The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-08-27
THE BOGY MAN.

for the new plantations of Virginia.
New Englanders did not then feel any
special adherence to slavery. II not
regarded with positive favor it was not
regarded with disfavor, and the SLAYER
found little difficulty in disposing of his
cargo of men, women and children to
the good citizens of Massachusetts, bay.
Among the purchasers was Mr.. Lem
mel Clark, owner Of large tract Of land
on the Merrimac river, in New Hamp-
shire. Three families of negroes were
bought by him and taken to his estate
in the wilderness.
Once the tenant of an English baron
ial estate himself, he inclined to play
the baron on his New Hampshire do
main. A great stockade was built upon
the eminence overlooking the Merrimac,
and within the stockade, upon the crown
of the hill, stood his large log house.
Lower down, but within the stockade,
were three cabins of the slave families
and the more pretentious houses of the
families Of English laborers who accom-
panied Mr.. Clark to the New World.
Back from the stockade and stretching
to the foot of some cliffs that formed the
abutment Of range of low hills was
wide expanse of level, cleared land, on
which the estate raised its corn and po-
tatoes.
Beyond the few charred stumps that
marked the edge Of the clearing was the
forest stretching away as far as the eye
could reach.
As the Merrimac was one of the high
ways of marauding French and Indians,
the stockade was very strongly built,
and from embrasures in its walls pro-
jected three small brass cannon COM
manding the sweep Of the river in every
direction. No fleet of canoes could
safely pass the stockade by day. The
importance of the place was so well rec
ognized that Mr.. Clark held a colonial
commission as major and the stockade
was officially styled Fort Clark.
The children of the fort made no dis
tinction between white and black. The
little Clarks, Sanborns, Tennys and
Marsdens played with the little Qua
shoes, Cushees and Gambas upon terms
Of perfect equality.
The children of both races whisked
from house to house. About the hearths
Of the negroes the little Englishmen
listened with fascinated horror to wild
tales of devils and evil spirits, great
serpents, huge river monsters and the
gigantic manlke apes Of the mysterious
continent Of Africa; of bloody tribal
wars and human sacrifices to the heather
gods. The little black boys learned of
the gay elves and gnomes, of dainty
sprites and fays of merry England, of
the good cheer of Christmas and the
sports of May Day. The rival story tell
ers strove to outdo each other in the
marvellous tales; but nothing so pleased
the children of both races as Sam Qua
Hhee's stories of the Mumbo Jumbo, for
In his native village Sam himself had
been Mumbo Jumbo.
The big Congo negro enjoyed telling
how when a crime had been committed
bysome person unknown, MumDo Jumbo
was called upon to detect the guilty one,
and how, mounted upon stills, with a
long grass cloak completely enshroud-
ing him, a great false head fastened
above his own head and a pair of
wooden arms sticking out below it, he
stalked about the village like a giant,
terrifying the guilty one until he con-
fessed his crime.
The children delighted TO hear of the
Mumbo Jumbo marching up and down
the paths of the African village, crowds
Of people dancing about him, beating on
tomtoms and singing wild chants. And
when Cushee and GAMBIA gave the bat
tie yell of the cannibal tribe-for those
were cannibal famiies-the satisfaction
was complete.
OF the tales of the English merry
making, none pleased the little Africans
90 much as Philip Sanborn's descrip-
tions Of the May Day sports. The jollity
of Christmas they knew, for Lemuel
Clark was not a Puritan and kept the
Christmas holidays, but they wished to
dance about a May pole crowned with
flowers. One Christmas night, as all
the people of the fort were gathered in
the big common room Of the great
house" Mr.. Clark promised that the ap-
preaching May Day should be celebrated
In English style. Philip Sanborn was
told to take the matter in hand and
make any preparations he wished.
Philip Sanborn was pleased, but seeing
a cloud upon the face of his rival story
teller, Sam Quashee, he asked if the
negro families might not have the after
noon Of May Day for showing their ma
tive games and sports.
The request was readily granted, and
on the next day Sam Quashee dragged
10 his cabin two well seasoned pine logs
that had been left after building the
RtOckade, and for weeks thereafter EN-
ployed every evening in carving from
the logs mysterious objects which even
his own children Wels- uui allowed to
see.
The winter of l1aa melted into an
early spring in New Hampshire. The
rivers We're free from ice in April, and
the first canoes that came up the Merri
mac brought the news that war was de.
clared with France. The weapons and
detenses were duly looked to, but nc
precautions were taken, for IL was long
months journey through the wilderness,
20 Canada; besides it was not likely the
enemy would move at once
May Day came at last and tall May
pole decorated with wreaths of flower
and stripes Of colured cloth stood In til,
broad stretch Of greensward before tn,
gate Of the stOckade. Around this pol,
the children danced and played olt
English games. A bountiful outdoor
repast called the merTymakers from
their fun. Hastily eating what wa
placed before them, the older negroes
left the Others at the feast. Goinl
across the clearing they disappeare,
among the heaps Of rocks at the foot o
the craggy hills All the mysteriou
things Sam Quashee had been laborinl
upon for the past months evidently wer
hidden in the cliffs. The children i'm
patiently awaited the advent of tn
weird procession whose grotesqu
strangeness would cause them that de
hghtful terror all children enjoy.
An hour passed, but as yet there wer
no signs Of life about the heaps of rocks
Tbs delay was unaccOuntable. SaL
Quashee's Oldest boy, Bob, proposed tina
they start across the fields 10 meet tn
delayed procession. The other chill
dren eagerly agreed, and Oft they al
started.
Picking their way over the sof
ploWed land, they went toward tn
hills, all the time ON the alert, expect
ing TO turn and fee at any moment be
fore the approach Of the Numb
Jumbo.
why, they are not at the cliffs a
an said Mary Clark when the chi
dren had reached the middle Of IN
clearing. Look over the edge @
pinesn
surs enough. they could see dark hr
ures among the burned trees at the boz
der Of the forest hastily concealin