Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-12-18

THE colone's either had too much
or not enough" interrupted the stock
broker.
That's nothing" resumed the colo
mel; 'once | was in love with a girl
who was witch. She was as pretty
as a peach-soft brown eyes, dimples,
budding lips, and all that. l was out
hunting one day and spied pretty
young fawn with horns that looked
like gold. | shot at it and shot at it and
shot at it, and each time it would leap
away and then look at me as though
laughing. l knew it was a witch, so |
went home and nodded silver bullet
(out of a silver dollar / took from
mothers wallet), the only kind OF a
bullet that will kill witch. When |
returned the fawn was gone. mat
evening | went to spark the little girl
with the brown eyes; what do you
think? Another fellow was there, and
she handed me the mitten proper. L
put two and two together; she was
the fawn l made the silver bullet for.
well, | kept studying the witches
and finding out more about them until
l was sure anyone could be a witch and
do the things they did if he only had
witch wisdom. One day mother came
home from visiting widow woman
who was neighbor, and said that the
widow had vowed her poor husband
came to his death by pneumonia
brought on by cold caused by expo
sure while being ridden by witches.
According to the widow the witches
rode him about every other night,
sometimes leaving him in the doorway
where she would find him in the morn
ing, almost unconscious, and some
times in the stable with the horses.
She declared that every time her hus-
band went out at night they caught
him and rode him about over the coun-
try. One cold, snowy morning she
found him in the wagon shed all but
frozen solid, and he was a witches
mount, in the flesh, at least, no more.
He had bottle in his pocket which
had contained rock candy and whisky,
but it was supposed that the cruel
witches deprived him of its warming
powers.
THAT tale made a terrible impress
sion on me, and / resolved to be pres
ent at a witches conclave that very
night. | had learned that before GO
ing out for time of it the witches
always gathered at an appointed
place to recite their incantations. |
had long suspected that our smoke
house was one of those meeting
places, and that evening after dinner
| got away from the other boys and
stole quietly into it and secreted my
self behind hogshead. | waited aud
waited, and was just falling fast
asleep, when l heard some one say:
What'll it be to-night?'
"A ride! \ ride!' was the weird
answer from several voices. |
peeped out and saw l3 witches stand
ing around the big kettle of lye in
the middle of the floor, each holding
candle in his or her hand. They were
so disguised with black wells
couldn't tell if | knew any of them.
but there was one just the size of
the brown-eyed girl, and I'm sure it
was she. | could tell they were
women, because their hair was loose
and hanging down their backs.
a ride it shall BET exclaimed the
leader. This shall be the rigmarole
for tonight. Each witch shall first
touch the nose on the right side with
the forefinger of the right hand;
then stick the finger in the lye up
to the first joint; draw it out and
make Il circle with ii three times say
ing: Around and around and around
and out | go!" Blow out the candle
by sneezing, and then you will arise
and pass out the flue hole and alight
on some object to ride. / go frst'
The leader went through the rig
marole, sneeZed out the candle, and
shot up through the fue hole. One
after the other went out that way un-
til all We're gone and the smokehousc
was left in darkness. | jumped from
my hiding place and struck IA match;
they had taken the candles with
them. ! wanted to try the rigmarole,
so | began striking matches and look.
ing for a candle. | found a piece of
one on the salt barrel. lit il, ANA
took my place by the kettle of lye.
Il touched the right side of my
nose with the forefnger of my right
hand, and stuck the finger into the I've
up to the first joint, drew it out, ana
described a circle, repeating the
words of the rigmarole: Around and
around and around and out | go!'
Before | could wink | sneezed, the
candle went out, and / felt myself
rise.
Il passed out the fue hole AMI
alightcd astride one of my daddy's
yearling calves. 1t jumped up with
bawl and away we went across the
meadow after the other witches. Up
the hill we went, and down the hill
we went by the dark woods to the
creek. At that place the creek was
fully 40 yards wide, but the mounts
of the witches cleared it easily. Some
of the witches were on horses and
mules, some on cows and calves. and