Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-28
JUBA AND THE GHOST.

Juba was dog. 1t was the custom n the
negro quarters where he belonged by night OF
ownership to refer tohim as an ''ornery cur"
but this confemptuous appellation was more
descriptive than accurate, for Juba united in
himself dozen strains Of blood and belonged
to no race Of ,sogs in particular.
He had the heavy. lower jaw Of . bulldog.
the deep Intelligent eyes Of a Scotch collie and
the watchfulness and agility of a terrier, but
somehow these characteristics refused to
blend harlnoniously IN him, and his best
friend would have been forced TO fall back on
the darky's description admit that be was
''ornery" looking.
He was a dog that you would have known
ina glance WAS n negroes dog. You have seen
. thousand such in the cane, or corn, or cot
ton fields guarding adinner pail, or doing On
. ragged old coat at the end Of the turn
row." faithful sntinels even In sleep Of the
poor treasures they are set to watch There
is always something q trife pathetic in the
affection that exists between these outcast
dogs and their masters-a kind Of comrade-
ship between thoss who have drawn blanks
in the lottery Of life, and who cling together
in community Of misfortune
1t was JUDAS destiny to be born on fine
wheat and tobacco farm in Tennessee, whose
owner was a coanoisseur in dogs and who
had scorn for a scrub dog only less than his
contempt for hose without a 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 say Jour or whether he was natur-
ally of an affectionate disposition, must ever
remain conjecture, but from the first there
was a remarkable affection between the old
man and his dog.
'Juba amt a settin up to be no plumb
beauty" he would say sententiously when
any one criticised his pet; but he's a power
full peart dog en- mighty KNOWN Lord, des
believe dat dog could teach a 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 use of his tongue" As
they trudsed feldward 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
dog, who never rushed of on hair Drained
excursions on a wrong scent; he never fore
told disaster by bowling at tho moon, or
freed imaginary possums up tho wrong gum
tree. He was not a brilliant dog. and BIO was
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 tho worse for having been
''chawed" in q 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 o candle to Juba when hit
comes to treein Possums and varmints," the
old man would say, and then he would drop
his voice to q whisper and add, "Lawd, dey
Amt nothin can stop dat dog, not even sper-
rits en- hants, en- ono time he freed a ghos!"
When Uncle Nose remembered the postum
hunts he and Juba had taken together be
loved him as We do an old friend who has
shared our labors and our triumphs, but
when he thought Of the ghost he revered
Juba as his pressrver
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 almos. ready for the knife, he
chuckled to himself as he looked over at tho
forest that skirted the new ground" and
thought about tho possums fattening In it.
"You better be a sooplin' Of yo'sef ole
boy" he would say to Juba, who was, as
usual, following close upon his heels down the
tobacco row, you better be a sooplin' yosef,
case possums is powerful sassy and peart in
himmon time"
The dark Of the moon Is the traditional
season among the negroes for postum and
coon hunting, and tho night after tho turn
found dozen or more stalwart negroes ct
Uncle Moses 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 90
Of rionsrel 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 bither and shither through the unaer-
brush. The air was sweet with the otlo-s nf
the night, and the silence was only broken by
deep, mellow laugh from negro throat, or
the sharp yelp Of a dog, or the rattle of nuts.
as the wind shook a scaly bark tree
Presently there mas deep, bass note that
thrilled every pulse as only hunters pulse
can thrill at the presence Of game. 1t was
JUDAS bark. and they knew he never failed.
The first possum had been freed, and they
broke into a sharp run, in answer to the sum
mona
"Hiyi, we'se got you now, ole hairy x.
claimed one
Don't come none yo' dead tricks on u.s."
cried another; ''you'se des de same az In de
pot now"
1t was even So In an instant q 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 po.sum's long tail In
serted and the party moved On, following In
the wake Of the dogs
Posums were plentiful that night. Nos>
complained that 'twaint no fun when dey
arc Jest settin' round on de logs lax deys han
kMtn' to be put in de pot
he found 1t difficult to keep 10 with ba
younger companions, and by and by b
turned back homeward With the faithful
1uoa at bis heela, and the fat postum swing.
ing over bis shoulder be walked on, content
sdly thinking Of his morrow dinner. Pro-
emily be became conscious that 1t wa Rrov.
ing very dark The clear starlit dusk was all
plotted out, and be could hear the groanipe
OF the trees a. they tremhled and shiv.-., =.