Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-01-12

OF the undertaking, but joined In. Ihey sur
ounded the hog in the corner CT the fence
and when they began to close IN on him he
light, made a plunge at Peter, VINO
wheeled to run, but s'0ld black" was too fast
Ior him, and inflicted a smart scratch on that
part Of the old mans leg where the juvenile
member of the COW family is supposed to To-
cate itself. The old man gave vent to a very
logical, but rather unc0uth oath, and on a
second trial was more successful, and brought
the hog to his side with one foot on his neck.
The next object was to get him to his fiery
destination, which was no trifiing undertake
ing, bat after a deal of ~tugging, sweating and
swearing he was laid across the pile, with
Hans holdinghis head dow and Peter swing
ing to the tail on the opposite side. Barba-
ry now came to perform the solemn rite of
touching the blazing torch to the wood and
burn with the victim the supposed woman
who had exercised her unholy gift to their
injury. According to the superstitious ira
ditiOn they had inherited, this rite and cere-
mony had to be performed by walking back
wards twenty PAGES, pronouncing the name
ofthc supposed witch nine times, and touch
ing the shavings with the torch on the left
side. Barbary, as fat and as rudy a Dutch
woman as you could find in Germany, meas
ured the ground, and started on her mission
ofdeath slowly continuing her backward steps
and solemnly ~pronouncing the dire witches
name. When the old lady had measured a.
bout half the ground, unluckily for her, she
stepped upon q taCer peelin" and feel back
wards q most ungraciOusly hard fall on the
frozen ground, nearly bursting her head like
a cold punkin. Peter would have ran and
assisted his spouseto her feet again, but hold
old black he must, so he only comforted her
u with y-orlc. 8 Cat rloccH ~ R0vh dat Eke
to proke your pack-kit up darIint."
After wriggling about for some time, like
a turned over tarrapin, Barbary gained tht
use Of herself, arose from her cold bed, ant
began to blow her nose and scratch the bach
: part Of her head. The old man suggested
the propriety Of one of the Oldest gals" try
} ing it the next time, but Barbary swore b,
her brother Ludwich, that no one else shOult
, have the honor. She gathered up the bits 0
} her pine torch that lay smoking around tn
: spot where she fell, sent one Of the gals" t
s the kitchen to light it again, while she care
5 fully removed the bits Of smashed "tate
n p~eelins" from her path. The Gext time sh
! went through the ceremony with better luck
looking at each step over her shoulders t
see if any obstacle was in the way, and wit
true Dutch dignity applied the blazing tore
and in q few moments the pile was in q mel
ry, cracking blaze, while she stood eff q Ii
tie ways with her arms q kimbo, and lookin
as acid as an old barrel Of sour-kraut.
The fire began to envelope the hog and |
grew restless, squeally and fdgety. IL
y flames began to twist close at the face Of p
n ter, then Hans, Just as the wind happened
N change about them. This was somethiT
n they hadnotthought of or ~bargained for, ar
" they found they could notstand it to hold Il
rs hog to the stake until he should be dead |
ID the law. A sudden lurch of the wind bic
e. the lame in Peters face, burning his viii
" locks and whiskers into q crisn. The o VI "a
rn6 ground rubbing his eyes to make su
they were still IN sta, while old black spral
le rom ms hot bed over against Hans, knoc
We ing him fiat Of his back and runninr for do
n, hog life across the ward. The fire had II
10 Deen hot enough, up to the time old bia,
made his escape, to burn the hair entirely
O. one side, while the one he laid on was =
scorched, and as he ran across the ward
wasa practical Illustration of that conditit
u men sometimes experience half shared /!
many q man would now have given Il
task up as an impracticable idea, but Pet
Ae omltcEdhanmer was not q man to be triG,
Ct with SO ne bid Hans join him in the cha
ana 1T was a merry and ludicrous one: II
e noS, hait singed, squealing and running fro
ms toTmentors, Hans doing his best to |,
III MN. Feter keeping up a brisk trot, rubbi,
= Oh MS burnt Whlskers and swearing in dutc
Ve and barbary heading the hog with her CO
: : Poias apron; v,9 3l9 e a4eff -d hfEft and sfrafago
to recapture him until at length, alas, Cor Q
is black he was recaptured and carried to h
70 fiery doom, now "scyen times hotter" Il;
II, when he left it.
Il After a good deal of continuance the h
was rolled upon the burning faggots agai
Id and a rail laid across him on the ends
ne which sat with solemn face, Peter and /
- gals" and Hans and Barhary. Thus co
~ fined, and thus oppressed, old black, after
or few feeble squeaIs, gave up his life with tr
p hog dignity, & noble martyr to his principle
After the execution was all over and {
black a dry and smoking cracking, Pet
d, went into his smoke house to Get some leu
'ir To revive his spirits, when be discovered til
In one OF his barrels had entirely leaked 0,
ny and hearing q noiso on the outside found t
he rest Of his hogs collected there again, aft
m tho chase, and greedily imbibing the fowl
ne liquor, gradually getting as much bewitch
ir- as was cid black.
al r4e Fretfvra@TorTn 4dutch that, "ole pla
OF was only drunk and he, like a tam fool h
&C. burnt him for de witch ~
Peter Smitchdhammcr had lost his liou
IN and ms best porker, and whenever any of
Is ~neighboTs spoke OF a bcwitched hog, it "
u sure to raise Q fierce storm Of genuine dut
swearing.