The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-24
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could never tell. nor could lac, but
tlicv always kept in hearing distance
Of each other. no particular course
vas taken. 40 point aimed for. ] was
lost as soon rs / got in the woods. and
remained SO until we got back 10 the
clearing nlt old Gran would hunt
and amblo for hours and hours, and
when the hunt was over and We
Started back be would strike a bee line
for the quarters. and was never
known 10 miss his course. Every Few
minutes during the hunt, and until
Ring started ou "a hot trail. he gave an
occasional ycip. 90 which old Gran
would respond Speak to mc. Ring.
and in a voice You could hear for a
mile and which rang out m the night
as clear ms q buelc note and echoed far
and near through the tail trees and
gloomy brakes of Tie dark woods.
The glare OF our tOrchlight disturbed
many a little bird which had nested
for the night IN some scrubby bush,
end as IL fitted away To find another
hiding place it would give IT'S chirrup
of warming to It's companions hard by.
The solemn old owl from her perch IN
the tall tree top hOOtcd at her neigh
Dor across the lake:
cooks for my folks.
Who cooks for You alf
Then would be heard the quack of a
startled duck aroused from IT'S quiet
repose on tie silent waters OF some
bush hidden bayou. and occasionally
a frightened deer would dash through
the tangled thickets, nor stop to see
who were the midnight providers upon
his hidden lair. SO The hunt con
tinucd-Gran in the lead, |barcfooted
and mashiugdown the vines and brush
like a great bear. the rest of us follow
ing as best We could. until Ring struck
a hot trail. and then his yclp changed
To fierce barl,s.
All then Was excitement and we
crowded to follow Rings voice, bat
long before We could Overtake him
his prolonged howls far ahead Of us
told us the 'possum was freed. Rings
vcracity was never questioned. for we
knew nothing could deceive him but
hants. and be would not run
iants.n Our torch man flashed his
li1ht mp llc body Of the tree. 10 see
tie way % would fan. that 10 should
not fail across "de korf in.' and soon
tLo measured strokes Of the four az
mon ilng out in the still night. Ring
eluattcd close by, just out OF the reach
of the axes. and an occasional whine
told Of his impotence. and 50 the
work progressed until the loud crack
gave the signal that the tree was Civ
Inc away. Ibc two choppers on the
lower side then ceased their work and
The two ON the upper continued. Gran
ana Ring took their stand side by side.
both Gazing upward 40 thc long, naked
branches until their gradual sway told
that its last struggle Was over. 40 cN-
element SD intense and 81. fan beyond
description was ever experienced by
me as that produced by the loud crash
and dull thud Cchoug through the
woods when that monarch of thct0rcst
met its mother earth. Gran and Ring
had both disappeared, both making for
tine tree top and both rushing To- de
sluction. as it appeared 10 me. right
under the falling branches, and why
both of them were uO crushed 90 death
could never tell. But they always
came out unframed and seldom with
out the 'possum. A LARGE brush fire
bad been Liudlcd in the meantime by
thc torch man. and we all dropped
down around il Oh the dry leaves 10
rest.
Then began q genuine negro pow
WOW. the like of which las forever
passed 90 Glc things that were. Free
and unDridlcd before Inc, a boy, who
lad been raised among them, ard
who. as they well knew, would take
sides with them on all occasions, IN
every trouble. OveIsccIs, track dogs,
'paticr rollers poor wLlto folks,
always came m for their full share OF
abuse. Ghost stories OF thc most mar
vclons and startling nature were told
about sights seen and noises heard
around the old gin house; how Oh
dark. stormy nights, just at 10 clock,
Boo Kings ghost. an oycrscCr who
had been accidentally Ilied ON tho
plantation long years before, woulc
l.dc mp to tie GIN house scaaold and
call ont the weight OF the cotton
baskets; and how thc Cd cotton
scales. which sat On the edge Of the
scallOlds would balance mp and down
every time Bob King would call out o
basket, how the out door compass
pres. would then begin to go round,
with its %screechiug noise, and then
old Uncle Stephen. a negro who died
about tie same tm'DOb King did.
would pop up on the scailold. pint
his finger at Bob King, and then AL
disappear
How old Uncle Amos after be died
kept coming back TO old Aunt MIllys
cabin. and Low old Aunt Mlly, whcL
she took sick, kept talking tOoid Uncle
Amos ghost every night when the
crOwcd for II o'clock, and
how when old Aunt Ailly got bad of,
aid "'pcared like she gwinc 10 die, old
marster tuck little Milly outen de field
and sont her down 10 old Aunt Millys
10 wait on her, and how u
night les as the chickens crowed for
midnight. de door flew wide open, and
Old Aunt Milly, she raised up in her
bed and say: Dat yon. Amosi Come
On. You looks mighty cold, Amos.
is YOU hongry. Amos You jes LOOK
i'm dat box under little Milly's bed ana
,it your clo'cs what done put dar for
YOU, and den look in dat cupboard
obcr Miliy's bed. and You find some
whites what | done put away o ryou.'
Bout dat time little Milly gin a yell
and lit out dat window and run clar
up 10 white folks house fore she
stopped, hollerin' cherry jump OBJ dc
way and wake up de whole planta-
Then the stories would take q turn
and animals would be gifted with hui
man voice. Br'er Fox and Br'er Rab-
Bit would meet in friendly intercourse
"and set on de cross fence twiXt dc
plantations and talk bout de craps and
dc news o. de neighborhood and how
dcy sot dar and listen ut old Mrs. Rab-
bio sing 10 her chil'en;
"De ahippooruil sing when dc daylight gone,
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