Bypaths In Dixie Part 19

"Hole on, Sis' Phyllis," Zeek ran and caught her by the arm, "hole on, Sist'r,--you ain' mad sho' nuf, is yer?"

"Tu'n me loose, Zeekiel," she demanded furiously.

Instead, he caught the other arm also. "I ain' gwine let yer go mad like yer is," then consiliatingly, "yer knows dem gyart'rs snakes can't bite n.o.body--I jes' wanter see yer dance er lit'le," and again he laughed, as the picture presented itself.

"I gwine call Miss Lucy, ef yer doan take yer han's off'n me," stolidly demanded Phyllis.

"All right," he said holding on as tightly as ever, "I jes' want yer ter wait hyah tell I goes down ter de orchard an' gets yer er hat full er dem big peaches." This argument lessened the rigidity of her face. "Dey's de fines' thing ter swage mis'ry er de speeret yer ev'r seed." She allowed him to shove her gently to the ground under the lilac bushes. "Hyah, set right hyah tell I comes back." Seeing the old woman partly restored to good humor, he slammed the garden gate behind him and went down the path, singing.

"Come on, Mammy, less us get my lit'le green snakes Unk Zeek brought me,"

Willis started back to the garden.

"Come back hyah, boy," as she caught him by the skirt of his blouse, "dem snakes wusn't brung hyah fur you, Zeek jes' makin' er 'cat's paw' er you.

He 'ceivin' you jes' like Mist'r Rattlesnake done Miss Eve."

"No, he ain't, Unk Zeek loves me," defended the boy.

"Dat's jes' whut Miss Eve think whin de sarpint temp' her."

"What's er sarpint?" He still pulled against her.

"Er sarpint is er snake, honey--dat's jes' his scriptur' name--come on an'

set in Mammy's lap an' she'll tell yer 'bout how ole Mist'r Rattlesnake fix hisse'f up so fine, way back yonder time, an' come struttin' roun'

Miss Eve. He nuv'r come crawlin' like snakes does dese days neeth'r, nor, suh, he come walkin' plum on de een' er his tail; an' he look s' fine an'

starchy dat--"

"Didn't he have to hop?" Willis scrambled into her lap.

"Nor, de Lawd fix hit so he doan hatt'r hop. I'm tellin' 'zackly de trufe,--he come walkin' on de een' er his tail," she insisted, "an he look s' fine an' gran', like some er de fine men folks, dat Miss Eve cudn't see how black wid sin he wus."

"You are not black with sin," and he pulled the wrinkled face to him and kissed it.

"Bless my baby," looking into his face as she hugged him, "dis hyah black on Mammy's face is nig'r black," she squeezed him again, "but sin black, like Mr. Rattlesnake got, stays in fokeses hearts whar hits hard ter see, whin hit's kiv'r'd up wid fine man'rs an' er slick tongue.

"So whin Mist'r Rattlesnake come bowin' an sc.r.a.pin' ter Miss Eve wid dat beav'r hat on, an' dat walkin' stick whirlin' roun' in his han', she git so airish tryin' ter th'ow off man'rs like his'n, dat whin he tell her ter eat dat pis'n apple, she et hit 'dout knowin' whut she doin'. Howsumev'r, whin Mist'r Rattlesnake but'n up his long tail coat sort'r keerles' like, an' strut hisse'f off, Miss Eve, she 'gun ter feel de mis'ry er dat pis'n apple."

"Did her mama give her some castor oil?" Willis sympathized with Miss Eve.

"No, my Lawd, she sot dar an' holl'r tell Adam come an' ax her whut ail 'er. She start ter laffin' she did, an' say: 'I jes' callin' you ter eat one dem fine meller apples Mist'r Rattlesnake fotch' me!'"

"Did Mist'r Adam eat it?" asked Willis with much concern.

"Who gwine hind'r him fum eatin' hit? An' de Eveses is bin pis'nin' de Adamses ev'r sense--you 'memb'r whut Mammy tell yer, an' look out fur 'em."

"Why didn't Mist'r Adam kill Mist'r Rattlesnake?" he resented.

"'Caze his own sin done make him er coward, dat's de trufe!--Whin er man do mean an' low life tricks hisse'f, he ain' got de face ter stan' up an'

whup n.o.body fur doin' de same thing; but Adam didn't hatt'r whup de Sarpint 'caze de Lawd knock 'im flat 'pon de groun' an' tromp on 'im, an'

tell 'im he got ter crawl de res' er his life, ter keep up wid his low down ways."

