Jeems Rober’son’s Last Illness
by
A Jonesboro negro, while waiting for the train to go out, met up with Uncle Remus. After the usual “time of day” had been passed between the two, the former inquired about an acquaintance.
“How’s Jeems Rober’son?” he asked.
“Ain’t you year ’bout Jim?” asked Uncle Remus.
“Dat I ain’t,” responded the other; “I ain’t hear talk er Jem sence he cut loose fum de chain-gang. Dat w’at make I ax. He ain’t down wid de biliousness, is he?”
“Not dat I knows un,” responded Uncle Remus, gravely. “He ain’t sick, an’ he ain’t bin sick. He des tuck’n say he wuz gwineter ride dat ar roan mule er Mars John’s de udder Sunday, an’ de mule, she up’n do like she got nudder ingagement. I done bin fool wid dat mule befo’, an’ I tuck’n tole Jim dat he better not git tangle up wid ‘er; but Jim, he up’n ‘low dat he wuz a hoss- doctor, an’ wid dat he ax me fer a chaw terbacker, en den he got de bridle, en tuck’n kotch de mule en got on her–Well,” continued Uncle Remus, looking uneasily around, “I speck you better go git yo’ ticket. Dey tells me dish yer train goes a callyhootin’.”
“Hol’ on dar, Uncle Remus; you ain’t tell me ’bout Jim,” exclaimed the Jonesboro negro.
“I done tell you all I knows, chile. Jim, he tuck’n light on de mule, an’ de mule she up’n hump ‘erse’f, an den dey wuz a skuffle, an’ w’en de dus’ blow ‘way, dar lay de nigger on de groun’, an’ de mule she stood eatin’ at de troff wid wunner Jim’s gallusses wrop ‘roun’ her behime-leg. Den atterwuds, de ker’ner, he come ‘roun’, an’ he tuck’n gin it out dat Jim died sorter accidental like. Hit’s des like I tell you: de nigger wern’t sick a minnit. So long! Bimeby you won’t ketch yo’ train. I got ter be knockin’ long.”