The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-15

s,iPPeu uey sklns ober dey heads an
changed To bats, an went off same as
bullets: But dat amt all by long sight.
hrer Nose den heared 'em say whar dey
was agwine, 80 he up au' gifts big stick
an foi!ers as he could tar, case dey said
! dey wus gwne to Mars Anderson's corn.
cnh Ter ter git some corn. Brer Nose he
haI key ter day crib, SO he JUS slip up
without making any noise, case he didn't
want de witches to know he was acom-
MN I'm telling the trut now---he slip
IN: he did. nnlock De de-, wcn. il, an
shet it easy, an dar shot nutf de witches
wus, same as three bats flying round an
round inside dc barn. He jump on 'em
an beat 'em wild his stick, but de Lor' |.
you can't kill witch 10y beatin' on 'em.
You kin bust ebery bone in 'em but YOU
can't kill 'em dat way"
Oats the truf, sho' 'nuf," broke in
Aunt Dinah.
But jis' as | wus a saying, continued
the old man; che beat 'em an beat 'em.
put dey wus afraid ter change deyselves
when anybody was alookin', but at last
dey slip out from de keyhole. Den Brer
Mose he started out too, but no sooner
had ne dun got outen de crib do dan dc
ole witch dun change her self, an what
ten she do but jis pounce OH him wusser
ner hawk on a june bug, an nlo' he
know'd what de matter wus she dun got
bride in his mouth an wus ariding
an, beating him same as he wus mule.
What Lake he didn't knotch her? I.or'
honey you don't know nothin'. When
witch once gets bride in yo' mouf
yon can't hel p yo'self no moern if you
WIS a mule"
OATS SO ole man." and heard Aunt
Dinah's lips smack as if che too we're
having an attack of conjure.
III dc ole witch had let Brer Nose of
wild jis' beatin' he wouldn't akccrcd so
monty much, but while she was aridin'
an abeatin' him de tothcr two dun gone
an fotch bag O. corn an put it on his
shoulder an was agwine fur ter make
him tote it off fur 'em. But bout dat
time Mars Anderson he hearred de rum.
pus de witches wus akickin' up an he up
an come out fur ter see what de debil
wus ter pay. But no sooner did Mars
"A lderson come around de corner O. de
crib, but de witches up an cut, an Brer
Nose he did not know what de matter
was 80 he up an cut too and Mars An
derson right arter him. But de Lor'
Mars Anderson was too fat to keep up
wild Brer Nose far. He come right ober
ter tell me an my ole oman bout it de
mex day, case Brer Nose was afeard it
mout git out an pear like as lie went
dar after de corn, an Brer Nose would
ahated dat, case he alters gifts up de big
meetings, an he kin pray de mostest
powerlulest prayer an bring mo- sinners
ter de mourner's bench dan any nigger
dat eber I seed.
"Dat he kin. Bress de Lord fer it,"
said Aunt Dinah most tervently.
But Mars Anderson nebcr did find out
who twas, an Brer Nose alters wus
ateard ter TUX de corn back. Dat eben-
ing lie went ober to de old 'oman's house
an sho' ruf, she was in bed an so So
from do beatin' in de crib dat she couldn't
turn ober, an de young on's neber been
nearn on since, nor none O her kindred
ges."
Does men turn witches, too? Well
now dats persackly diswise. Men kin
Jes' turn ter witches enough fer ter move
deyselves about quick; but dey can't
epperate de tragedg on folkt same III
women witches. L ain't got 'iuch con-
hdence III men witches; dey moughty
po'. De, bes' witches is desc yer old
women what 60 covering an wranglin'
animoslties from one house ter anodder
De bes' oman witch as eber l know'd
used ter debil my ole master. She'd
come ebery night while dey was at supper.
Dey could hear her light on de shingles
when she would come riding on broom,
from crack in de roof on de lice boards,
ge-blump. She used to catch old Mars
when he'd 20 out o. nights and ride him.
an when he'd git home he'd be so tired
he'd do jes' same as if he was drunk.
Old mistis said hc was drunk, but he
alters swore twas de witch what dun
rode him. Ole mars said He'd fix that
hussy. So he sot q trap, same as dey
ootoh Toguing niggers wid, right under
de hole whar she drop fra. Well, dat
MI, - he hear her come go-blip down on
de shingles, den she drop on do lice ge-
blump, den de old Mars heared de trap
go snip, rs got her, he holler'd 'I's got
her an he grab stick an run up de
ladder ter de lof' but no sooner did de
light shine in at de loP do, but flip, she
was gone."
"Is there no way to kill them, then, or
to get rid Of them," ventured to in.
quire.
"Well now, dat's suppen else. Oar
amt but one congenial way fur ter kill
'em, dats by drawing der pictur' on a
white cak tree in de fork O. de road an
shootin' it wid silver bullet; dat's dc
only conjenial way as ever heard on ter
kill 'em dead, but eff ye jis glib 'em
drap O. blood from de eend G. e black
cats tail, it will kill dc witch part O.
'em.
"Jis' as soon as gifts up from dis here
bed I'll git q silver bullet an eff don't
kill dat ole witch den she kin kill me.
But O. lordy rs afeared rs neber agwine
fur ter git up again, case she's put de
'goofer' Ia word used by the negroes to
express the highest degree of anything)
on mes
The old man had been sitting up in
bed while talking, but remembering that
he was coDjured fell back and began to
groan, and pray again. But upon re-
course to the flask he revived enough to
tell me what the charm was that had
been set upon him.
"It's lizard, Mars William, it's liz
ard, kin feel it 8 running about all
inside o. me, down in my legs an out in
my arms an even up in my head. He
;is runs en- claws ell de time. Kin fee!
him now same as I wus lookin' at
him."
In all my practice in my northern
home no "patient" of this kind had ever
come under my care, but the idea occur
red to me to humor the old fellow and
see if in this way he might not be reliev-
ed of his disagreeable fancy. So telling
him tn lie stili while 7 Drepared nv