Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-04-05
JUBA AND THE GHOST.

JuUd was Jug. LII was tHo CuSIou LII uilo
negro quarters where he belonged by right of
ownership to refer to him as an ''ornery cur;;n
but this contemptuous appellation was more
descriptive than accurate, for Juba united in
himself dozen strains of blood and belonged
to no race of dogs in particular.
He had the heavy lower jaw of bulldog,
the deep intelligent eyes of Scotch collie and
the watchfulness and agility of a terrier, but
somehow these characteristics refused to
blend tremendously in him, and his best
friend would have been forced to fall back on
the darky's description admit that he was
'ornery" looking.
He was dog that you would have known
in glance was negroes dog. You have seen
thousand such in the cane, or corn, or cot
ton fields guarding dinner pail, or doing on
a ragged old coat at the end of the "turn
row." faithful sentinels even in sleep of the
poor treasures they are set to watch. There
is always something trife pathetic in the
affection that exists between these outcast
dogs and their masters--a kind Of eomrade-
ship between those who have drawn blanks
in the lottery of life, and who cling together
III community OF misfortune.
1t was JUDAS destiny to be born on a fine
wheat and tobacco farm in Tennessee, whose
owner was connoisseur in dogs, and who
had scorn for a scrub dog only less than his
contempt for horse without pedigree. So
Juba was very nearly being drowned for the
sins of his ancestors, when Uncle Nose, the
old negro overseer, interposed and saved him.
Whether it was that Juba looked upon Uncle
Nose as his saviour, or whether he was natur-
ally of an affectionate disposition, must ever
remain q conjecture, but from the first there
was remarkable affection between the old
man and his dog.
"Juba amt settin up to be no plumb
beauty" he would say sententiously when
any one criticised his pet; 'but he's power
full peart dog en- mighty KNOWN. Lord, DIES
believe dat dog could teach schoolmarster
grammar eff he had de use of his tongue"
1t really seemed to matter little to the old
man, though, that his constant companion
did not have the fuse of his tonguen As
they trudged fieldward in dewy mornings
and in the long evenings when Nose sat and
dreamed before his cabin fire with the dog at
his feet, it really seemed as if JUDAS love was
strong enough to bridge over the gulf that
separates the human and the mere brute
But perhaps JUDAS chief charm was his
satisfactoriness. He was a sober minded
excursions on a wrong scent; he never fore
told disaster by bowling at the moon, OF
freed imaginary possums up tho wrong gum
tree. He was not brilliant dog, and he was
keenly conscious Of his own defects When
the brown cartridges hid in the stubble in
autumn, and the settlers and pointers were
brought out, Juba would drop his ears, that
were greatly the worse for having been
'chawed" in fight, and stink dejectedly
away.
These disadvantages, however, counted for
nothing in Uncle Moses eyes.
"Talk about yo' pinters en- settlers en- sheep
dogs en- whut all yo' mind to, dey amt nary
one of dem can hol a candle to Juba when hit
comes to treein possums and varmints," the
old man would say, and then he would drop
his voice to whisper and add, "Lawd, dey
amt nothin can stop dat dog, not even sper-
rits en- hants, en- one time he freed ghosr'
When Uncle Nose remembered the postum
hunts he and Juba had taken together he
loved him as we do an old friend who has
when he thought of the ghost he revered
Juba as his preserver.
1t happened years and years ago and it
was in the early fall, when the wild grapes
hang from the heavy vines in purple beauty,
when the haw trees bend under the weight of
their own crimson and black berries, when
the pawpaws fall to the ground with their
own weight and lie there in luscious ripeness,
and the persimmons CLEAN like ruddy gold
amidst their dark green leaves. 1t is then
that the postum is latest and most tooth
some, and that he falls the easiest victim to
the hunter. No one knew this better than
Uncle Nose, and for days, as he bent above
the heavy tobacco, now splotched with dusky
yellow and almost ready for the knife, he
chuckled to himself as he looked over at the
forest that skirted the new groundn and
thought about the possums fattening in it.
"Yau better be saoplin' Of yosef, ole
boy" he would say to Juba, who was, as
usual, following close upon his heels down the
tobacco row, ''you better be sooplin' yo'se'f,
case possums is powerful sassy and peart in
'sinmon time"
The dark of the moon is the traditional
season among the negroes for postum and
coon hunting, and the night after tho ''turn"
found a dozen or more stalwart negroes at
Uncle Noses cabin ready for the projected
hunt, Some carried torches, others axes to
cut down trees, if necessary, Or to clear
way through the underbrush. A score or so
of mongrel dogs yelped and sprung around in
anxious expectancy. AS usual, Uncle Nose
with Juba, alert but quiet, at his heels stood
in the midst of the group, and it was he who
led, striking out down the path towards the
woods.
1t was picturesque group enough, as they
threaded their way through the dim paths of
the forest. The light showed the 1.-THE, strong
figures of the men; it glinted on the bright
axes thrown over their strong shoulders; it
showed the glancing forms of the dogs, hurry
ing hither and thither through the under
brush. The air was sweet with the odors of
the night, and the silence was only broken by
deep, mellow laugh from negro throat, or
the sharp yelp of q dog, or the rattle of nuts,
as the wind shook a scaly bark tree,
Presently there was deep, bass note that
thrilled every pulse as orlly hunters pulse
can thrill at the presence Of game. 1t was
JUDAS bark, and they knew he never failed,
The first possun had been freed, and they
broke into sharp run, in answer to the sum-
mons.
"Hiyi, wese got you now, ole hairy" ex-
claimed one.
''Don't come none yo' dead tricks on u.s."
cried another; ''you'se DIES de same ez in de
pot now"
1t was even so. In an instant stalwart
fellow had climbed the tree and shaken the
hairy little beast down among the dogs, from
whom it was with difficulty rescued, A cleft
stick was procured, the possum's long tail in
serted, and the party moved on, following in
the wake Of the dogs
Possuns were plentiful that night Nose
complained that "'twaint no fun when dey
are jest settin' round on de logs lax deys han
kerin' to be put in de pot
ua foupd n difficult 70 l.oop nv, with his.