Our Family Trouble The Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee Read Online Free PDF

him with eyes and mouth wide open to hear his description of the witch, his encounters and hairbreadth escapes.  He always carried his axe and a witch ball made by his wife, according to Uncle Zeke’s directions, to keep the witch from harming him. He came up one morning, however, rather worsted, with his head badly bruised and bloody, and always declared that the witch inflicted the wound with a stick.  Dean’s stories are not to be quoted as altogether reliable; he was allowed a wide range for his vivid imagination.
     
    Harry, the houseboy, however, had cause for believing every word Dean told. It was Harry’s business to make the morning fires before daylight. He became negligent in this duty, and father scolded and threatened him several times. Finally Kate took the matter in hand, speaking to father, “Never mind, old Jack, don’t fret. I will attend to the rascal the next time he is belated.”  This passed off like much of such gab, but a few mornings after, Harry was later than ever and father commenced scolding harshly, when the witch spoke again, “Hold on old Jack, didn’t I tell you not to pester; I will attend to this nigger.” Harry had just laid the kindling wood down, and was on his knees blowing the coals to a blaze; when some unseen force apparently seized him by the neck and flailed him unmercifully. Harry yelled and begged piteously, and when let up the witch spoke, promising to repeat the operation if he was ever derelict again. Father said he heard the blows as they fell with force, sounding like a paddle or strip of wood, but could see nothing but the boy on his knees yelling for life. Harry was never late after that.
     
    A rather funny trick was played on Phillis, a twelve year old girl who waited in the house and assisted her mother in the kitchen. We had a log rolling on our place, as was the custom in the country. After the work was over, the youngsters, while waiting for supper, engaged in some gymnastic exercises, trying the difficult feat of locking their heels over the back of their neck. Phillis observed these exercises, and the next day stole away up stairs to test her athletic capacity.  After several unsuccessful attempts, she suddenly realized that her feet had forcibly gone over her head and were securely locked.  Time and again Aunt Lucy, her mother, called and Phillis as often answered up stairs, but never came. Finally Aunt Lucy got her dander up, and picking up a switch started, saying, “Bound I fetch that gal down them stairs.” Pretty soon there was a racket upstairs, and Aunt Lucy had worn out the switch before Phillis could explain that the witch had her.
     
    The case of Anky, however, lends more zest to the witch’s characteristic antipathy for the Negro. Mother had taken notice of the fact that Kate never made any demonstrations in the cabins, and conceived the reason why, accepting the witch’s own statement. She exercised her genius and hit upon a scheme to outwit Kate, which was rather novel in its purpose. However, she turned the matter over in her own mind carefully, and spoke not a word about it, not even to father, for the reason, perhaps, that she was afraid of the thing, and believed she fared best by cultivating the regard it manifested for her; consequently no one knew a breath of her plans until the outcome of the scheme was developed. Anky was a well-developed, buxom African girl, some eighteen years of age - a real Negro, so to speak, exuberant with that pungent aromatic which was so obnoxious to Kate’s olfactory. Mother had determined to cautiously test her plan for getting rid of the witch, telling Anky, in her gentle patronizing way, that she wanted her for a house girl and desired that she should sleep in her room.  The girl manifested some misgivings, but felt complimented by the distinction implied, and enquired of mother if she reckoned the old witch would not pester her?  Being assured that there was not much danger, that Kate would