Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-27
BUT CESAR DECLINED TO "sICK" HIM.

me. for if get carried oil by spoOks
or lost in the swamp. you know very
well what will happen to YOU"
In vain Isaac implored me to give
up my purpose. Curiosity and the
foolhardy spirit of adventure common
to boys of my age prevailed over his
entreaties and my own inward fears.
So we set out toward the light; Ike
most unwillingly following me, and
Cesar still more unwillingly following
Ike. As we approached, it grew con-
stantly broader and brighter until it
seemed to soar in one unbroken, un-
wavering column half as high as the
forest trees. We did not venture with
in the circle of radiance. but stopped
some distance off and looked from the
dense shadow of the overarching TO-
liage upon a 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 it, on a knoll that seemed to rise
from the midst of a morass, drama
| was acting that thrilled me with hor-
ror and makes me SILVER now to think
of. The great boles of the forest
trees draped with funereal wreaths of
Spanish moss, the oozy fetid water
circling the mound, the flame luridly
lighting up near objects and 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, all 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-like crone with face
black as ebony, SO scanned with
wrinkles that it looked as if it had
just come out of a crimping machine,
and small. keen. jet-black, cleaning.
snaky eyes. Those evil eyes seemed
to warn like the rattle of the deadly
snake: keep off from me, l am
fatal" Yet the young man spoke to
her in a tone of good-humored i'm
patience. as if she were quite a COM
| monplace character.
"Come. Venus, hurry up and finish
| this business. | must get back to
camp before am missed
What an evil look she gave him!
Her beady eyes looked more than ever
like a serpent's coiled ready to strike.
She answered with hideous chuckle:
Young mas'r en- big hurry? Myra,
too, s'pose? Neb' m.p'. mas'r; obeah
oman mex charm, fetish come, den
mas'r all right, Myra. too. Lib n
hub togeder till dark night come; den
go togeder--where? hin white mas'r
tell obeah oman dat? No; white man,
black man, putty gal, ugly ole oman.
all 60 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. See dis rope? Dat hang
Black Jim case he kill he mas'r n
missus. Sec"
Never mind the balance" cried the
young man, impatiently.. II know
the catalogue Eye Of newt and toe
of frog You don't suppose I believe
in your gibberish. do you? l 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 vi! young mass so funny! mex
ole oman laugh! Putty Myra right.
obeah oman mex charm you neb' part
nummO'. Now work"
As she drew near the fire, my fas-
cinating eyes never left her for q 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