“Hit pester ’Lish mightily, ’case he done ’memb’rin’ what he Mammy larn him mighty fas’, but Ole Miss she got her dander up now, an’ she say she hain’t gwine ter stan’ all dis foolishness des ’bout de killin’ uv er little black cat, an’ ’Lish, he were sech er big plum fool nigger, he gwine ter gib up he knowledgments des fur de pleasurin’ uv Ole Miss. But if he think bad luck gwine skip anybody dat hunt fur hit wid bofe eyes opin he reckon mighty po’ ’bout luck. So he p’intedly wrastled wid hit, twel he ’low ter hisse’f dat he allus been lucky an’ allus gwine ter be, an’ den he des gits down ter business, an’ greases a rope fur ter mek hit slick, an’ hides hit unbeknownst in de cabin ter wait fur night, ’case he know de niggers be all plum ergin him if dey know he gwine hang er black cat. “Late in de ebenin’ he go whistlin’ down ter de spring-house, arter Dinah an’ Marthy done put erway de milk, an’ he ben’ down er limb uv er little hick’ry saplin’ an’ cut hit twel he git er swingin’ fork fur ter noose de rope in. “I’se heared ’Lish tell erbout hit many’s de time. Well, he ’low dat es he work sumpen des ’pear ter git inter him, an’ he whistle an’ whistle, an’ den he couldn’t keep his ole feets still, but des lit inter dancing in front er de spring-house lack mad, an’ all de time, unbeknownst, dat black cat des er-watchin’ uv him up er tree. “Bimeby he des hatter set down, ’case he done danced all de bref outen him, an’ he feels mighty cuis, ’case es he set dar in de dark hit ’pear lack all he ebber done—all de little good, an’ all de whole heap er low down, sneakin’ things dat he done furgit erbout—kim er-swimmin’ erfore his eyes, des ter mek him tek notice uv ’em. Hit were er warnin’, sho’, ’case hit were de _sperit_ er ’Lish, prophesyin’ ter de po’ weak flesh er de _man_ ’Lish, but de man ’Lish cain’t unnerstan’ what de sperit ’Lish mean, an’ hit mek him plum mizerbul. “But arter while de cat kim er-sneakin’ erlong, wid he eyes des er-shinin’ white an’ red an’ green, lack de fox-fire in de swamp. When he sees ’Lish, he quoil he tail keerful lack an’ sot down an’ look at him erwhile, an’ he look an’ look, so knowin’, twel hit mek de goose bumps fa’r riz up on ’Lish’s back; den he git tired er settin’, an’ whisk dat ole long tail er his’n at ’Lish an’ go on inter de spring-house, des er darin’ ’Lish ter foller. “Den ’Lish ’pear ter git sorter flustered, ’case he done furgit ter work de charm ’gin de debil, but go right inter de spring-house an’ cornder de cat an’ fling de greased rope ober he head. De cat he ’ain’ show no fight now, but des grin an’ sink he ole long white teef plum inter ’Lish’s han’, but dar hain’t no blood drawed, ’case black cat nebber draws blood, but des sink p’is’n deep down on de eends er dey teef. ’Lish think ’bout dat, an’ he feared ter put he han’ in he mouf fur ter suck de p’is’n outen hit; but he know he in fur hit now, an’ so he draw dat noose tighter an’ tighter.