nesboro road is jest full of swampy land and
on a rainy drizzly night Jack O'lanterns will lead you. One night my
uncle started out ter see his girl end he had ter go through the woods
and the swamps. When he got in der swamp land he had ter cross a branch
and the night wuz dark and drizzly, so dark you could hardly see your
hand before your face. Way up the creek he saw a little bright light, so
he followed it thinking he wuz on his way. All night long he sed he
followed this light up and down the swamp, but never got near ter it.
When day came he was still in the creek and had not gone any distance at
all. He went home and told the folks and they went back ter the swamps
and saw his tracks up and down in the mud. Later a group of 'em set out
to find the Jack O'lantern and way down the creek they found it on a
bush. It looked like soot hanging down from a bush, burnt out. My uncle
went ter bed 'cause he wuz sleepy and tired down from walking all
night."

The following three stories related by Mrs. Heard deals with practices
of conjure. She definitely states that they are true stories; and backs
up this statement by saying she is a firm believer in conjure.

"As I told you before, my daddy came from Virginia. He wuz bought there
by Old Harper and brought ter McDonough as a slave boy. Well as the
speculator drove along south, he learned who the different slaves were.
When he got here he wuz told by the master to live with old uncle Ned
'cause he wuz the only bachelor on the plantation. The master said ter
old Ned, "Well Ned, I have bought me a fine young plow boy. I want him
ter stay with you and you treat him right." Every night uncle Ned would
make a pallet on the floor for daddy and make him go to bed. When he got
in bed he (uncle Ned) would watch him out of the corner of his eye, but
daddy would pretend he wuz asleep and watch old uncle Ned to see what he
wuz going ter do. After a while uncle Ned would take a broom and sweep
the fireplace clean, then he would get a basket and take out of it a
whole lot of little bundles wrapped in white cloth. As he lay out a
package he would say "grass hoppers," "spiders", "scorpian," "snake
heads", etc., then he, would take the tongs and turn 'em around before
the blaze so that they would parch. Night after night he would do this
same thing until they had parched enough, then he would beat all of it
together and make a powder; then put it up in little bags. My daddy wuz
afraid ter