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

for the signal Of horns that would an-
nounce. the finding Of her sister. Lis.
tencd in vain, till ut last her head
dropped hopelessly upon her hands. and
she sat in this attitude until the sound of
quick hooi-strokes made her look up to
meet the keen blue eyes of young Karlse.
the Texen, galoping by on his wiry
mustang. He reincd in when he saw
her. and lifted his broad -brimmed SOM
brero.
Whats the trouble, little Maline ?"
| ne asked, the tenderness of his voice be-
lying the savage aspect of his long beard.
his fierce moustache and sword. like eye.
"Nosie has been gone since yesterday
noon, and we canIot 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.
Il, Maline7 What should know of
Your sister? What have / had 10 do
with her?'
"You cursed her Yesterday: YOU said
but for that brat that you knew I would
marry you and go with you to the Indian
Nation, where you meant TO make C. for
tune"
II was angry; said what ! did with
out minutes thought. Dlalipc, do you
think 30 mean of me a. 10 suspect
would hurt child? Folks have called
me wi!d, reckless, outlaw, and all that,
but swear none ever slandered me as
bid as this girl that I've asked to be NV
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 OH, but at little distance he
stopped and looked back to say:
"I'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 vas on her way
to seek supernatural aid in the search for
her sister.
81 had dream night before last, she
thought. ut NUT have meant some
thing, for walked up scared and wild
like, and never slept any more. 1
dreamed we were walking on the old log
bridge over the bayou, and OH sudden /
missed Rosie from my side. looked
down and saw big black hand held up
through the logs Maybe that means a
Kolntz, the conjurcr doctor, that lives
down on the bayou7 I'll go to him and
get him to tell me where Rosie is. They
say he can find lost things, as well 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 frightfully
i iifc-iike. 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, I:1Ttly enveloped in
an old torn garment of shaggy gray
cloth. like the coat Of dog or wild
beast, the legs bare and mangy-ltsuKing,
the great splay feet bare and covered
with warty excrescences. The head was
of the ape type, with low forehead,
small, dull, red eyes, pondcrous lower
jaw, and u 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-teet
and Il stuffed bat, with wings extended
and grinning teeth, encirclcd his head by
way Of n crown, while from his ears
hung the rattlcs of the snake. The hut
would have been of cavernous darkness,
but though it was warm weather, there
were 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-maste with ref
crencc to some relative that had been
"hurted" by being "pizcned" or ICON
jnred" The African wizard put square
bottle into thei, hands as Maline stood
waiting. her terror of these disgusting
6gures held in check by the purpose for
which she had come.
"Don' be gibben dis, now, before 1
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,
AIRY one, from de stomach, for all de
world like spiders and scorpions. Now,
where's your silber 2"
| The woman fumbled at greasy string
around her neck, united it and took off
| Of it four pieces of silver money, black
| with dirt and constant wear. The ape
like paw Of the conjurer closed over them
eagerly. "T0-morrow," 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
conls. After awhile lie rose, took down
a live screech-owl from shelf among
the bottles and boxes, and held its hide
aus 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 dc bayou-by de big double
ash and de old mill -whccl-look dcre
Trcks-boot tracks wild Texas spurs.
Poor pctite-poor RosieP' and he shook
his head and was silent.
"Is she dead?" Maline cried, starting
up and coming to his side. But not n
sound would he utter except to repeat
| his former words:
"Down by lie bayou-by de double aah
and lie cid mill wheal Tracks wid Tex
az spurs. Poor c.,ildp
/! Maline turned to run from the hut, but
he laid black paw upon her wrist,
reered into her face with his sleepily-
cunning alligator eyes, and said:
'Dc si!ber; you forgit dat"
] /; She thought an instant, then snatched
| tho gay rings from her cars, dropped
them into his hand and fed from the