The National tribune., 1893-06-22

CUP ON DARE HIND LEGS DAECIN' FRI TO
KILL"
bnt kin hear in dare some terrible screamins.
| Mex come whisper from de cave in voice
dat knowed wur de gals sayin' to me: Run,
| Peter Crow! Run for you life. Peter Crowi'
| II sluDg de sack on my back an charge froo
| DE brush like bull in canebrake l run till
| / KANT run no mo- an fall down in a dead
! faint.
"How long lay dat away I don't know,
| but when como TO it is daylight, and am
sttin' at de root of de big poplah. De jug is
settin' 'longside me wifi de con'cob stopper out,
| an beside it is layin' de sack of notions. How
| / come to steer my way back to de berry tree
| whar wur de ebenin' befo' when fust heerd
dat fiddle. de Lord only knows, but dar wur
at de foot of de big poplar.
"Well, sab, takin' light swig at de jug, I
! shoulders de sack an gittin' my bearins strikes
for home. whar has de luck to slip inter de
! stables fore dar is anybody a-stirrin'. Now,
sab, arter hearin' dat 'spesrience you gwine for
to tell me dar amt no SIGH thing in de world as
| witches?n
81 think, Uncle Pete, that all the witches
were in that Jug"
At breakfas time l tuck de sack up to de
quartahs to 'stribute the tings had bought.
When all was done, a gal puts out her lip an
says: Pete, whar's dat blue neck-ribbon OBJ
miner Shore nuff.' ses !. an looks 10 de
sack an turns it inside out, den says: It's
done got loss somewhat but / knowed well
huff whar.
"Arter breakfas' goes out to de stables an
de fust thing l hears is 'miow.' / turns an
dar STAINS de big cat what calls Mollie. She
looks at me in smilin' way and gives anodder
pleasant miow,' and may de debbil ketch me
dis minnit eff dar roun' her neck wasn't de
double bow-knot blue ribbon wifi de brass pin
stuck in de front oh it. Now, sahP"
''Well, Uncle Pete suppose the old cat
had been prowling about hunting birds aud
squirrels. and finding you at the tree had
stopped long enough for you to decorate her;
then-being pretty full-you dreamed all the
witch business mixing Mollie up in it."
Oats all berry fine, but hear to some mo-.
When sees de ribbon an de pin, and knows
what for critter de cat is. l KANT STAN de
notion of havin' her bout de place. so gives
her kick an says: 'Clar out from desc
stables, you child-killin', corpse-eatin' ole
witchI'
De cat look at me wild green eyes, make q
sabage face, squalls at like pain ter, an
den turns an goes away wifi all de hair on her
tail an back stickiD' straight up. / don't see
her no mo-. an for sebral days 1 am in hot
er, kase Pm shore she's gwine to git even
some bad way.
Zone day one de field hans dat had bin
down to de Corners comes home in de ebenin'
an says dar's a big element down dar Don't
a murder. Dey's got black boy name Bill
Teeters rested for shootn' an ole niger woman.
1t seemed dat it wur elar case agin de Teeters
boy. People comm an going long de road
had seen him raise his gun and FIRE; dey had
heeTd woman scream, and hurryin' up had
foun' an ole woman layin' in fence corner
shot froo de heart. Bill Teeters wur still
staDin' in de middle of de road wild smokin'
gun in his ham, He deny shooting de woman
- hac "A fan tchi ~ dot
Den he hear a woman boiler an see her tumble
down, an OATS de fust he know dar wur
woman in a mile Of him. De people dat see Bill
shoot won't believe his story, so dey take him
long down to de Corners
"Arly de mex mornin' Massa Paxton send
me down to the Corners to git more news Of
de affair. find dare is still big hurrah bout
de murder. Dey say de ole woman dat was
killed was a stranger in de settlement-nobody
pears to know her. Some said she look like an
ole woman dat once lister live alone in little
cabin up at de head OBJ Lees Creek, an some
reckoned dey'd seed her in odder places.
81 went inter de cooper shop whar de dead
woman layed to have a look at her. Oar
seed black woman dat 'peared to be bout
go years old. Seemed like I'd seen de face
somewhat befo', and hayin' some 'spicions. /
raised de chin an dar seed on her neck dc blue
ribbon wild de brass pin an glass damon in il.
1t make dc cold shiyers crawl up my back. De
face was de one I'd seed come in place of de cat
face when / wur squatted befo' de cave.
Jim Sipples was dar, havin' been sent for.
He said he loaned Bill Teeters de gun to go
buntin' wifi, an of ne shot at cat and killed
a woman she war q witch, for the gun wur
loaded wild a SLIDER bullet sarkumstance he
forgot about when he let Bill take de gun.
when Jim Supplies tell dat my ham go up
to my right year afore know what Pa bout,
but / ses muffin kase I'd bin tarred wifi de
same stick as de ole woman. Well, when dey
hold de Examination dey let the boy Bill Teeters
of on de groun' dat de shootin' an acct
dent, but l wur sure dey all were satisfied in
dare hearts dat de ole woman wur witch. l
tell de Squire to ak de boy if be seed anything
on the neck of de cat he shot at. He say yes,
he seed suffin' dat look like blue ribbon. Den
| say: Now, 60 look on de neck of dat ole
woman Dey tuck look an all dare eyes
bulged out at what dey seed. De Squire say:
De prs'ner is discharged Now, sah-whst
now. sab 2"
"Uncle Pete, give il up. There certainly
are witches in the world; and listening to your
story with your right ear before me. Pm ready
to believe that you are one of them yourself
a big buck WITCH"
TANK you. sab. Now lif up you hook an
see what de witch down in de bottom de ribber
bin doin' wild it. Maybe she's put fish on it
dis time"
"Yes. there does seem to be a fish on my
hook. Hello? Why, as Pm q living sinner,
I've got big swapping turtle ON my hook?"
"Yah, yah OATS de ole witch OATS been
stealin' yop's bait, sab. She's done come up
jst for to show you dat for the las half hour
you's been 'sputin' agin reason, sah!"
81 suppose you wouldn't have been at ali
surprised, Uncle Pete if she'd come up with
your blue ribbon aud brass pin on her neck ?"
Not de least grain, sab. De fac is l feel il
10 my bones sometimes o. nights dat ! got'er
see dat critter agin in some shape / 'magines
some nights dat hears bout my shanty
voice calm OATS mighty sight like Mollies.
When she comes an squsts on me. OATS gwine
ter be my las night."-Catitorqlia Magazine.