he at last.

"Tell us that," said Andy and Hortense together.

Uncle Jonah put a coal from the fire in the palm of his hand, and while
Andy and Hortense watched breathlessly to see whether he would burn
himself, he slowly lighted his corncob pipe. Then he began.

* * * * *

One mawnin' dis yere Lijah Jones was a-traipsin' along when he met
Aunt Maria.

"Mawnin'," says Lijah, keerless like, "yo' been a hoodooin' any one
lately, Aunt Maria?"

Dis yere Aunt Maria, she got a bad name and Lijah know it. Aunt
Maria, she stopped an' looked kinder hard at Lijah.

"Huh," she says, "Don' yo' fool wid me, niggah."

Lijah, he step along faster, not sayin' nothin' but feelin' kinda
oneasy. He wisht he ain't said dem words.

Dat evenin' Lijah come back fum town wid some co'n meal an' a side
o' bacon. As he come thu the woods by Aunt Maria's cabin, he kinda
shivered 'cose it wuz gettin' late an' de owl wuz a-hootin'. Dey
wan't no light in Aunt Maria's cabin, but dey wuz a little fiah in
de back yah'd, an' Lijah, he seed some one a-stoopin' ovah it.
Lijah wuz dat curyus he crep' roun' de co'nah of de cabin an' stuck
his head out. Sho'nuf, dey wuz Aunt Maria a-stirrin' a big black
pot an' a-croonin' somefin' dat make Lijah tremmle lak a leaf. He
don' make out wat she say 'cept, "Hoodoo Lijah Jones."

Dat was 'nuf, an' Lijah, he crep' away quiet an' hurry home
thoughtful-like. He don' believe in no hoodoo, but he wuz oneasy.
Dat night he say nuffin' 'bout it to his wife, but he go to bed
early.

Bambye he wake up. Dey wuz a kinda noise goin' on by de ba'n, but
Lijah, he ain't got no likin' fo' to get up an' see wat's de
mattah. So he tu'n ovah, an' bambye he ain't heah no mo' noise, an'
he go to sleep ag'in.

In de mawnin' w'en he go to milk de cow, sho'nuf dey wuz a hawg
a-lyin' on its side, daid. Lijah, he scratch his haid an' tu'n de
hawg ovah wid his foot. He don' know what happened to it, but he
kinda s'picioned.

De nex' day w'en he wuz a-goin' down de road, 'long comes Aunt
Maria ag'in.

"Mawnin'," says Aunt Maria.

"Mawnin'," says Lijah, kinda scaihed-like.

Dat was all dey said. Aunt Maria, she laugh an' go 'long, an'
Lijah, he don' lak de soun'.

Dat night nuffin' happen, an' Lijah, he feel bettah. But de nex'
night