The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-02-17

meet the keen blue, eyes of young Karlse
the Texan, galloping BY on his wiry
her. and, lifted his broad. d.brimmed som
brero.
"What's the trouble, little Maline p
he asked the tenderness of his voice be.
! living the savage aspect of his long
beard, his fierce moustache and sword
[like eye.
"Rosie has been gone since yerterday
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.
sI, Maline? What should know of
your sister? What have I had to do with
herr"
"You cursed her yesterday you said
but for that brat that you knewI would
marry you and 60 with youto the Indian
Nation, where you meant to make for
tune."' m et.
aI was angry / said whatI did with
out minutes thought. Maline, do you
think 80 mean of me as to suspect l
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 I never
see your face, again" -. Z ,,..,s
he drove: the spurs in. his horse's sides
and dashed. on, but at little distance
he stopped and looked. back to say :..a4h /
aIli find the, child, if she's above
ground or beneath it. Don't be fretting
lSyonrselfto to DEATH" ~, a,.,..-.,.s. :
An -Four 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.
sI had q dream night before last, she
tthodght. saIt must have meant. some.
thing, for I walked up scared and wild
Hike, and never slept any more. /
dreamed we were walking on the old log
bridge over the bayou, and on a sudden !
missed Rosie from, my side. | looked
down aud saw a big; black hand held up
Through the logs. Maybe that means q
negro will help me, and who but old
Kountz, the coDjurer doctor, that lives
down on the bayou? I'll go to, him and
get him to tell me where Rosie is. They
say he can find lost things, as we'll. as
tal:o the charm off of conjured and poi
soned people,.
Hope b1oyyed her weary steps, and she
walked rapidly to the coDjurer's hut, two
miles away. Hid under great live,oak
bougbs and trailing moss, the mud hut
was scarcely to be discovered. Over the
closed door was festooned an enormous
stuffed rastlesnake, 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 onits wooden hinges and
stood before her, Maline shrank at the
sight of the hideons apparition. The
heavy, squat figure, partly enyeloped in
an old torn garment of shaggy gray
cloth, like the coat Of q dog or a wild
beast, the legs bare and NANCY y-looking
the great splay feet bare and: covered
with wartyI excrences. The head was
Of the ape type, With q low forehead,
small, dull, red eyes, ponderous lower
Jaw, and a double.ow0 of yellow, animal.
looking teeth. His woody hair was,
however, gray with age; his face scanned
with wrinkles, aud his manners humble
and insinuating. Around his neck was q
string of snake. bones and alligator teeth,
and a stuffed bat, with wings extended
and grinning teeth, encircled his head by
way Of a Grown, while from his ears
hung the rattles of the snake. The hut
would have been of cavarnous 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, a man and woman, who had come
to consult the copjurer-master with ref
erence to some relative that had been
"hurted" by being "pizened" or icon.
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 [
come to. morrow" he said. "When I'm
standin' by to glib it its right efeck, it'll
bring up de pizen or de ,conjure-hurt,
AIRY one, from de stomach. for oil de
world like spiders and scorpions. Now,
where's you silberH"
The woman ftlmbled at a 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 ofthe conjurer closed over them
eagerly. "To-morrow," he said, and
waved the visitors out. Then he turned
to Maliue, the twinkle of hi5 small, red
eye, under the gray, shaggy eye brows,
making her shiver with dread, but she at
once told the object of her visit. he
eyed her sharply minute, his wrinkled
face worked and change3ssnd he lit bis
short, black pipe, stirred the fire and sat
before it smoking aud looking into the
Goals. After awhile he rose, took down
a live screech.owl from shelf among
the bottles and boxes, and held its hide
GUS head to his ear as one would watch,
and sat silent, looking into the embers.
/ At last he spoke in gutteral mntter
without turning his eyes upon Maline.
-."Down by the bayou-by de big double
ash and de old mill-wheel-look dere.
Tracks-boot tracks wid Texas spurs.
Poor petIe-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 be 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 child"
Maline turned to run from the hut, but
he laid black paw upon her wrist,
peered into her face with his sleepy.
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
i reached the part Of the bayou he had