The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-07

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quick hoof.strokcs made her look up to
meet the keen blue eyes of young Karlse,
the Texan, galloping by on his wiry
mustang. He reined in when he saw
her, and lifted his broad-brimmed SON.
brero.
"What's the trouble, little Maline?"
he asked, the tenderness of his voice be-
lying the savage aspect of his long beard,
his fierce moustache and sword-like eye.
"Rosie has been gone since yesterday
noon, and we cannot find her" Then
she lifted her head and suddenly pierced
him with a look. "You, Zumy Karlse,
you know what has become of my sister" "
she cried.
His swarthy skin turned livid.
81, Maline? What should I know of
your sister? What have had to do
with herr" =,
"You cursed her yesterday; you said
but for that brat that you knew | would
marry you and 60 with you to the Indian
Nation, where you meant 10 make for
tune"
II was angry; said what I did with
out minutes thought. Maline, do you
think 70 mean of me as to suspect /
would hurt child? Folks have called
me wild, reckless, outlaw, and all that,
but I swear none ever slandered me as
bad as this girl that I've asked to be my
wife. Goodbye, Maline; if you can
think such thing of me it's best never
see your face again."
BE drove the spurs in his horses sides
and dashed on, but at little distance he
stopped and looked back to say:
f'I'll find the child, if she's above
ground or beneath it. Don't be frettins
yourself to death"
An hour after he left, Maline had shut
up her little home and was on her way
to seek supernatural aid in the search for
her sister.
"I had dream night before last, she
thought. "It must have meant some
thing, for I walked up scared and wild.
like, and never slept any more. l
dreamed we were walking on the old log
bridge over the bayou, and on sudden !
missed Rosie from my side. | looked
down and saw big black hand held up
through the logs. Maybe that means q
negro will hel p me, aud who but old
Kountz, the conjurer doctor, that lives
down on the bayou7 I'll 60 to him and
get him to tell me where Rosie is. They
say he can find lost things, as we'll as
take the charm off of conjured and poi
soned people"
Hope buoyed her weary steps, and she
walked rapidly to the conjurer's hut. two
miles away. Hid under great live-oak
boughs and trailing moss, the mud hut
was scarcely to be discovered. Over the
closed door was festooned an enormous
stuffed rattlesnake, the mouth wide open
and the hooked fangs looking frightfu!ly
life-like. Old Kountz was long in open
ing the door, and when at last he drew it
cautiously back on its wooden hinges and
stood before her, Maline shrank at the
sight of the hideous apparition. The
heavy, squat figure, partly enveloped in
an old torn garment of shaggy gray
cloth, like the coat of a dog or wild
beast, the legs bare and mangy-looking,
the great splay feet bare and covered
with warty e1crescences. The head was
of the ape type, with a low forehead,
small, dull, red eyes, ponderous lower
law, and double row of yellow, animal
looking teeth. His woolly hair was,
however, gray with age, his face scanned
with wrinkles, aud his manners humble
and insinuating. Around his neck was
string of snake-bones and alligator-teeth,
and u stuffed bat, with wings extended
and grinning teeth, encircled his head by
way of q crown, while from bis ears
hung the rattles of the snake. The hut
would have been of cavernous darkness,
but though it was warm weather, there
we're lighted pinc-knots on the yawning
mud hearth. Around it Maline saw two
other negroes squatted as if enjoying the
heat. man and woman, who had come
to consult the conjurer-master with ref
erence to some relative that had been
"hurted" by being "pizened" or "con-
iured." The African wizard put square
bottle into their hands as Maline stood
waiting, her terror of these disgusting
figures held in check by the purpose for
which she had come.
"Don' be gibben dis, now, before l
come Tomorrow" he said. "When I'm
standin' by to glib it its right effeck, it'll
bring up de pizen or de conJure.hurt,
arry one, from de stomach, for all de
world like spiders and scorpions. Now,
where's your silbcr"
The woman fumbled at a greasy string
around her neck, united it and took OF
of it four pieces of silver money, black
with dirt and constant wear. The ape
like paw of the conjurer closed over them
eagerly. Tomorrow" he said, and
waved the visitors out. Then he turned
to Maline, the twinkle of his small, red
eve, under the gray, shaggy eyebrows,
making her shiver with dread, but she at
once told the object Of her visit. He
eyed her sharply minute, his wrinkled
face worked aud changed, then he lit his
short, black pipe, stirred the fire and sat
before it, smoking and looking into the
Goals. After awhile he rose, took down
a live screech-owl from a shelf among
the bottles and boxes, and held its hide
ous head to his ear as one would watch,
and sat silent, looking into the embers.
AT last ne spoke III SuVVoia. uiu'Sei
without turning his eyes upon Maline.
.sDown by de bayou-by de big double
ash and de old mill-whcel-look dere.
Tracks-boot tracks wild Texas spurs.
Poor pctite-poor RosieP and he shook
his head and was silent.
as she dead" Maline cried, starting
up and coming to his side. But not a
sound would he utter except to repeat
his former words:
"Down by de bayou-by de double ash
and de old mill wheel. Tracks wild Tex
as spurs. Poor childp
Maliue turned to run from the hut, but
he laid black paw upon her wrist,
peered into her face with his sleepily-
cunning alligator eyes, and said:
'De silber; you forgit dat"
She thought an instant, then snatched
the gay rings from her ears, dropped
them into his hand and fed from the
horrible den, not stopping until she had
reached the part of the bayou he had
spoken of, where double -trunked ash
oyerhung the water, and an old mill