Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-12-13

ieVen lsawd, honey, dat no cam
iires Dat or ghos' light. sho's vi
looked at Uncle Isaac and an ides
mashed into my mind that he kasn'l
half 80 btdly scared as he pretended.
The hi9 was some rtnaways camp,
and he Wished 10 prevent mo from np.
proachihg. The spirit of opposition
Mt once determined me 10 do so.
'hants or yb,~rnok I'm going 70
seei and you had better come with
me, for IL get carried of by spooks
or lost la the swamp. you know very
well what will happen to you,n
In vain Isaac implofed me to give
up my purpose Curiosity and the
foolhardy spirit OF adventure common
to boys OF my age prevailed over his
entreatiVs and n.y own inward fears.
SO we set out toward the light; Ike
most unwillingly following me, and
Cesar still more unwlllingly following
Ike. As we approached, Il grew con.
stantly broader and brighter until II
seemed to soar in one unbroken, un4
wavering column half as high as the
forest trees We did not venture with
in the circle OF radiance. but stopped
some distance of and looked from the
dense shadow OF the overarching TO-
liage upon wild, weird scene.
We had paused on the brink OF one
OF those lagoons so common in a
Southern swamp. On the other side
Of IL, ON Knoll that seemed to rico
from the midst Of a morass, drama
was acting that thrilled me with hor-
ror NHd makes me shiver now TO think
OF. The great boles OF the forest
trees draped with funeroal wreaths Of
Spanish moss, the oozy ietid water
circling the mound, the flame luridly
lighting up near objects md intensity
ing the darkness around, the wild
vines twisting from tree TO tree, look
Ing in the lurid light like the huge
folds Of twining serpents, ali made a
fit setting for that picture.
Seven figures were grouped within
that frame. A white man, tall and
handsome; a girl, young and very,
very beautiful; four stalwart negroes,
who seemed posted as guards, and, In
the center Of the group, an old.
withered witch-lliSo crone with q face
black as ebony, so scanned with
wrinkles that IL looked as II IL had
just come out OF crimpihg machine,
and small, keen, jet-blaclS, cleaning,
snaky eyes. Those evil eyes seemed
to warn like the rattle OF the deadly
snake; keep of from me, / am
fatalr' Yet the young man spoke to
her in a tone OF good-humored i'm
patience, rs II she were quite a COM
monplace character.
"Come. Venus, hurry up and finish
this business. I must get back to
camp before am missed"
What an evil look she gave himi
Her beady oyes looked more than ever
like serpent's coiled ready to strike.
She answered with hideous chuckle:
Young mas'r en- big hurry7 Myra,
too, s'posep Neb' min, mas'r; obeah
oman mex charm, fetish come, den
mas'r all right, Myra, too. Lib m
lub togeder till dark night come, den
go togeder-whereP Kin white mas'r
tell obeah oman dat? No; white man,
black man, putty gal, ugly ole oman,
all go en- dark togeder. But mas'r en-
big hurry; Myra, too. See ere, mas'r,
see dey leaves? Dey stain wild hearts
blood where one man shoot oder en-
duel See dis bone? Dat picaniny
bone wha' der nanny strangle en- he
cradle. SEQ dis ropeP Dat hang
Black Jim case he kill he mas'r m
missus. See"
"Never mind the balance" cried the
young man, impatiently. 81 know
the catalogue. Eye OF newt and toe
of frog You don't suppose 1 believe
in your gibberish, do youP / only
want to satisfy Myra that 1 mean
honestly by her, and If she thinks
your voudoo charms will bind me
closer, get TO work with your hellish
Ingredients and let's see what you
make Of them, old Satan's grand
mother"
''Hi yil young mass so funny! mex
ole oman Taught Putty Myra right.
obeah oman mex charm you neb' part
nummo'. Now j work"
As she drew near the fire, my fas-
cinating eyes never left her for mo-
ment. The young man and girl stood
close together. His arms were clasped
around her, and she stood with her
beautiful face lifted to his. But his
eyes were on the old witch. The four
sentinels stood mOtionless at their
posts and watched her zoo. So did Ike
with ashy face, starting eyes and blub-
Der lips, trembling over the awful
word "Voudool" So did Cesar,
crouched close to his masters feet, his
morsel Of tail clear out Of sight, and
shrinking in his hide as II he were try
ing to get out OF it Strange, even Ia
a moment Of supreme expectation, how
trivial details will strike the eye. II
seemed TO me my gaze had never left |
he hideous face OF old Venus, yet all |
,hese things flashed on pe, and In the
iame instant | was looking Axedly at
Ter.
She drew close 10 the fire and cast
nto It various articles drawn one by
me from bag, mumbling and NUT
ering and working her wrinkled jaws
s she leered horribly at the couple
lasped close in each others arms.
ome Of her ingredients must have
een more powerful than those she
Iad named, for thick white smoke
'oured out and spread over every
hing around. Through the NIT /
ould dimly distinguish the weird face