Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-02-11

some Significance.
Battersea himself knew nothing OF
it's e~soteric meaning, but to the ne
gress the mention of the emblem con-
veycd a distinct understanding. she
let her arms fall listlessly by her side,
and, with an unseeing gaze she stared
at the green trees bathed in hot sun
shine. After a moment or so, she NUT
tered to herself in negro jargon, and
clenched her hands.
"Baal! the wand of sleep! the bring
er OF DEATH"
What are you saying, Dido?" asked
Battersea, his feeble intellect scared
by the fierce gestures and the
tongue.
Il say deep things which you no I'M
derstan'. Look at ole Dido, you white
man."
Battersea whimpered, and, rubbing
one dirty hand over the other, did as
he was requested with manifest unwil-
lingness. With an intensity of gaze,
Dido glared at him steadily, and swept
her hands twice or thrice across his
face. In a moment or so the tramp
was in a state of catalepsy, and she
made use of his s%pellbound intelli-
| gence to gain knowledge. There was
something terrible in her powers being
thus exercised in the full sunlight.
d debble-stick. Whar is tt?"
TN the house of Major Jen. In a
little room, on the wall, with swords
and axes"
AS he said this in a morotonous tone.
Dido looked across the tree tops to
where the red roofs of "Ashantee'
showed themselves against a blue July
sky. She shook her fist at the distant
house, and again addressed herself i'm
periously to Battersea, commanding
Tell ole Dido OBJ de debble-stick."
1T is green, with a handle Of gold,
and blue stones set into the gold"
Dido ben forward, and touched the
tramp on his temples.
See widin dat stick" she muttered,
eagerly. ." wish to see"
There is a bag in the handle" re-
peated Battersea, with an effort. I'm
der the bag a long needle" then. after
a pause, the needle is hollow"
rs der poison in de bag. in de hol-
low OBJ de needle?"
mol" said Battersea, again. 1.-The
poison is dried up!"
At this mont4nt a noise in the house
disturbed Dido and with a pass or two
she released Battersea from the hyp-
| IlollC SpSli. liz Slhi leu, IuuDSu III
eyes, and looked drowsily at the tall
| negress, who had resumed her impas-
sive attitude.
What have you been doing, Dido?'
he asked, stupidity.
"Obi?" was the brief reply. you
hab told old Dido what she wish about
de debble stick"
1.-The devil stick" repeated the
tramp, in wide-eyed surprise. II don't
know anything of it. DR.. Etwald met
me. and ses he, You go to Miss Dali
las and I SEES, I does;' and he ses,
You'll see Dido n l SEES. I WILL and
he SEES. Say to her Devil stick" an I
SEES. Right y'are, SIR But es to know
ing"
Dat nufin!" said Dido, with a lord
~ wave of her hand. Il black; you
hab de black blood in youse also. I
mex you do Obi. uni"
What's Obi? What's you torkin'
OFF," asked Battersea, rather %vou
ly. An 'ow does you know I hev
black blood?"
obj say dat to me. Your mudder
black?'
YAH" cried Battersea, derisively.
you're out of 1t. My mother white:
but my father" here he hesitated, and
then resumed-"Yes. you're right, Di-
do; my father was a negro! A Seedee
boy who was fireman on a liner"
Il seen dat replied Dido, nod
ding her head. BLACK blood in youse,
an I can do Obi on you. I send your
spirit to de GUS of Massa Ten! You
tell me OBJ de debble- stick. But I take
care OBJ you. Now git to de kitchen;
dere am food for you"
The old nan eyes frightened in an
ticipation Of a feast, n he shuffled
OF round h corner as quickly as his
age would allow him. Dido looked
after him for a moment, considering
the message he had brought from DR..
Etwald. and then began to think Of
the devil stick.
She knew very we'll what 1t was,
for her grandmother a been carried
OF az q slave from the west coast of
Africa, and knew all about Ashantee
sorcery and fetish rites. These she
had repeated to her granddaughter, Dr.
do, with the result hat Dido, cherish
ing these recollections, knew exactly
how to use he wand OF sleep. She had
spoken about it to DR.. Etwald. quite
ignorant that Jen kept M as a curios-
ity, and now Etwald had intimated
I1TOusu oAIlClSCd l1ldS LAG WISHED HST
to do something in connection with the
stick. What that something might be,
Dido, at h present moment. could not
guess.
She had exerted her magnetic and
hypnotic influence over Battersea, not
that she wished for a detailed descrip-
ton of the wand. for already she knew
it's appearance, but because it might
happen that it would be necessary to
use the tramp for certain purposes
connected with the discovery of Sc
crets. Dido exercised a strong infiu-
ence over this weak old creature.
Battersea was supposed to be a
Christian: but the barbaric fluid in his
veins inclined him to the terrible gro
of African witchcraft, and
Dido and her words stirred some dim
instinct in his mind. The negress saw
that accident la placed II - - ~
helpless creature, who miEht Ia - 49,
in her necromantic business: a~
fore. by hypnotizing him once or twice,
she contrived to keep him within her
power. All of which fantasy would
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