How was I gwyne to know it?
"Well, one night we had a big sojer ball; de sojers dah at Newbern was always havin' balls an' carryin' on.

Dey had 'em in my kitchen, heaps o' times, 'ca'se it was so big.

Mine you, I was DOWN on sich doin's; beca'se my place was wid de officers, an' it rasp me to have dem common sojers cavortin' roun' in my kitchen like dat.

But I alway' stood aroun' an kep' things straight, I did; an' sometimes dey'd git my dander up, an' den I'd make 'em clar dat kitchen, mine I TELL you! "Well, one night--it was a Friday night--dey comes a whole platoon f'm a NIGGER ridgment da was on guard at de house--de house was head quarters, you know-an' den I was jist A-BILIN'! Mad?
I was jist A-BOOMIN'! I swelled aroun', an swelled aroun'; I jist was a-itchin' for 'em to do somefin for to start me.

AN' dey was a-waltzin' an a dancin'! MY! but dey was havin' a time! an I jist a-swellin' an' a-swellin' up! Pooty soon,'long comes sich a spruce young nigger a-sailin' down de room wid a yaller wench roun' de wais'; an' roun an' roun' an roun' dey went, enough to make a body drunk to look at 'em; an' when dey got abreas' o' me, dey went to kin' o' balancin' aroun' fust on one leg an' den on t'other, an' smilin' at my big red turban, an' makin' fun, an' I ups an' says 'GIT along wid you!--rubbage!' De young man's face kin' o' changed, all of a sudden, for 'bout a second, but den he went to smilin' ag'in, same as he was befo'.