Mary Van's voice sounded from the gate, "I can't open it."

Willis sprang to her a.s.sistance, but Phyllis caught him: "Will yer run right straight back, ef Mammy let yer onfas'n de gate?"

The promise was given, and in a moment Willis returned with: "Mammy, less show Mary Van m' two lit'le green snakes." He was off in a second, but Phyllis again detained him.

"Nummine 'bout dem gyrt'r snakes,--I ain' got start'd ter tellin' 'bout Mist'r Rattlesnake yit. Come on hyah Ma'y Van, an' set down on de gra.s.s, an' Mammy gwine spread out her ap'on fur you ter set on, 'caze she hatt'r hole dis wiggly boy in her lap."

"I want to see Willis's snakes," demurred the little girl.

Phyllis looked thoughtfully a moment, then throwing her hands up suddenly, "I wond'r is enybody got de news 'bout Mist'r Rattlesnake's toofake? You ain' heah nuthin' is yer, Ma'y Van?"

Mary Van shook her head in the negative.

"Who you shakin' dat haid at, gal?"

"No, ma'm," quickly corrected the child.

"De las' time de snake doct'r come by hyah, he wus huntin' fur some yerbs ter put in Mist'r Rattlesnake's toof," continued the old woman in an interested tone. "Miss Eve, she tell de doct'r ter g'long an' git de same kind er yerbs he give fur rattlesnake bite, dat Mist'r Rattlesnake jes'

got mad an' bite his own se'f, an' dat whut ail his toof."

"Who made him mad?" Mary Van knelt on the edge of the ap.r.o.n.

"De Lawd make him mad whin He tell him he can't git no mo' free vit'als out'n Eden. De Lawd say, 'Nor, suh, yer got ter wurk, an' sweat, an' crawl fur vit'als de res' er yo' life--an' you an' Miss Eve gwine fight one nuth'r tell one er yer gits kilt.'"

"When are they going to fight?" asked Willis eagerly.

"Dey fit dat ve'y day; an' whin hit git too hot fur Miss Eve, she take an'

jump on top er ole man Elerphant's back 'fo' Mist'r Rattlesnake cud git her. He try ter crope up ole man Elerphant's legs, but Elerphant keep his foots wurkin' s' much, an' his snout flyin' roun' s' tur'bul, dat Mist'r Rattlesnake hatt'r keep out'n de way. Miss Eve she set up an' laf' at him, an' dat make Mist'r Rattlesnake so mad, he rip an' tar', an' fome at de mouf, an' mos' turn hisse'f wrong side out'ards tryin' ter hop up an' bite Miss Eve. Miss Eve she th'ow herse'f eroun' laffin' an' say: 'Ynan, ynan,'

at 'im, tell Mist'r Rattlesnake git so mad he jes' up, an' bite his own se'f."

"Did it kill him?" Mary Van crawled further on the ap.r.o.n and sat beside the little boy.

"Hit wud er kilt him ef he hadn't er run'd an' got dem rattlesnake yerbs mouty quick,--an' dat's howc.u.m Miss Eveses' chilluns know how ter kyore rattlesnake bite."

"How, Mammy?" demanded Willis.

"'Caze Miss Eve watch de yerbs Mist'r Rattlesnake eat ter swage his pis'n, den she tell her chilluns ter eat de same kine ef he ev'r bite dem."[2]

[2] The old Cherokee Indian cure for rattlesnake poison is "Robin Plantain, Sweet Fern, Pine Snake root, Salve Weed, Devil's Shoe String, Wild Rosemary, and Red Joint." It was said that by infuriating the reptile until a wound was self-inflicted and then observing his selection of herbs as a remedy, the Indians found the antidote for rattlesnake bite. Reptiles that were bitten and kept in confinement died, while those allowed freedom to select and bite the herbs, recovered.

"Did Mist'r Rattlesnake bite Miss Eve's children?" asked Willis.

"He bite 'em ev'y time he git er chanct."

"But it don't kill them, because they know how to get cured, don't they, Mammy Phyllis?" Mary Van disliked tragedy.

"Miss Eve's Injun chillun kyores derse'f, but de res' er de fambly dies."