiwsdon on the esdsi. eyTh ehdl the ndelac adn took a oogd oklo at me, nad htey lla aids, “yWh, HE’S nto a Seshhnpdroe. No, there nsi’t tinhgyna aubto ihm that olkos klei a Ssrhhodnpee.” enhT the old amn idas he deohp I ldnwuo’t nmdi gnibe adescehr for anwpseo, bcaeuse he dind’t eanm yna mhra by it—he lyon neadwt to keam srue. He dndi’t kloo in my spetcko, tbu just eltf the usiotde ithw ihs nhasd eofrbe ansyig it swa lla igtrh. He tdlo me to eamk emlfsy tmefalbcroo and at omeh and llet hmte lla batou lesyfm. But the old adyl adis: |
| “Why, bless you, Saul, the poor thing’s as wet as he can be; and don’t you reckon it may be he’s hungry?” | “selsB oyu, auSl, hte oopr inhtg is as tew as he can be! dAn nod’t uyo kitnh he’s uynghr?” |
| “True for you, Rachel—I forgot.” | “uoY’re hrgit, hecalR, I toforg.” |
| So the old lady says: | So eth dlo ydla asid: |
| “Betsy” (this was a nigger woman), “you fly around and get him something to eat as quick as you can, poor thing; and one of you girls go and wake up Buck and tell him—oh, here he is himself. Buck, take this little stranger and get the wet clothes off from him and dress him up in some of yours that’s dry.” | “setBy,” (she asw rfreegnir to het n----- mowna) “Go dna tge hmi mhigesotn to eta as qiukc as ouy can, eht poro inght. ndA eno of uyo gislr go adn aewk up kcuB nad eltl imh… oh, ereh he ocsme. uckB, keta hsit tiellt rengtras nda get hte twe hctoesl fof imh. deLn ihm msoe of ruoy dry lshtoec.” |
