The Conjure Woman | Page 3

he became
aware of our presence.
"Do you live around here?" I asked, anxious to put him at his ease.
"Yas, suh. I lives des ober yander, behine de nex' san'-hill, on de
Lumberton plank-road."
"Do you know anything about the time when this vineyard was
cultivated?"
"Lawd bless you, suh, I knows all about it. Dey ain' na'er a man in dis
settlement w'at won' tell you ole Julius McAdoo 'uz bawn en raise' on
dis yer same plantation. Is you de Norv'n gemman w'at's gwine ter buy
de ole vimya'd?"
"I am looking at it," I replied; "but I don't know that I shall care to buy
unless I can be reasonably sure of making something out of it."
"Well, suh, you is a stranger ter me, en I is a stranger ter you, en we is
bofe strangers ter one anudder, but 'f I 'uz in yo' place, I wouldn' buy
dis vimya'd."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Well, I dunno whe'r you b'lieves in cunj'in' er not,--some er de w'ite
folks don't, er says dey don't,--but de truf er de matter is dat dis yer ole
vimya'd is goophered."
"Is what?" I asked, not grasping the meaning of this unfamiliar word.
"Is goophered,--cunju'd, bewitch'."
He imparted this information with such solemn earnestness, and with
such an air of confidential mystery, that I felt somewhat interested,

while Annie was evidently much impressed, and drew closer to me.
"How do you know it is bewitched?" I asked.
"I wouldn' spec' fer you ter b'lieve me 'less you know all 'bout de fac's.
But ef you en young miss dere doan' min' lis'nin' ter a ole nigger run on
a minute er two w'ile you er restin', I kin 'splain to you how it all
happen'."
We assured him that we would be glad to hear how it all happened, and
he began to tell us. At first the current of his memory--or
imagination--seemed somewhat sluggish; but as his embarrassment
wore off, his language flowed more freely, and the story acquired
perspective and coherence. As he became more and more absorbed in
the narrative, his eyes assumed a dreamy expression, and he seemed to
lose sight of his auditors, and to be living over again in monologue his
life on the old plantation.
"Ole Mars Dugal' McAdoo," he began, "bought dis place long many
years befo' de wah, en I'member well w'en he sot out all dis yer part er
de plantation in scuppernon's. De vimes growed monst'us fas', en Mars
Dugal' made a thousan' gallon er scuppernon' wine eve'y year.
"Now, ef dey's an'thing a nigger lub, nex' ter 'possum, en chick'n, en
watermillyums, it's scuppernon's. Dey ain' nuffin dat kin stan' up side'n
de scuppernon' fer sweetness; sugar ain't a suckumstance ter
scuppernon'. W'en de season is nigh 'bout ober, en de grapes begin ter
swivel up des a little wid de wrinkles er ole age,--w'en de skin git sof'
en brown,--den de scuppernon' make you smack yo' lip en roll yo' eye
en wush fer mo'; so I reckon it ain' very 'stonishin' dat niggers lub
scuppernon'.
"Dey wuz a sight er niggers in de naberhood er de vimya'd. Dere wuz
ole Mars Henry Brayboy's niggers, en ole Mars Jeems McLean's
niggers, en Mars Dugal's own niggers; den dey wuz a settlement er free
niggers en po' buckrahs down by de Wim'l'ton Road, en Mars Dugal'
had de only vimya'd in de naberhood. I reckon it ain' so much so
nowadays, but befo' de wah, in slab'ry times, a nigger did n' mine goin'

fi' er ten mile in a night, w'en dey wuz sump'n good ter eat at de yuther
een'.
"So atter a w'ile Mars Dugal' begin ter miss his scuppernon's. Co'se he
'cuse' de niggers er it, but dey all 'nied it ter de las'. Mars Dugal' sot
spring guns en steel traps, en he en de oberseah sot up nights once't er
twice't, tel one night Mars Dugal'--he 'uz a monst'us keerless man--got
his leg shot full er cow-peas. But somehow er nudder dey could n'
nebber ketch none er de niggers. I dunner how it happen, but it happen
des like I tell you, en de grapes kep' on a-goin' des de same.
"But bimeby ole Mars Dugal' fix' up a plan ter stop it. Dey wuz a
cunjuh 'oman livin' down 'mongs' de free niggers on de Wim'l'ton Road,
en all de darkies fum Rockfish ter Beaver Crick wuz feared er her. She
could wuk de mos' powerfulles' kin' er goopher,--could make people
hab fits, er rheumatiz, er make 'em des dwinel away en die; en dey say
she went out ridin' de niggers at night, fer she wuz a witch 'sides bein' a
cunjuh 'oman. Mars Dugal' hearn 'bout Aun' Peggy's doin's,