The Conjure Woman | Page 6

dollar git by him in de
dahkness; en w'en he see how Henry git young in de spring en ole in de
fall, he 'lowed ter hisse'f ez how he could make mo' money out'n Henry
dan by wukkin' him in de cotton-fiel'. 'Long de nex' spring, atter de sap

'mence' ter rise, en Henry 'n'int 'is head en sta'ted fer ter git young en
soopl, Mars Dugal' up 'n tuk Henry ter town, en sole 'im fer fifteen
hunder' dollars. Co'se de man w'at bought Henry did n' know nuffin
'bout de goopher, en Mars Dugal' did n' see no 'casion fer ter tell 'im.
Long to'ds de fall, w'en de sap went down, Henry begin ter git ole ag'in
same ez yuzhal, en his noo marster begin ter git skeered les'n he gwine
ter lose his fifteen-hunder'-dollar nigger. He sent fer a mighty fine
doctor, but de med'cine did n' 'pear ter do no good; de goopher had a
good holt. Henry tole de doctor 'bout de goopher, but de doctor des laff
at 'im.
"One day in de winter Mars Dugal' went ter town, en wuz santerin'
'long de Main Street, when who should he meet but Henry's noo
marster. Dey said 'Hoddy,' en Mars Dugal' ax 'im ter hab a seegyar; en
atter dey run on awhile 'bout de craps en de weather, Mars Dugal' ax
'im, sorter keerless, like ez ef he des thought of it,--
"'How you like de nigger I sole you las' spring?'
"Henry's marster shuck his head en knock de ashes off'n his seegyar.
"'Spec' I made a bad bahgin when I bought dat nigger. Henry done
good wuk all de summer, but sence de fall set in he 'pears ter be sorter
pinin' away. Dey ain' nuffin pertickler de matter wid 'im--leastways de
doctor say so--'cep'n' a tech er de rheumatiz; but his ha'r is all fell out,
en ef he don't pick up his strenk mighty soon, I spec' I'm gwine ter lose
'im.'
"Dey smoked on awhile, en bimeby ole mars say, 'Well, a bahgin 's a
bahgin, but you en me is good fren's, en I doan wan' ter see you lose all
de money you paid fer dat nigger; en ef w'at you say is so, en I ain't
'sputin' it, he ain't wuf much now. I 'spec's you wukked him too ha'd dis
summer, er e'se de swamps down here don't agree wid de san'-hill
nigger. So you des lemme know, en ef he gits any wusser I'll be willin'
ter gib yer five hund'ed dollars fer 'im, en take my chances on his livin'.'
"Sho 'nuff, when Henry begun ter draw up wid de rheumatiz en it look
like he gwine ter die fer sho, his noo marster sen' fer Mars Dugal', en

Mars Dugal' gin him what he promus, en brung Henry home ag'in. He
tuk good keer uv 'im dyoin' er de winter,--give 'im w'iskey ter rub his
rheumatiz, en terbacker ter smoke, en all he want ter eat,--'caze a nigger
w'at he could make a thousan' dollars a year off'n did n' grow on eve'y
huckleberry bush.
"Nex' spring, w'en de sap ris en Henry's ha'r commence' ter sprout,
Mars Dugal' sole 'im ag'in, down in Robeson County dis time; en he
kep' dat sellin' business up fer five year er mo'. Henry nebber say nuffin
'bout de goopher ter his noo marsters, 'caze he know he gwine ter be
tuk good keer uv de nex' winter, w'en Mars Dugal' buy him back. En
Mars Dugal' made 'nuff money off'n Henry ter buy anudder plantation
ober on Beaver Crick.
"But 'long 'bout de een' er dat five year dey come a stranger ter stop at
de plantation. De fus' day he 'uz dere he went out wid Mars Dugal' en
spent all de mawnin' lookin' ober de vimya'd, en atter dinner dey spent
all de evenin' playin' kya'ds. De niggers soon 'skiver' dat he wuz a
Yankee, en dat he come down ter Norf C'lina fer ter l'arn de w'ite folks
how to raise grapes en make wine. He promus Mars Dugal' he c'd make
de grapevimes b'ar twice't ez many grapes, en dat de noo winepress he
wuz a-sellin' would make mo' d'n twice't ez many gallons er wine. En
ole Mars Dugal' des drunk it all in, des 'peared ter be bewitch' wid dat
Yankee. Wen de darkies see dat Yankee runnin' 'roun' de vimya'd en
diggin' under de grapevimes, dey shuk dere heads, en 'lowed dat dey
feared Mars Dugal' losin' his min'. Mars Dugal' had all de dirt dug away
fum under de roots er all de scuppernon' vimes, an' let 'em stan' dat
away fer a week er mo'. Den dat Yankee made de niggers fix up a