nd
majic etc.) dat she did'nt know whether she would ever git fit fer
forgiveness. She sold She sold herself to de devil fer twenty years."

"Aint nuthin wrong wid folks all de time when dey thinks dey is
tricked," says Mr. Strickland. "I had a friend named Joe once an' he
uster fool 'roun wid roots an' stuff like dat. One day he heard about a
man who had promised to pay five-hundred dollars to anybody dat could
cure him of de misery in his stomach. He thought somebody had "tricked"
him by puttin' a snake in 'im. Joe stayed wid 'im fer two days an' he
did'nt git no better an' so he went out de nex' day an' bought a rubber
snake an den he come back an' give de man some medecine to make 'im
vomit. When he comited Joe throwed de snake in de can an' den he said to
de man: "Dere it is, I knowed somebody had fixed you." De man said: "Dey
tol' me somebody had put a snake in me." Joe took de snake an' done away
wid it an' de nex' day de man wuz up walkin' 'roun. He never did know
how he had been fooled an' Joe made de five-hundred dollars."

According to Mrs. Rush the wife of the colored foreman on her master's
plantation was always working with roots. She says "One day I come in
fum de field to nurse my baby an' when I got to my house dere was dis
woman standing at my door." I said to her: "Name o' God Aunt Candis (dat
wus her name) whut is you doin'?" She wus makin' all kings of funny
motions when I come up on her. If you aint scared of 'em dey can't do
nuthin to you. When I hollored at her de sweat broke out on her face. By
dis time I had stayed away fum de field too long an' I knowed I wus
goin' to git a whippin' but Candis gimme some of de roots she had in her
mouth an'in her pockets. She tol' me to put piece of it in my mouth an'
chew it. When I got near de overseer I was to spit some of de juice
towars him an' I would'nt git a whippin'. I tied a piece of it 'roun my
waist an' put some in my trunk too. I did'nt git a whippin' when I got
to de field but when I went to look fer de root 'roun my waist it wus
gone. When I went back to de house dat night de other piece was gone
too. I aint seed it fum dat day to dis. De rest of de women on de
plantation honored Candis but I did'nt. Dey say dat folks like dem can
put stuff down fer you to walk in er set in or drink an' dat dey can fix
you lie dat. But dey can't do nuthin' wid you if you aint scared of
'em."

"Not so long ago a woman whut uster live back of me tried to do sump