The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-11-16


dark to carry one off for murder. He
is invulnerable to wounds and immor-
tai. He lives altogether on the south
ern islands, and principally loves to
hide in wait in the darkest corners
of the cocoanut grove at night.
There is only one thing that can
really battle Il wokwOk, and that is
water. That is one reason why the
Moros love to build their houses on
tiny piers above the sea. No one cares
10 have wok-woks prowling about.
Now and then you can see line
of torches, made of bundles of grass
tied on pole, bobbing along through
the darkness. The palms cast ghostly
shadows, dancing across the trail
ahead. A little moon shows the shapes
of unnamed horrors against the sky.
Often the torches halt and huddle
wavcring in bunch. You know what
that means. \ bclated party Of MOros
is hurrying hOmeward, and far off,
weird, mysterious in the undcrbrush
some ruStlng sends Shivcrs Of fear
through the loneliness. Allah knows
it is II wild pig, but how can mortal
Ntl. 'ts'iN ~ 10 iIOl liit " 'i liliS VI a
wos ',nk, crawling nearer and nearer
through the gloom OH his prey?
In SiaSSi they have flags flying to
frightcn away wOk-wOkS SiasSi is
very wok-woky spot indeed. At most
places they only guess that there are
wok WOkS, but ut SiaSsi they know it,
For this is the certain proof: a wise
man decided ages ago that if there
must be devils, it is better to have them
good humorcd than not SO he ordered
that each week bowls of food be set
out at point in the forest. 4 hungry
wOllwOk is naturally worse tempered
than one who has eaten.
Each seventh day ever since has the
Offering been put out. Hence the proof
For in the morning when the slaves
go tptoeing forth to bring in the empty
bowls they find that all the fish and
rice are gone. Never once have the
wOk-woks failed to devour it over
night.
1t is not alone in the matter oG wok.
wOkS that our nmall brown brothers
involve Providence in their daily af-
fairs Among them, as in Europe in
tn. Middle Ages, and in our own New
England, the judgment of God is in
vokcd in matters of justice. There are
certain crimes in which innocence or
guilt is determined by throwing Il coin
in pot of boiling water, ana making
the prisoner pick it out with his naked
hand. If hc is guilty he is scaded, but
If he is innocent he escapes unharmcd.
m
suspected their Namcs are written on
two similar pieces Of parchment These
pieces are then roldcd up and placed
in Watertight boxes. TWO divers OF
equal Skill are selected, and each takes
one of the boxes, They dive together
at given Signal, remaining under
water as long NJ possible. The box
carried by the first man TO come to The
surface contains The name of the guilty
man.
Among the Moios, as among the In
dians, certain SitkncSSeS are believed
TO be evil spirits In the last cholera
epidemic at Siassi little boy was
very i'll. His parents and their friends
were wailing and sobbing about the
house when an old villain of a Hajji
hove in sight, and offered to work on
the evil one who was tOrmentimg the
Child The parc0ts were overjoycd
ana after wild movements and wills
pcred incantationS the Hajji went into
II trance
He sat immovabie FOR a Few minutes.
Then lie spoke. dreamily. his eyes fixed
on far of mysteries. The spirit he
said, was in him. 1t was pretty
tough old spirit, but he thought that If
it We're put in gond humor something
might be done with it. 1t wanted
chow now. II was 10 use fOoling with
spirit that had not dincd for nine
months.
SO the parents brought eggs and fish
ana rice and tapiGca cakes. and the
Haiti kindly ate them for the spirits
trance cmfwyp pip If
sake. Then he Went into another
trance. The spirit %ns no longer hun
cry, but was still cross. 1t wanted
presents, it said. There were several
pearls that the father owned that
would please 1t immensely, and pony,
and fine gold handled krss The
spirit said that the Haiti could take
those presents and guard them for it,
The father hestated, but his little
son was grooming in agony. He gave
up to the spirit his pearls and his pony
ana his krlss.
The spirit was pretty cheerful after
that IT desired sleep, though After
1t woke up it would talk. SO it went
on with the Haiti ana slept under a
banana tree until supper time. Then
it had another meal The child was
still alive. The IIajJ bad n person
ally conducted spasm. and the spirit
left him painting on the ground in the
twilight
He said that The spirit was good
deal appcascd. He had never seen
such change in a spirit in all his
experience. But still It had not made
up It's mind definitely 1t might spare
the boy and it might not The Hail
could not say certainly. But anyhow
he would advise certain treatment.
This he did ana then departed fol
lowed by the prayers ana gratitude
Of the parents and mounted OF the
spirits pony