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Alabama - River Drifter

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We sat there in the middle of the river, in a narrow, leaky boat, while he baited a trotline with red worms and minnows. It was barely daylight, and a steamy mist floated lazily over the water. At frequent intervals fish rose to the surface, turning over with loud splashes.
Bob said without glancing up from his task, "I've tried time an' ag'in to git ahead a little, so I could do sump'un better fer my folks; but it looks like I neveer git nowhar. I ain't never had but one job that paid me mor'n $1.50 a day, an' that was at th' mill in Talladega. They paid me $12 a week up thar, but they laid me off, an' they wasn't nothin' else I knowed to do. I had to come back down hyar, fer it's better to eat a little bit than none-a-tall.

"I may jes' stay this time. It's 'bout as good a place as anywhar right now, fer ain't nobody got no work. Rent don't ost me nothin', an' long as they's fish in this river, we're go'nter eat a little. It mightn't be much but you see, we ain't never had no God's plenty.

"If I had all th' money I've spent movin', I'd be sittin' all right. My wife was fussin' jes' th' other day 'bout our little bit of house goods bein' broke up so bad, but thar ain't a way to he'p it. When a job gives out, a man can't jes' keep stayin' aroun' with no money. He's got to go some'rs, an' I think I'm lucky as hell to have this place hyar. It b'longs to Sam Winslett, but he don't charge me nothin' fer it. You know 'bout his trouble.

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