mane, dar you see a witch-stirrup, en, mo'n dat, dat hoss done
bin rid by um."
"Do you reckon they have been riding Charley?" inquired the
little boy.
"Co'se, honey. Tooby sho dey is. W'at else dey bin doin'?"
"Did you ever see a witch, Uncle Remus?"
"Dat ain't needer yer ner dar. W'en I see coon track in de
branch, I know de coon bin 'long dar."
The argument seemed unanswerable, and the little boy asked, in a
confidential tone:
"Uncle Remus, what are witches like?"
"Dey comes diffunt," responded the cautious old darkey. "Dey
comes en dey cunjus fokes. Squinch-owl holler eve'y time he
see a witch, en w'en you hear de dog howlin' in de middle er de
night, one un um's mighty ap' ter be prowlin' 'roun'. Cunjun
fokes kin tell a witch de minnit dey lays der eyes on it, but dem
w'at ain't cunjun, hit's mighty hard ter tell w'en dey see one,
kaze dey might come in de 'pearunce un a cow en all kinder
creeturs. I ain't bin useter no cunjun myse'f, but I bin livin'
long nuff fer ter know w'en you meets up wid a big black cat in
de middle er de road, wid yaller eyeballs, dar's yo' witch fresh
fum de Ole Boy. En, fuddermo', I know dat 'tain't proned inter no
dogs fer ter ketch de rabbit w'at use in a berryin'-groun'. Dey
er de mos' ongodlies' creeturs w'at you ever laid eyes on,"
continued Uncle Remus, with unction. "Down dar in Putmon County
yo' Unk Jeems, he make like he gwineter ketch wunner dem dar
graveyard rabbits. Sho nuff, out he goes, en de dogs ain't no
mo'n got ter de place fo' up jump de old rabbit right 'mong um,
en atter runnin''roun' a time or two, she skip right up ter Mars
Jeems, en Mars Jeems, he des put de gun-bar'l right on 'er en
lammed aloose. Hit tored up de groun' all 'roun', en de dogs, dey
rush up, but dey wa'n't no rabbit dar; but bimeby Mars Jeems, he
seed de dogs tuckin' der tails 'tween der legs, en he look up, en
dar wuz de rabbit caperin' 'roun' on a toom stone, en wid dat
Mars Jeems say he sorter feel like de time done come w'en yo'
gran'ma was 'specktin' un him home, en he call off de dogs en put
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