ing I sent for Wash (best hand on the place) to see about
setting out tobacco plants, and behold Wash curled up under a haystack
getting ready to die! It is enough to--So as soon as you came this
morning a plan entered my head for putting a stop to the thing. It will
be necessary to acknowledge that two or three of them are under the
spell, and it is better to select those who already fancy themselves
so.--Rosalie!" I appeared at the window. "Are any of the house-servants
'witched?"

"Mercy is," said I, "and I presume Mammy is going to be: I saw her make
a curtsey to the black cat this morning."

"Well, what is your plan?" inquired Dr. Rutherford.

Mr. Smith seated himself on the piazza railing, dangling his feet
thereagainst, rounding his shoulders in the most attractive and engaging
manner, as you see men do, and proceeded to develop his idea. I was
called off at the moment, and did not return for an hour or two. As I
did so I heard Dr. Rutherford say, "All right! Blow the horn;" and the
overseer down in the yard

Blew a blast as loud and shrill
As the wild-boar heard on Temple Hill--

an event which at this unusual hour of the day produced perfect
consternation among the already excited negroes. They no doubt supposed
it the musical exercise set apart for the performance of the angel
Gabriel on the day of judgment, and in less than ten minutes all without
exception had come pell-mell, helter-skelter, running to "the house."
The dairymaid left her churn, and the housemaid put down her broom; the
ploughs stood still, and when the horses turned their heads to see what
was the matter they found they had no driver; she also who was cooking
for the hands "fled from the path of duty" (no Casabianca nonsense for
_her!_), leaving the "middling" to sputter into blackness and the
corn-pones to share its fate. Mothers had gathered up their children of
both sexes, and grouped them in little terrified companies about the
yard and around the piazza-steps.

Edward was now among them, endeavoring to subdue the excitement, and
having to some extent succeeded, he made a signal to Dr. Rutherford, who
came forward to address the negroes. Throwing his shoulders back and
looking around with dignity, he exclaimed, "I am the great Dr.
Rutherford, the witch-doctor of Boston! I was far away in the North,
hundreds of miles from here, and I saw a spot on the sun, and it looked
like the Evil Eye! And I found it was a great black sm