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

Srle sat III ttllS aGtlluQe uutli luc souuu vi
quick hoot-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 SOM
brero.
whats the trouble, little Maline2'
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 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 sister7 What have had to do
with her?"
"You cursed her yesterday; you said
but for 'that brat that you knew l would
marry you and go with you to the Indian
Nation, where you meant 10 make for
tune"
~ was angry; 1 said what did with
out minutes thought. Maline, do you
think 30 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."
he drove the spurs in his horses sides
and dashed on, but at little distance he
stopped and looked back to say:
dI'll find the child, if she's above
ground or beneath it. Don't be fretting
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. SIT must have meant some
thing, for / walked up scared and wild
like, and never slept any more. |
dreamed We were walking on the old log
bridge over the bayou, and OIL sudden |
missed Rosie from my side. looked
down and saw a big black hand held up
through the logs. Maybe that means a
negro will help me, and who but old
Kountz, the conjurer doctor, that lives
down on the bayou? I'll go to him and
get him to tell me where Rosie is. They
saw 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 liye-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 frightfully
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 dog or wild
beast, the legs bare and mangy-looking,
the great splay feet bare and covered
with warty excrescences. The head was
of the ape type, with a low forehead,
small, dull, red eyes, ponderous lower
Jaw, and double row of yellow, animal
looking teeth. His woolly hair was.
however, gray with age, his face scanned
with wrinkles, and his manners humble
and insinuating. Around his neck was
string of snake-bones and alligator-teeth,
and stuffed bat, with wings extended
and grinning teeth, encircled his head by
way of q crown, while from his ears
hung the rattles of the snake. The hut
would have been of cayernous darkness,
but though it was warm weather, there
were lighted pine-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.n 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 tor
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 silber?"
The woman fumbled at greasy string
around her neck, united it and took of
of r. four nieces 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
eye, 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 he spoke in a gutteral mutter
without turning his eyes upon Maline.
Down by de bayou-by de big double
ash and de old mill-wheel-look dere
Tracks-boot tracks wild Texas spurs,
Poor pctite-poor Rosie!" and he shook
his head and was silent.
"Is 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
Maline 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 iorgit dat"
She thought an instant, then snatched ,7sd
the gay rings from her ears, dropped
them into his hand and fed from the
horrible den, not stopping until she ,is haS lat
reached the part of the bayou he had
spoken of, where a double-trunked ash