Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-12-09

1t wouldn't be many days fore the,
was gone, bag an baggage. But th'
quickest way was TO get Old MAJ
doctor, you knOw-dealt in roots an
herbs an sech. My land, 1 wish yet
could have seen him. He used 10 scare
me half out of my wits when | was 9
child. He was tall, an lean an brown
with a nut-cracker nose an chin, eyes
black rs beads, an he had long, white
hair hangin' around his shoulders. He
wore leather vest an breeches, awful
lOng-pointed shoes with big buckles to
'ein, and he had u botle-green surtout
with a fur collar that come away up
To his ears, an on his head, summer
! or winter, he wore a gray squirrelsl1in
cap, peaked shape. He rode from
! house to house, mounted on a horse as
lean an humble as he was. He had
+ lunches Of herbs an long-necked bottles
! dangling from the horn Of his saddle.
i An the biggest black cat with the
I greeuest eyes [ ever saw always foller-
in him, close to his heels. Yes, that
cat went everywhere with him. Some
folks said that it was his wife and that
she had quar'eled so much with him
that at last he'd got mad, an bein' a
] witch doctor, changed her into a cat
Anyhow, She was Il most KNOWN ami
mile an did lots in helpin' him rid
houses o rats. You see his way was,
when he came to Il house, was to go
in, poundin' like all possessed on the
threshold as he Went over it, an he an
the cat would go from room TO room,
she a-yOWln' an he a-pOundin' an
rinSi' Il big sleigh bell an Splinklin'
bad -amcilin powders an ;l-nutterin'
some sort Of jargon poetry. l always
S posed it was Latin, but Old Dominic
Spinner, who was the BEST scholar III
these parts, am my father, who was
about as good, said it WANT Latin.
Neither Oh 'cm knOWed jest what it
was, but they rockoned it was some
sort Of gypsy language.
The rats seemed to understand it,
any how, for they left the house.
Whether it WAS the noise, holfering,
bad smell or the cat a-yowlin SOME
thin drove them away.
''Eut, us | said, Old Mrs. Dcvens WAS
determined to send for DR.. Schneider.
She wanted half-wit IIonickle TO go
for him, but though he was generally
oDliging, he fatty refused to go an he
jest chung TO her gown, an says he,
Oh, mann. don't let Old Man Schneider
Gomez
she thought the poor creature was
afraid Of the witch doctor an so she
says soothin'ly, Tut, tut, sonny, you
can 20 out in the lot when he comes,
willie the rats is being driven away
But IIonichle didn't seem inclined
to go away after all. lie hung around
the house, lookin scared an worried
an Whimpcrin' an mutterin' to hiSself
BY an by the witch doctor come an
three or four ncighbcrs with him, for,
you see, it was kind O. intcrcstin' to
see him 20 through his mummcry-
most as cXcitin' rs Oh funeral or we'd
din
Wen, up rode Dr. Schneider, an
the black cat Oh the front Of The saddle,
an in he come, poundin', ringin' his
bell and chatterin' gibberish as he went
from room 10 room, the folks fOllWin'
him an poor half-wit Honicllc bringin'
up The rear, Wringin' his hands and
snitfin rs though he was in great
trouble But nobody paid much atten-
ton to him, cause, you see, he was
always peculiar actin
We'll the doctor got through all the
house, 'ceptin' the spare chamber, an
into that he went. thumpin' on the
wall. an the cat archin' her back an
maxim her eyes bigger n greener.
An when he got near the chimney he
stopped all Of Il sudden.
"'rhis part of the wall sounds holler,'
says he
faint nothin' but the wainscotin'
there says Mrs. Devens
But there's a holler place back o
here, all the same, says the doctor
sluintin over his goggles. It's jest
the place for yermin to be i'll, too.
Like rs not says she; I shouldn't
wonder if you was right, too, fur here's
crumbs on the floor outside, an now l
remember most of the noises been up
this part O the house.
'The witch doctor thumped on the
panels one by one, an when he was
dom OF it. half-wit Uoniclle sprung
forward, screamin' like an animile i'll
pain, while the cat made as though
she wanted to jump on him an scratch
him to pieces.
- Don't We touch that wall! don't We
touch that WALL. he hollered to the doc
tor, an he struggled to keep him from
dom it, but the neighbors grabbed him,
an Jest as then the doctor happened
to hit Il hidden spring an big panel
flow open, an there, in q little cubby
closet that nobody, not even Mrs. Dew
ems. ever suspicioned was there, was
the misSin' Ben Devens.
bits of food and candle ends showed
that he'd both slept an lodged there
for many days. 1t seems his brother
Honickle has been the one to carry him
! things an it was this noise o nights
an missin' vittles that made their moth
or think rats was around.
"Weu, the neighbors rested Ben, o
course. an when he was carried away
! they said it was jest pitiful to hear the
F., poor, faithful half-wit take on. Z tried
| to save him! Ben, oh, dear Benz
The folks tried to pacify him. an old
I Mr. Sampson says: Now. HonicSle,
don't feel so bad. You h'an't to blame.
Everybody knows you'd rather be
-