began next morning, and
sent out different ones for different things--special kinds of roots,
and several sorts of very twisty things, such as grape-vine clingers,
and honeysuckle, and a great lot of love-vine--that yellow stuff that
winds about everything and can choke even a ragweed to death. Then he
put it all into a big kettle, and had them pour water on it and put a
fire under it, and he boiled it for two days and nights, without
letting the fire get down, and after that poured it off into a big gourd
to settle, and told them just what size swallow to take of it, and how
to practise the new habit when they felt the curling begin. Then he said
he must be going, as his family would be worried about him being away so
long, and my folks all gathered to see him off, and gave him as many
presents as he could carry, and he went away somewhere to the southeast,
and they never saw him again.

"Of course, as soon as he was gone, and the medicine was settled nice
and clear, our whole family collected to take it. There wasn't a 'possum
in the Deep Woods that wasn't there, and they had to get in line,
because every one wanted to be first and be sure to get some of that
magic juice.

[Illustration: "MR. WATERS HAD TO TAKE WHAT WAS LEFT"]

"Well, perhaps they were too anxious, and took bigger swallows than
Somers told them to, or it may be the stuff was a little too strong, or
Somers got in too much of the love-vine, which has such an awful
twist; or it may be he wanted to play a joke on some of our family for
being jealous and wanting to get him caught by Mr. Painter--whatever it
was, that medicine had an awful power and did even more than he said it
would. When every one had taken a good swallow, except the last one in
line--he being a middle-aged person named Waters, who had to take what
was left, which was only about a spoonful and very disappointing to Mr.
Waters--they all felt the curling sensation begin, and commenced the new
muscle-practice Somers had mentioned; and just then Mr. Painter, who had
probably heard that Somers had gone, came tearing through the timber,
and my folks quit practising and broke for trees and limbs, with Mr.
Painter after one plump young chap which he didn't quite get, and pretty
soon was shaking a limb in the usual way, only harder, being hungrier
than common. The plump young person was scared half to death, never
having had much practice holding on, anyway, and in about a minute he
was oblig