Browse:SELL SELF TO THE DEVIL (Volume 1, entries 329–377)
SELL SELF TO THE DEVIL
Volume 1, entries 329–377. Source context: SPIRITS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 329
I knows of several gamblers aroun' here who carries one of those bones. They say [that] whut it is an' that's why they so lucky. They said take a hot pot of boilin' water an' sit it up there on the range, an' put it to boilin'. Grab a black cat right off de floah, you might say, an' dash him right in there an' have somepin to hold 'im in there. An' he gits in there an' let him boil all to pieces while he's alive. Then take the cat an' carry him down to a runnin' stream of water, after this water is boil down to a quart. An' you got to drink this quart of water. An' take the cat an' carry him down to a runnin' stream of water an' pick those bone. That stream be runnin' from you to the left. An' try to git as near sunrise as you know an' as you pick those bones you repeat the 'Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.' An' after you fin' tha' choo got this right bone - an' fer you to know tha' choo got it, it's the third bone tha' choo pick an' throw in that stream - will go from you an' you got the right one. An' when you git the right one it'll turn aroun' an' Come back to you. Then you will - you repeats another verse tha' says, "Three dead men looked out of a windah - one was deaf an' the other was blin' and the third one could not see. In the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen." Then your luck's on you right then. [Three dead men is used in a variety of rites.]
Entry 330
This lady had lived on the suburbs of the town over there at Berlin, Maryland, between Ocean City and Berlin, and she had jus' lost her husband. She has a little four-room house, very poorly constructed, it didn't cost much, and she has one boy. The boy's around fourteen years old. And directly after she lost her husband, there was a colored man came there and insisted that she take him in as a lodger. Well, she told him no, that she had never did it, jis' lost her husband - she rather not to do it. But he insisted staying there and she jis' couldn't get away - see, he jis' forced hisself to stay in her house. And after he had been there a couple of days, she come in home one afternoon from her work, and there she discovered this man had company. And on the second afternoon that this fellah had been at her house she come in from her work, and her son and her both heard this laughin' and talkin'upstairs. Knowin' there wasn't anyone but de one man there they began to investigate. And de boy goin' up de steps come back to his mother and says, "This man is up there and he has another heavy-set right black man settin' there with him, ' and he says, "they are a jis' havin' a big time."
(How did the boy see him?)
Through the crack of the door. And well, she begin - she was alarmed anyhow by him being there, and dat re'lly alarmed her more. And the next afternoon when she came in, her boy with her, they heard him a-laughin' and a-playin' upstairs. And when de boy went to see who was up there again and he had a great big black- snake on de bed playin' with it. Well, she asked him to leave again. But he laughed at her. So directly afterwards before she went back to her work, he came on out and went out, and she fastened ev'ry winder, locked ev'ry door in order that he couldn't git back in there. Well, when she came on back that night from her work he was right back in the house upstairs in his room. So then she began to think there was somepin funny about it. And he wanted to stay to his room. He didn't want to be seen around in de public. In fact he told her dat he didn't want to be seen in de public too much. And on the fifth day then he decided to leave and he went to her and he ast her what did he owe her. "Well, '' she say, "I don't make you any charge; anything you wanta give me is all right." She was only too glad to git clear of him, she told me. "Well," he say, "but I wan' choo to tell me." She says, "No, I won't." Well, he says then - he up and says to her, he says, "Now, you have recently lost your husband." She says, "Yes, that's right." And he say, "You owe the under- taker two-hundred dollars for this burial and everything. Is that right?" She says, "Yes." 'And you promised to pay him so much ever' month?" She said, "I did." "Well," he says, "I'm gon'a give you enough money to pay that bill off. But I want choo to do this. I want choo to pay them. You take this money and put away home here and keep it. And you go up and you jis' pay the twenty-five dollars a month like you have been doing, and don't pay any more than that, don't make any display with this money, becuz they know that choo can't make it. You haven't made it so quickly, and they'll want to question you where you got it from. And you act as I have instructed you." And she says he out and counted her out two-hundred dollars and gave her. And he packed up and disappeared, and told her that, "choo'll never see me again." And she believed that he was a man that had sold hisself to the devil. And when a person do that, if there's anything dat they want to accomplish, they can do it.
Entry 331
Ah had a man tuh tell me jes' exactly how yo' do dat. In mah time of gamblin' why ah studied all dat fo' luck, you know. If yo' wants tuh sell yore- self to de devil, yo' has to swear by man an' by lan' da' chew don't want nuthin' but jes' whut chew has in dis world, an' nuthin' aftah death an' nuthin' tuh do with God. In all yore works, "Ah'm goin' work for de devil an', ah don't nevah wants tuh pray." Den, yo' have to take a oath on dat. Yo' understand? An' when yo' take dat oath dat chew don't want nuthin' but of de world, an' yo' go serve de devil all yore life, an' then won't pray none, 'cause yo' ain't gon'a serve God none, why den de devil takes yo' a sinner. Den yo' kin do any kinda devilment dat chew want - yo' kin come outa jail at twelve a'clock at night; yo' kin shake de jail an' de do' will come open.
Entry 332
Heard a ole man speak about dat - say ev'ry Sunday mornin' you go to de fork of de road an' you curse God an' you dance an' den you prays. You jes' prays to de devil and you curse God. An' you go out dere ev'ry. Sunday mornin' an' dance an' jes' pray to de devil an' curse de Lord, an' de devil will put ev'rything into your way that you can get an' make it easier for you. You jes' tell the Lord that you take your soul out of His hands an' you put it into de devil's hands, an' you know, de Lord will quit answering your prayers then an' you see He'll jes' turn your soul right over to de devil.
