The Portland daily press., 1894-11-19

DR.. Cotton gave June d looA A., "
there was pity and indulgence.
Don't bother your head about thaU'
June" he said ''You do jest as L say,
an I'll help you out. I'll put the Dhght
on him."
"But don't want to have any more
trouble with him"
sits him that'll have all the trouble;
You do jest what tell you. Git MS oea
an burn it. Burn it around black OAK
tree What do you think'I come O tne
niger when the tree dies? What woula
naturally come of niger? When the
tree dies, he'll die Who'll know any
thing about that, Juny? ALI you have to
do is to git his bed an burn it around
black oak. If it was white man, you'd
have to pick a white oak. I'll do my part,
June"
For several days June pondered over Dr.
Cotton's suggestion Sometimes he was
skeptical, and then again he reasoned it
through to its logical conclusion. 1t was
useless to deny that good many cha 'nts"
In different forms had been seen on Caro-
way. June's granny could remove warts
by incarnation. Again, how came Yam
pey Smith 8 horses to die unless they were
"cunjereds" BY and by he somewhat
IhbO WduOAhAS SiO AipuAO SeDtA> -
Stony creek at such times as he expected
Its owner to be away. He wondered if DR..
Cotton, who had disappeared would re-
member to do his part 1t seemed to him
probable that Dr. Cotton had already
worked the spell, and that it only remain
cd for him to do the limsy thing that per-
tained to mere matter.
One afternoon while watching the cabin
be saw the fisherman drive up an OK CART
and loading In his fish star" for Salisbury
After the cart had jolted off down the
rocky road June's mind was made up. He
pried out the staple, to which was attach
ed the paddock in which Catfish reposed
30 much confidence, and entered the cabin
The floor was strewn with trumpery,
through which there were avenues hardly
wide enough for free passage. little
fire still smoldered on the hearth, close
beside which sat a skillet and a black cof-
feepot with an improvised spout. A wide
shelf served the purpose of a dining table,
and just above sumptuous pile of corn
dodgers hung Catfish's banjo. The bed
stead was another shelfiike affair made OF
rough plank.
Everything that might be thought to
minister to Catfish's physical repose june
after replacing the lock and staple, carried
off into the woods to a previously selected
spot. There was piece of fish net, which
had apparently served as a pillow. 10
June a mere novice in incantation, 1T
seemed essential to leave nothing on
which the negro could rest chance for
escape, and SO the fish net was taken
along. He constructed girdle of dry
leaves and sticks around the base of the
black oak, and when he had fired it Cat
fish's ravished couch was added piece by
piece. When the last article was consum-
ed and the fire had died away, June sat
and pondered The black oak tree, with
its charred belt, seemed suddenly to have
taken on startling appearance. Some
how he had not thought of that. What If
some one should see tho tree? 1t was deep
In the woods, but he knew that no locali-
ty was safe from exploration, and ii it
should be seen what reason could anybody
assign for such an uncommon spectacle?
1t would certainly become known and
would become the subject of talk and Gu
Yious speculation.
Suddenly he became very much fright
ened. 1t dawned upon him that he had
stolen and destroyed the negro's property,
and the real motive if it shoul6 become
known, was equivalent to murder. When
the old man died-of this result he all at
once felt sure-could he be hung for his
murder? With a frightened look all
around he plunged deeper into the wood.
1t was IL O'Clock at night when Catfish
Jones arrived in the vicinity of his home.
The steer suddenly veered into the open
space usually allotted to him on such &C.
casions and made direct for little cone
of fodder. The old darby, realizing at
once the peril of his store of rough feed,
jumped from the cart and headed the steer
off
sWhoa, dar! You DIES wait, can't you?
You eat man out o. house an home an
den bawl fob mo-"
The old man unhitched the steer from
the cart, tied him in his place and then,
as if to parade his mastery, made him
wait awhile before he gave him his moder
ate allowance of fodder. Then he took a
package of bacon and some smaller arti
cles from the cart, unlocked the door and
went into the cabin. He walked unerr-
ingly to the place where the bed should
be and dropped the packages To his great
amazement they fell on the floor.
Law me, )" he exclaimed, ''dey must be
somepin de matter wi my head never
miss dat bed befo'.''
he put MS nanu III CroVlC0 III tuo
jamb, and bringing forth a match lighted
It, AS his eyes sought the place where
the bed had stood he was transfXed with
establishment. 1t was beyond his compre-
hension, and when he had made blaze OF
light wood in the fireplace his mystif1ca-
ton even increased. Everything but the
bed was in it's usual place. An indescrib-
able feeling "crope up his back" as he
afterward phrased it. He was taken with
q sudden panic and bolted through the
door, not to return till the next morning.
There was something plaintive in the
weak voice that awoke the Tarpey house
hold late that night.
"Pap!'
Before the old man could answer it was
repeated with somewhat holder intona-
ton.
''Oh, papl"
+ The old man after awhile appeared at
the door.
"Has anybody been inquirin for me
lately, pap?"
mo. Why don't you come along in an
60 to bed?''
IT amt sleepy, pap. Don't feel like it.