“Well, ’Lish he know better; ’cordin’ ter de knowledgments er ever’ sensible nigger, he know hit, an’ he know dat stealin’ de cream was des er trick er de debil an’ he sarchin’ fur er humin soul; but ’Lish so proud ’counter Ole Miss praisin’ uv him dat he done turn fool, an’ he promise Ole Miss dat he kill dat cat. “He steddy ’bout hit powerful arter de proud cool off an’ he go ter de cabin; but he done gib he promise ter Ole Miss, an’ he cain’t back out. He know dar hain’t nuffin but er rope ’ll git yo’ shet uv er black cat, leastways he’d er knowed hit if he’d er thunk; but he knowed de bad luck hit ’ud fotch, so he ’low fur ter lay fur de cat an’ hit him wid er chunk fust. “So dat night de cat kim sho’ ’nough ergin, an’ es he crope clost by ’Lish, he nail him wid de chunk, an’ leabe him kickin’, an’ ’low ter show him ter Ole Miss in de mornin’. But when de mornin’ kim dar wa’n’t no cat dar, dead er ’live, an’ Ole Marse laff an’ say dat ’Lish been er-dreamin’, but Ole Miss she git sorter mad an’ r’ar ’counter de tale dat ’Lish tell dat he kill de cat. “Well, ’Lish, he hain’t no skeery nigger, he gittin’ smart lack de white folks; so next night he sets er dead-fall fur de cat, made outen heaby timber, an’ he sees de trigger spring an’ de dead-fall drap, ’bang!’ plum on de cat, ’fore he leabe dar. But in de mornin’ dar wa’n’t no cat ner dead-fall nuther dar, an’ de cream done gone ergin. “De nex’ night but one ’Lish steddy an’ steddy, an’ set er steel trap fur him. Now er steel trap’s er mighty good trap fur ever’ kin’ er cat ’ceptin’ er black cat, an’ dat nigger ’Lish mout er knowed dat he wastin’ he time, ’case er steel trap cain’t ebber hol ’er black cat; but, anyhow, he sot de steel trap fur him, an’ arter hit snap an’ he hear de cat yowl, he go off inter de cabin ter sleep. Me an’ Marthy an’ Dinah heard dat cat er yowlin’, too, but when mornin’ kim dar wa’n’t no cat by de spring-house, an’ no cream nuther. “Den Ole Miss she gib ’Lish er gun, an’ he tote de gun so proud dat de fiel’ han’s des couldn’ speak ter him. Well, night kim at las’, an’ wid hit kim de cat, an’ he look at ’Lish an’ grin des er darin’ uv him ter shoot him, ’case he see he got de gun. But de fool nigger ain’ see dat, an’ he tek aim at de shinin’ green eyes an’ fire, ’bang!’ an’ ober went de cat an’ ober go ’Lish, ’case de gun done kick him bad. Well, dar sot ’Lish, an’ dar sot de cat er-grinnin’ an’ wid his eyes er-shinin’ des er-waitin’ fur ’Lish ter shoot ergin. Den de debil tech him wid de fire uv he sperit, an’ ’Lish git blin’ mad, an’ he pull de trigger, an’ dis time he git him, fur de cat keel ober an’ ’pear ter die, an’ ’Lish taken him by de tail an’ fling him in de bayou. “In de mornin’ dar was blood all ’bout de spring-house door, but Ole Miss she sho’ r’ar dat day, ’case not on’y de cream on top was gone but half de milk in de pans, an’ Ole Miss ’low some mighty hard things.