The National tribune., 1893-06-22
-oN

SWELL simply because there is no such thing
as witch"
"Doan you be too shore bout dat dare amt
no mo- witches, sab. Oars witches in dc wu'ld
now, jes' same as dar aius wur. Yes, sab; an
in dis yers Debbii's Reach is jist de place for
'em. bekase witches an de debbil allus runs to-
gedder-dey's birds of de same fodder and
tarred wild de same stick. Now de time when
l wur cat, l done got IT,
"The time when you were a cat, Uncle Pete
What do you mean by such nonsense?"
Nonsense! Nary bit o. nonsense bout
it, sab. Jist as shore as dat we two is settin'
hyar In dis canoe on de Sackermento Ribber l
was onct cat for a whole night. Yes. sab
an yowled an fit wild de best of 'em! Dat
wur back in ole kaintucky, when -
When you went to bed stuffed with roast
'possum and were troubled with nightmare,
Uncle Pete"
mo. sab muffin of de kline, sah / want in
bed, an dar wur no dreamin' bout de business.
l had a spell wicked on me bekase ! was found
peekin in at a wiich-meetin'; wur hoodooed,
sab. Yes, sab; dey done turn me inter a big
black tomcat."
We'll, Uncle Pete, If you went yowlng
about tomcat for whole night, all l can
say is you ought to know the fact"
Now, sab, you's talkn'! Course knows de
fsc'-Fve got mighty good reason to know de
fac, sab. See whar dat piece is gone outn de
top my right year,"
Yes-look's like 'swallow-fork in the
ear of Texas steer"
Well, sab, dat piece wur tuck out'n dat air
year de time when | wur cat"
Well, Uncle Pete tell me the whole story;
then I'll be better able to Judge as to whether
you were transformed-turped into a cat.'
All right, sah-guess it's safe enough talk
in bout de mattah out hyar in Caliiorny, but
back yander, wouldn't like to chance it even
now. Well when dis thing happen was long befo'
de wah, sab. Dem times ! wur tol'abe young
an risky 1t wur in de ole slabery times an
j belong to ole man Paxton-ole Joe Paxton
He had er big plantation dar in Kaintucky, in
Mason County. on Limestone Creek, bout 10
mile back from Maysyiife. He raise heap ter
hacker an hemp, and keep lots o fine stock;
but don't wuck in dc fields, kase l amt one
de field hands. Twur stable boy-wuck all
dc time bout de stables takin's keer do HOSES
Lordy, Lordy how we'll / 'momber dem times
an ole Massa Paxfonl de iumpn' Moses, but
he wur a case-de ole massa! He ulster have a
little pony what he allus rode dat he called
Possum.' He'd go down to Maysville bout
tree times a week an he nearly allus come
home full as goose. an jest a-hyin'. When
he'd git IN bout half mile o. home. he'd be-
gin shoutin wild dat voice o. his like de whistle
of one of de big ribber. boats: Hello, Pete !!
Hello Pete! Come an take keer of Postum,
Pete!' When heerd dat yell a-comin' higher
an higher, I'd run out an open de big gate
of de lanyard, an he'd come a-sailin' ia OH de
keen lOpe; de fat little Postum a-snortin' every
jump. Den he'd circle roun' 10 de hoss-block
an light oil, takin' of7n de saddle bags, wild de
papers an letters in one eend and his little
stone jug of ole rye in de odder; den de'd sing
out: Pete, take good keer of Postum an
den he'd ience-row 1t along up to de big house."
But, Uncle Pete, what has all this to do
with the witches?"
Beg you pardon sab, Use comm to DEM
Well, you see bout once a month or so de ole
massa ulster take trip down to Cinein nati an be
gone two, tree days. maybe week. Den |
ulster joy myself little goin' to frolics an de
like. Down de road toards Maysville, bout
tree mile. wur a little crossroads town, an
ulster sc0ot down dare arter breakfas an stay
all day, takin in de scrub boss races de shootin'
matches. de wrastlin's, de ightD's an all de
odder fun. Well, distime when have my quare
'sperience, / stay at de Corners till moas'
night. Den start home. an as l see tho sun
bout down. 'elude to take de near cut mp
cross dc big bend of Limestone Creek. In one
eend OF three-bushel bag had piece caliker
for one de house gals, pair shoes for anodder
some ribbon for 'nodder, son dog-leg terbacker
an q lot OF little traps; in do odder eend of de
bag had gallon jug Of ole rye dat wus like
de Oil OF giadness an dat WINS for myself,
old George, Tom an de rest de stable boys
when start on de trail froo de woods
find 1t is gittin' dark. 1t ben' de Fall of de
yeah de leaves from de trees cover de groun'
bout four inches thick, an j soon lose de
track; but don't keer much 'kase / think
kin keep on de course. Well, fnst know. Pm
lost in do big woods. Pm all turned round.
So / sets down with my back to q big popleh
tree to cOnsiddah de course home.
'As sets dar at de roots of de tree pulls de
con cob outn de jug an takes swig or two to
git de p'ints Of de compass. But KANT seem
to ketch EN-. De win otter blow from de