"He got blue gums, en ken cast a spell on you;
dat he can."

The Major laughed, and Miss ^larbury smiled at
such an idea. Old Dick shook his head and smiled,
too, and that lone tooth stood forth again, as he
exclaimed:

"Yas, sab, he ken. He got er evil eye, an' hits bin
on me, now for daj's."

"Dick ! Dick ! I thought I had got you out of all
that foolishness!" exclaimed the Major.
"What medicine do you use to relieve yourself of
the spell cast on you?" inquired Miss Marbury.
The Major laughed at this, and looked at Dick in
anticipation of his reply, for he knew what it was
going to be. Dick stammered for awhile, knowing



THE BLACK MANTLE 63

Major was going to laugh, as he had done many
times before ; but seeing Miss Marbury intently wait-
ing, he finally said:

"No doctor ken tech dose troubles; you got ter
do it yo'se'f. Deh's a lot o' ways, but sometimes
none o' 'em will he'p you. Las' night I tried ter.
make a stew of certain yarhs an' grave yard rabbit,
but I couldn't get de rabbit, en de yarbs by dem-
se'ves didn't do no good."

The Major looked at Miss Marbury as much as
to ask:

"Now what do you think of that.^" Miss Mar-
bury didn't want to give offense to Dick, and yet it
was difficult to keep from laughing at the old fellow's
ideas.
"Miss Marbury, do the negroes around Boston
believe that other negroes can cast spells on them?"
inquired the Major facetiously.
"No; I never heard of it."

"Cause deh ain't no Guinea niggers dar, dat's
why !" exclaimed Dick earnestly, looking from one to
the other.
