The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-20

ure. That was Old JUDGE, Of familiar
repute in the county as witch, but an
engrossing novelty to the guests. AVIAN
dering vagabond she was, and she told
fortunes with all the weirdness of which
she was capable. She was regarded as a
voudou necromancer, and among the
blacks she was feared, if not quite rever
enced; while the whites were not free of
superstition regarding her charms, spells
and prophecies, although at the WilIett
homestead there was an Intelligent dis
position to treat her loosely whenever
she visited the place.
But she was quickly the center of a
group comprising all the persons Of the
premises, and she shrewdly chose the
two strange ladies to especially impress
herself upon. The account which is
here to De given Of her prediction, and
what ensued, is to be construed as the
reader pleaseg-either as narrative of
something occult, or Of something alto
gether explainable as matters of chance
coincidence. The writer is merely his
torian, with no disposition to theorize
upon the incidents which he sets forth.
Old JUDGE was formal in her method
as a prophecies. She profered her
services to Mrs. Arnytage first, and
then to Mrs. Dimmock; but those ladies,
conscious of their roguery in having
figured before their two wooers as mai
dens, were scared by the negress' offers
of divination and refused to have their
fortunes told.
"Den yo', Mass'r Oliver" old JUDGE
said; femme tole yo' fortin'. Dah's
fotellin' in yo' case, sab, impo'tent TO-
tellin'. 1 kin see dangah, Mass'r Oliver;
dangah right ahead O yo'."
That's not hard to foretelI in these
war times, Oliver laughingly responded.
The solemnity of the black witch was
not disturbed by ridicule. She was used
to that. Sinking slowly to her knees,
closing her eyes and waving her arms
slowly above her head, she half muttered
and half chanted a jargon of meaning
less words. This lasted two or three
minutes Then she stopped her move
ments, opened her eyes and stared fixed
ly at Oliver. He had witnessed her mum
merry before, and was not much i'm
pressed now, but to the two guests it
was new and strange.
"Ax' me, Massr Oliver, ak me-" she
droned.
"Tell me what you see," he said, aim
ing only to satisfy the curiosity of the
ladies.
~ see yo' in de middle OBJ a soldier
"Well, 1 trust they're Confederates in
gray, Aunt JUDGE. And can't you put
me at their head? I am to be a captain,
you know"
"Dey yan't in gray. Dey's in blue,
sab. Dey'S Union soldierS-merchin'-
marchin'," and she swayed her body and
held up her head, as though in unison
with the tread Of the troop which she
saw. can yo' yan't in de command.
YO's wearin' de same clothes yo' got on
now. Oh! see dat yo's pris'ner, fo'
yo' arms is tied, an de comp'ny guards
yo' close" Her eyes turned slowly away
from Oliver, and she seemed to be watch
ing something that was moving steadily
away. Observation-Disclosures
she repeated over and over, but in q low
er and lower tone, until she finally whiS-
pered: "Dey's gone out'n sight, sab, an
don't see no noah"
''But I'd really like to know what be-
comes of me-" Oliver remarked careless
ly. 81 trust that you" and he covertly
addressed Mrs. Arnytase, "have some
regard as to that"
Old JUDGE turned her gaze on that
lady, and stared steadily, yet vacantly.
"Wen, WELL" Mrs. Armytage asked;
"and what are you seeing now?"
q see yo' on horseback, lady-ridin'
hard-ridin' fast. Great trouble in yo'
face - great trouble" Suddenly she
ceased to speak and spread one hand to
her ear in the attitude of listening. II
heahs yo' say someling. I must sabe
him-I must sabe himr OATS what yo'
sayin'. An now yo' rides into de woods"
She had seemed to follow with her eyes
the course Of the equestrienne, making
recognizable the movement of a person
in the saddle of running horse. Dab.
yo's gone. l doan' see no NOAH"
TRY again"
"No, missy; doan see no NOAH"
Even those who had seen Old JUDGE
before in similar exhibitions were sober
" impressed. There was martial ex-
element in the air, and the woman's
rude yet moving description of Oliver a
captive in the hands Of a company of
soldiers stirred them. Within a week
they had witnessed the incursiOn of Gen.
McCulloch and his Confederate rangers
from Texas and Arkansas. The local
svmpathies of the whites favored the
cause of the south, and they had been
widely enthusiastic when the redoubta-
BILE McCulloch came into sight, surround
ed by his gayIy dressed staff and accom-
panied by Governor Jackson, Gen. Price
and Gen. Pearce. They had looked with
delighted eyes on the first Confederate
soldiers that they had seen, the men all
dressed in gray, and their officers re-
splendent with gilded buttons, golden
braid and stars of gold. To look like
these gallant soldiers; 10 be of them; to
fight beside them, was the one desire of
most Missourians in that immediate
neighborhood. But to oppose this force
Gen. Lyon had brought from the east
ward a Union army, and the minority
of Unionists had been dazzled and made !
enthusiastic by his possession Of Spring
field. Some had seen the brave appear |
ance that Lyon made as he dashed |
through the streets on his iron gray |
horse, under escort of a bodyguard of
stalwsrt troopers enlisted in St. Louis |
for that especial duty.