eight o'clock
I 's one o ' de ole Blue hen 's Chickens , I is ! ' -- an ' den I see dat young man stan ' a-starin ' an ' stiff , lookin ' kin ' o ' up at de ceilin ' like he fo ` got somefin , an ' could n't ` member it no mo ' . Well , I jist march ' on dem niggers -- so , lookin ' like a gen ` l -- an ' dey jist cave ' away befo ' me an ' out at de do ' . An ' as dis young man a-goin ' out , I heah him say to another nigger , ` Jim , ' he says , ` you go ` long an ' tell de cap'n I be on han ' ` bout eight o'clock in de mawnin ' ; dey 's somefin on my mine , ' he says ; ` I do n't sleep no mo ' dis night . You go ` long , ' he says , ` an ' leave me by my own se ` f. ' `` Dis was ` bout one o'clock in de mawnin ' . Well , ` bout seven , I was up an ' on han ' , gittin ' de officers ' breakfast . I was a-stoopin ' down by de stove jist so , same as if yo ' foot was de stove -- an ' I 'd opened de stove do ' wid my right han ' -- so , pushin ' it back , jist as I pushes yo ' foot -- an ' I 'd jist got de pan o ' hot biscuits in my han ' an ' was ` bout to raise up , when I see a black face come aroun ' under mine , an ' de eyes a-lookin ' up into mine , jist as I 's a-lookin ' up clost under yo ' face now ; an ' I jist stopped right dah , an ' never budged !