“UNDER THE TREES IN THE WOOD-LOT”
“Hit er mighty bad thing fur ter git inter de fix dat Shadrach done in, ’case hit lack gittin’ bofe foots inter tar—while you’s er-pullin’ one foot out, de odder gwine sho sink furder in; dey hain’t nuffin but er good strong pull on de outside dat gwine git yo’ shet uv hit.
“Now yo’ knows, honey, dat dar’s some times er de year dat de debil plum loose—done free ter go anywhar er ter do anything, an’ he all de time er-layin’ fur des sech er sof’, mizerbul creetur es Shadrach were.
“Shadrach meet him ’way off unner de trees in de woods-lot, an’ were powerful glad ter see him when he kim; an’ he git outen he skin, an’ len’ he body ter de debil ter go erbout in, two er free times, ’case er lot er de niggers seed Shadrach in some mighty quare places fur er Christiun an’ er shouter. But dat wa’n’t pleasurin’ Shadrach ’bout hearin’ things, fur de debil cain’t gib er man er pa’r er new years, an’ he cain’t eben hope him, lessen he gib up he soul. Hit pester Shadrach mightily, ’case he know he cain’t sarve two marsters, an’ he mighty feared er de fire down dar; but bimeby, ’fore de debil go back, he git so cuis ’bout hearin’ an’ knowin’ things dat he done furgit all he larnin’ an’ he ’ligion, an’ he bargains wid de debil fur he soul. Better folks an’ whiter folks ’n Shadrach done gone an’ done hit, an’ er-doin’ uv hit yit, ’case de debil he kim ter folks in de ways dey wants him in dey min’s, but hit hain’t gwine ter pay in de long run; hit gwine ter peter out mighty painful.
“Well, ole Shadrach he done sell he soul ter de debil fur good, an’ he mighty lively an’ peart erbout hit, an’ dance all unbeknownst—ole mizerbul Shadrach dance, an’ he er-lookin’ lack he do!—but hit de debil’s dance, an’ dar hain’t nobody know nuffin ’bout hit but er hoodoo. Er good hoodoo all de time on de lookout fur de debil, an’ hit ’pear lack de hoodoo hear de debil gib he promus ter Shadrach, if he sell him he soul, dat he take him wid him ever’ night, when he fly ober de roofs an’ look down de chimblies, an’ he gwine see ever’thing an’ hear ever’thing—an’ ole Shadrach des couldn’t keep still fur de joy er thinkin’ ’bout hit.
“HE DES FOLLER UV ’EM EVER’ NIGHT”
“Sho ’nough, de debil were es good es he word, an’ de hoodoo fin’ de body er Shadrach in he bed, layin’ lack he sleepin’; but he were des es cole es def, fur dar wa’n’t no bref in de body, ’case de debil done taken de sperit out, an’ de hoodoo, while he lookin’, hear two screech-owls holler an’ laugh, den flop an’ fly erway. Dey taken de owls’ skins, ’case owls got de bigges’ eyes an’ de bigges’ years er anything dat b’long ter de debil, an’ kin see in de dark. De jackass got de longes’ years uv all uv ’em, but de debil hain’t got no holt on him sence de Lord let him talk ter de man dat try ter make him tromp on er angil, an’ I reckon dat why de Lord rid on one uv ’em inter de New Jerusalem.
“Well, de hoodoo he see how things were er-gwine when he hear dem owls, an’ he hain’t got no call but ter foller uv ’em, ’case if he let de debil go one single blessed time, he lose dat much uv he power fur good, so he riz an’ foller.
“At fust, de debil des take Shadrach ober niggerdom in de quarters, an’ oh! how dat littles’ squinchup owl holler an’ laugh when he hear Pomp an’ Dinah des er-quoilin’ an’ er-quoilin’ in de cabin, an’ dey bofe so mighty sanctified an’ shout so loud on er Sunday; an’ when he see Lush—dat he Ole Marse trus’ lack he white—des er-stealin’ sugar fum de pantry, an’ ole Cindy, ernudder sanctified sister, kerhootin’ roun’ in de smoke-house widout er light, er-huntin’ fur er ham, he laugh so loud dat de odder owl hatter shake ’im.