Argosy, Volume XXIII — Index Page, 1897 — page 168: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

738 HOODOO SAM. and his cabin was never approached save when some one, whose pig, goat, chicken, or farming tool had disappeared, visited it secretly—ashamed of his superstition—to inquire of the Hoodoo oracle about the missing property. Time and again the negro, or his rattlesnake familiar, which he always consulted, had been able to tell where the lost could be found, though the place he indicated, whether ditch, swamp, or negro’s corn crib, had been unsuccessfully searched before. For such information the -conjurer de- manded silver. It was believed that he hoarded the money, as he was never known to spend any at the store, which he visited at rare intervals to ex- change the ‘flesh and skins of the wild animals he trapped, and upon which he chiefly subsisted, for tobacco, whisky and flour. ‘“See here, Sam,’’ began Caleb Darke when the. negro had shut the gate of his miniature fort behind him, and stood with his back against it, facing his visitors, ‘‘ they say you’re a conjurer and can tell things that’s hid from folks that ain’t friends with the devil. Now I want you to tell me what’s gone with my Rob. ‘Tell me that and I’ll give you ten dollars—every cent I’ve got in the house.”’ ; The negro grinned, showing big canine teeth between his purplish lips. He shook his head. | ‘“Sam no cunjer,’’ he said. ‘‘ All lie. Debil no Sam’s fren’.’’ ‘*T don’t know that. You look enough like the devil to be close kin to him. Where’s the snake that tells you things? Bring him out. Bring him out, I say,’’ Caleb repeated with impatient sternness, as Sam hesitated. ‘‘ Yes, yes; me bring Boogger right off,’’ the negro said briskly. He opened the gate and shuffled back to the cabin, entered it and came out directly carrying by the cord attached to it an iron cage. At the bottom of the cage lay a large rattlesnake asleep, its flat head resting on its coils. Sam set the cage on the ground and squatted before it, opened the door and lifted out the snake with both hands. A strong, peculiar odor was per- ceived by those standing around him. Did it proceed from something the conjurer had rubbed over his hands ? ‘‘ Wake up, Boogger,’’ he said, shaking the reptile. The snake opened its eyes, arched its neck and moved its rattles, then turned its head to one side, making no attempt to bite or escape. Sam raised the flat head to his ear. ‘Talk, Boogger,’’ he said. The pointed tongue of the snake flashed out twice ; the negro nodded his head and withdrew the snake. He put his hor- rible pet back into the cage and secured the door before he looked up at Darke. ‘“Boogger say don’ know ’bout Rob. Won’t talk. Maybe talk ef mo silber done gib.’’ ‘“Darned humbug!’ exclaimed Darke, giving the cage a kick that set the snake’s rattles going. ‘‘I ought to be kicked myself for coming here on such an errand! What does that grinning idiot know? Only what he hap- pens to guess at. Did he tell Brady where little Jimmy was? No; and the fool gave him money, too. Come along.’’ He strode off through the pal- metto scrub, followed by the other men. But Hetty, who had joined them Eomicbooks =D) (<(0)