WE went tiptoeing along a path amongst the trees back towards the end of
The widow’s garden, stooping down so as the branches wouldn’t scrape our
Heads. When we was passing by the kitchen I fell over a root and made a
Noise. We scrouched down and laid still. Miss Watson’s big nigger,
Named Jim, was setting in the kitchen door; we could see him pretty
Clear, because there was a light behind him. He got up and stretched his
Neck out about a minute, listening. Then he says:
“Who dah?”
He listened some more; then he come tiptoeing down and stood right
Between us; we could a touched him, nearly. Well, likely it was minutes
And minutes that there warn’t a sound, and we all there so close
Together. There was a place on my ankle that got to itching, but I
Dasn’t scratch it; and then my ear begun to itch; and next my back, right
Between my shoulders. Seemed like I’d die if I couldn’t scratch. Well,
I’ve noticed that thing plenty times since. If you are with the quality,
Or at a funeral, or trying to go to sleep when you ain’t sleepy – if you
Are anywheres where it won’t do for you to scratch, why you will itch all
Over in upwards of a thousand places. Pretty soon Jim says:
“Say, who is you? Whar is you? Dog my cats ef I didn’ hear sumf’n.
Well, I know what I’s gwyne to do: I’s gwyne to set down here and listen
Tell I hears it agin.”
So he set down on the ground betwixt me and Tom. He leaned his back up
Against a tree, and stretched his legs out till one of them most touched
One of mine. My nose begun to itch. It itched till the tears come into
My eyes. But I dasn’t scratch. Then it begun to itch on the inside.
Next I got to itching underneath. I didn’t know how I was going to set
Still. This
miserableness went on as much as six or seven minutes; but it
Seemed a sight longer than that. I was itching in eleven different
Places now. I reckoned I couldn’t stand it more’n a minute longer, but I
Set my teeth hard and got ready to try. Just then Jim begun to breathe
Heavy; next he begun to snore – and then I was pretty soon comfortable
Again.
Tom he made a sign to me – kind of a little noise with his mouth – and we
Went creeping away on our hands and knees. When we was ten foot off Tom
Whispered to me, and wanted to tie Jim to the tree for fun. But I said
No; he might wake and make a disturbance, and then they’d find out I
Warn’t in. Then Tom said he hadn’t got candles enough, and he would slip
In the kitchen and get some more. I didn’t want him to try. I said Jim
Might wake up and come. But Tom wanted to resk it; so we slid in there
And got three candles, and Tom laid five cents on the table for pay.
Then we got out, and I was in a sweat to get away; but nothing would do
Tom but he must crawl to where Jim was, on his hands and knees, and play
Something on him. I waited, and it seemed a good while, everything was
So still and lonesome.
As soon as Tom was back we cut along the path, around the garden fence,
And by and by fetched up on the steep top of the hill the other side of
The house. Tom said he slipped Jim’s hat off of his head and hung it on
A limb right over him, and Jim stirred a little, but he didn’t wake.
Afterwards Jim said the witches be witched him and put him in a trance,
And rode him all over the State, and then set him under the trees again,
And hung his hat on a limb to show who done it. And next time Jim told
It he said they rode him down to New Orleans; and, after that, every time
(No Ratings Yet)