Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-20
xhut none de ojest curd folks was born

! Of an old darby In a crazy craft that
she called a Gunner" that appeared In
the broad band OF moonlight sailing al
most in the teeth OF the wind In a way
that would mock the skill OF the boicest
| oysterman of the Chesapeake bay, the
Jagged rig OF the old "dug-out' canoe
with tattered red handkerchief at the
forked masthead. giving II the effect OF
a miniature Flying Dutchman as 1t skim
med the crests OF the long comblng
| waves.
Some folks low OATS a sperrft and
won't bleeve how faint nothin' but po' ole
Moccasin Sam whar dey put de "cunjur'
on long time ago tell he gone crazy and
spec he sailn' in de Gunner wild his gal
whar Is dade OWN TO dat same hoodoo
ounjur. de obder Niger put on 'em bofe
all along ov Liza want Sam and not
Davy. Davy's young marster. which dat
war Mr.. Bob Hanson. want TO marry
| Sans young missis and ole Cun1 Mayo
say, Sam, Mr.. Hanson wants TO cum In
| de family; don't you tink he Is a prom
isin' young genrmanr Sam say. ole
marster. low he very promisin young
| gentman, cuz he promise me a dollar
now goin on a year an l amt see dat
dollar yit
DE Cunl war proud ov Sam and he
tell dat TO all dem on cote day and
everybody laff, and den dey had II how
| de young missis say to Mr.. Bob, Mr..
Hanson. how can 1 trust you, you such
| a promisin' young man and don't keep no
! promises Den when Davy hear his
Mars Bob cuss Sam and say how he
gwine to whop him he say, Mars Bob.
no use to whop Sam cuz whoppin' IS
too good 70 such a onery niger, jes
| let me put de cunjur on Sam and de
1xI ...fI II
! him 10 die. Don't you know dat when a
niger cyar de hind foot of a ole har
whut was kilt in graveyard dat It's
| good luck and keep off de witches and
evil sperrlts. but ef a niger eat de pos
| sum whar was cotched in a graveyard
| OATS de cunjur 'shO and de ole debbil hab
got him. Now, sab, amt you hear bout
dat ole 'pOssum in Yocomko churchyard.
been dar bout fifty years 1 hear 'em say?
| Ef could git dat varmint and make Sam
| TO eat him, sho as you born to die, dat
would be de las o. Sam. feared TO 30
arter dat varmnt myself, but white
folks amt, and, Mars Bob, ef you take
de pack o hounds and cotch dat 'possum
and Glib him 10 me Sam amt gwlne to be
so sassy bout here no mo.
80, Mars Bob war a mlschIevous gent
man, and always up 10 debilment and
what do he do but go and cotch dat grave
yard 'possum, and took and send him TO
LiZa's nanny, fur a Chrismus cir.
Christmas mornin all de quality-folk come
10 church. but Mars Bob Hanson he walk
! bout In de yard and smoke his seegar,
and presently he walk up TO SAM and,
smackin' his horsewhip 'ginst his boot,
he say:
sam, how you fine dat 'possum?'
sam say he amt neber see no fatter
'possum. Mars Bob sort O. Ian. and say,
Sam. wonder whar dat Yocomico grave
yard varmint TSP
sam sort o. suspicion somethin', and
he run and axe de sexton hab he see
dat 'possum. and de sexton say, Bless
de Lord, Mars Bob Hanson done cotch
dat hairy imp oh de ole Satan las Friday
night, and by dis time somebody eat
him up; and now I hopes to git mo mig
gers TO come 10 Yocomico, stead o. dc
! Baptist church.
"Den. right dar. po' Sam he fell down
I'm dat churchyard, and when de people
cum out his ole marster If him up. but he
couldn't do nothin' but groan and groan
till presently he jump up and holler. oh
Lord, de ole debbils got me, de debbil's
got mel and took to de woods like a
wild varmint tarin' thro' de briars and
brush.
when Liza hear about all dat, de poor
creetur jes' took 10 be babe, and all her
ole missis could do wouldn't help her.
and she keep mownin' day and night till
de good Lord took her home.
"Hallaluyer but de lie marster war wad
bout dat cunjur. but he amt say much,
tell, one cote-day, on de green, Mr.. Han
son cum up and say, 'Cun', Is you hear
anythin' Of dat crazy niger. Sam?
DE ole Cun'l look at Mr.. Bob near
minute, and den he say, Mr.. Hanson.
you and your lazy put your cunjur on
dem two po' creeturs, and one is dade,
and de odor wus off; and so, sah you can
say dat dis here Is de cunjur OBJ Cun1
Mayo, OF Mount Stuart; and he took and
swipe Mr.. Bob cross his face Wild his
horsewhip. so it look like knife had
most cut him In two.
de Cun'l, havin' dat of his mind, turn
to find Sam. and send round everywhere
10 tell Sam he Is free and TO cum home,
but nobody amt see him, tell way yander
in the springtime, some fishermen cum
and tell Cunl Mayo how Sam is down
on de Ottar Pocasin, whar everybody
feard TO CO. cuz de ole pirit Blackboard
had buried his chist OF gold out In de
bar. and took and cut 80 de head Of one
Of his men, and nail II on de chist and
say, You stay here and watch tell l cum
back but aln't neber cum back cuz de
white folk cotch him and hung him to de
yard.
DE Cunl amt feared 10 go nowhare.
and cum down on de Ottar Pocasln and
sho' nun dar Sam, settin' down befo' de
cabin, he done made out o. drlftwood,
and a greet long moccasin-snake nailed
up. and OATS why dey call him Moccasin
Sam, cuz dey know afterwards dat de
ole debbil nail dat snake up TO keep de
cunjur on de poor creetur and tie his
tongue. 'cept when de full moon cum up
out de water, and den de debbii can't do
no harm tell she gin to go down de
slope OBJ de Hebens toads de west. Sam,
look at de ole marster pitiful, but can't
open his mouf, only pint at dat long
snake, and ring his hands like his heart
was 'gwine to brake.
"De Cun'l cum back all broke up in
his mine, and can't sleep ov a night fur
studyin' bout Sam. Bmeby he take
and send de Reverend Parson Sanders
arter Sam TO pray for him, but de po'
creeter jump in de Gunner and sail way
down de bay. Brother Givens, OATS
the colored shepherd oh de flock, say:
Brethren, all you dats In grace. let lone
de outside sinners; don't you forgot dat
dis Gums OBJ Sans bein' jes sprinkled
wild a little water by de Piscapatianists.
and dat may do for white folks. but to
. get de debbil out o. niggers you's got
to dip 'em clar under de water tell 1t most
browns 'em, and den dey's in grace for
good an all. an de ole debbil can't toch
'em wild horns or coven hun. I'm gwine
down TO see dat POI sinner, an eff de
ebil one is dar him and me is gwine TO
wrastle for de soul OF Sam