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

ailpPed dey skins Ober dey heads an
changed to bats, an went of same ne
bullets: But dat amt all by a long sight.
Brer Nose den heared 'em say whar dey
was agwine, so he up an gifts Il big stick
an follers as lie could tar, case dey said
i dey wus gwine TO Mars Anderson's corn.
crb Ter ter git some corn. Brer Nose he
had key ter day crib, so nc JUS slip up
/ without making any noise, case he d!dn'.
/ want de witches to know he was acom-
min Pm telling the trut now--he slip
! up. he did. unlock de do. went in an
! shet it easy, an dar shot nuff 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 I.or' !,
you can't kill witch by beatin' on 'em.
You kin bust ebery bone in 'cm but YOU
can't ELL 'em dat way"
"Dat's the truf, sho' 'nuf," broke in
Aunt Dinah.
But jis' as wus saying, continued
the Old man; che beat 'em an beat 'em.
but dey wus afraid ter change deyselves
when anybody was alookin', but at last
| dey slip out from de keyhole. Den Brcr
Nose he started out too, but no sooner
had he dun got on:em Ic crib do dan de
ole witch dun change herself au' what.
ten she do but jis pounce OIL him wusser
ner hawk Oh june bug, an alo' he
know'd what de matter wus she dun got
bride in his mouth an wus aridipg
an. beating him same rs he wus mule.
| What make he didn't knotch her! I.or'
honey you don't know no.hin'. When
a witch once gets bride in yo' mouf
you can't hel p yo'sef no mcern if you
;Ytis mule"
Oats so ole man. and heard Aunt
Dlnah's lips smack as if she too were
having an attack Of coDjure.
III de ole witch had let Brer Nose of
wld jis' beatin' he wouldn't akcered 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 como out fur ter see what de debil
wus ter pay. But no sooner did Mars
Anderson come around dc corner o de
crib. but de witches up an cut, an Brer
Nose he did not know what de matter
was so he up an cut too and Mars An
derson right arter him. But de Lor'
Mara Anderson was too fat to keep I'D
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 he went
dar after de corn, an Brer Nose would
ahated dat, ease he alters gifts up de big
meetings, an he kin pray de mostest
poweriulest prayer an bring mo- sinners
ter de mourner's bench dan any nigger
dat eDer seed.
dat he kin. Bress de Lord fer it,"
said Aunt Dinah most iervcntly.
but Mars Anderson neber did find out
who twas, an Brer Nose alters wus
ateard ter TUX de corn back. Dat chem
ing he went ober to dc old '0man's house,
an sho' nuf, she was in bed an so So
from de beatin' in de crib dat she couldn't
turn ober, an de young on's ueber been
hearn 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
Operate de tragedy on folks same as
women witches. 1 ain't got much con-
tidence in men witches; dey moughty
po'. De, bes' witches is desc yer old
women what 60 covering an wranglin'
animosities from one house ter ;aoduer.
De bes' 'Oman witch rs eber l knowd
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 wonld come riding on broom,
ge-bllp, same rs a cat; den she'd drap
from crack in de roof on de jce boards,
gc-blump. She used to catch old Mars
when he'd go ont % nights and ride him,
an when he'd git home he'd be 80 tired
he'd do jes' same MS il no 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 trap, same as dey
cotch roguing niggers wid, right under
de hole whar she drop fra. Well, dat
| night he hear her come go-blip down on
de shingles, den she drop on de jice ge-
| blump, den de old Mars heared de trap
60 snip. 'I's got her. he hollerd 'Is got
her an he grab stick an run up de
ladder ter de lof' but no sooner did dc
light shine In at de iof' do, bnt 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 q
white oak tree in de fork o. de road an
shootin' it wid silver bullet; dat's dc
only coDjenial way as ever heard on ter
kill 'em dead, but eff ye JIG glib 'em =
drap n blood from de eend O. black
cats Gail, it will kill dc witch part O.
'em.
"Jis' as soon as gifts up from dis here
bed III git silver bullet an eff l 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 me-"
The old man had been sitting up 10
bed while talking, but remembering that
he was conjured fell back and began to
groan, and pray again. But upon re-
course to th. aask he revived enough to
tell me what the charm was that had
been set upon him.
"It's q lizard, Mars William, it's liz
ard, kin feel it a running about all
inside O. me, down in my legs an out in
my arms an even Up ii ny head. He
jis runs an claws all de time. I kin feel
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 disagrceable fancy. So telling
him to lie still while I prepared my