Entry 333
You go to the fork of the road on Sunday morning before day, go there for nine times in succession before the sun rise and make a special wish, a special desire, and whatever you want to do, if it's to be a cunjure or to be a bad person, then the devil comes there. First comes a red rooster and then after that the devil sends something else in the shape of a bear. And after that he comes himself and takes hold upon your hands and tells you to go on in the world and do anything that chew want to do.
Entry 334
Well, dat's a small matter. You go to de fork of de road and jest like you is a rich man and I want a job from you or something like dat - wanta git you mah way so I could manage you, see, I'd go to de fork of de road about four o'clock in de morning. I'd git on mah knee and turn my face to de sunrise, you see, and I would say mah prayers and I would axe de Lawd to do what I want to be done, see; and I would turn around to de sundown, you understand, and den I'll axe satan. See, I'll beg de devil - beg 'em both, see; but I'll serve de Lord first and then I'll turn around to de sundown and beg de devil. Well, I'll axe 'em fer just what I want. Well, after I done dat I'll turn mah face across de World - see, perhaps I might turn my face to the east - might be to the west, see - might be to the north and to the south, see - but I'll turn my face and I'll axe de Lord twice and I'll axe de devil twice, see. Well, after you done axe de devil, you done sign up with 'im see, fer a certain length of time - and you sign it wit de devil fer a certain length of time well, you'll have good luck for dat length of time, see - and everything will work your way for that same length of time you beg for.
(Well, what happens when that time is up?)
Naw, you jest fall in bad luck - dat's all I kin tell you. Everything will be just laid on you, that's all - can't git nothing going or coming.
Entry 335
Well, I've never tried that fer this reason. I have the understandin' that whenever you go to a crossroad to learn anything fer any purpose, you have then put God behind you an' the devil in front of you. You will have made abso- lately, you know, a conversion with him - you've sold your soul outright to him for seven years. An' then I have the understandin' that you could go there at one o'clock in the night, right in the crossroads an' you turn your face to the West, your back to the east, your right to the north an' your left to the south, an' you shall call this man who pretend to do anything that you desires. This devil will come or send someone directly to you. The reason I tell you that, I know that's positive. The reason I tell you that is because I tried it one time when I wanted to learn to play music on de guitar, an' pretty soon I found out that it was true - why, I throwed de guitar right down an' I walked off an' left 'im. So that break the tie [the compact between him and devil].
Entry 336
I've heard that if they would go to a forked road and stand straddle of that forked road, there is something he would say, and after he would say that he done sold himself to the devil. For seven years he could do anything he wanted to do. When them seven years run out you would have to do that over again. You do that around twelve o'clock at night. You go three nights.
Entry 337
I've heard about dat but I don' know if it be true. But one thing about it - you have to visit the four forks of the road for nine mornings. On de ninth morning that you visit dere, you'll find de devil. He'll meet you at de four forks of de road and yo' and him'll git together, and then you'll have a good Wras'lin' [wrestling match] and he'll ast you what you want. And you'll tell him that you want the world's gifts for twenty years or thirty years - just how long you want 'em. Now, when de time runs out, dat's when de devil's coming for you. Well, when he comes for you, you might stoop down and cut off a piece of your shoe sole and hand to him, and he'll tell you that you got de world again and you kin go, and you sure enough got him if you kin stand to face him. And you do anything that you Want to do, wras'lin', fightin' - anything of the kind.
(I see - but you have to fight him out there at the crossroad?)
Yes sir, fight him dere - then he turn you loose and tell you it is all right, go for yourself.
[A few minutes later my informant added a musical note.]
Go out to de four forks of de road for nine mornings and he'll play something; play the guitar, play a banjo. He'll visit de devil out dere for nine mornings and he'll give you de world's gifts. Just ask [for] anything - a gold-finding hand - or you kin play all de music you want, nobody kin beat you playing.
The informant reports a fighting episode in lore introduced as heard and of uncertain truth.
Entry 338
I know a man, he was a woodcutter, that sold hisself to de devil to do whatever he wanted - right around here. Every Sunday morning for nine mornings, early in the morning, he met him at nine forks of the road - it's [the road with nine forks] right around here - and shake hands with him. The devil appears each morning. And the last morning he gives him a hand for whatever he wants to do wit it. This here man I'm telling you about fooled him. When he come after him, he gave him a shoe sole. Instead of giving him his soul he gave him his shoe sole. [Mt. Vernon (near Princess Anne), Md., (134), by hand; no electricity.]
Entry 339
They says, after - twelve, at exactly twelve 'clock on Friday night, you go to a crossroads, any crossroads, and there you are to kneel and say you make vow to stay wit de devil and do whatever he wants yo' to do - hell, raise destruction - what not - from now until long as yo' live - and that's the vow to de devil. Has to do dat to de crossroads. And to overcome this and to change, why you have to go right back to the same crossroads and make a vow to reform. (That's all you have to do is to make the vow there - nothing else - face any particular direction?) They say you turn your face to the east.
Entry 340
Jes' lak if yo' wanta learn some tricks yo' know, yo' kin take a black chicken an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's, to de fo'k of de road. Have yo' a further road - both of 'em public roads each way, not no blind roads yo' know. Both of 'em have tuh be public roads, forkin'. Yo' take dis chicken an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' on de ninth mawnin' de devil will meet chew dere. An' he will learn - well, anything yo' wanta learn.
(Do you do anything with that chicken?)
De chicken, he have tuh be 'live. Yo' ketch him alive an' carry him to de fo'k of de road an' yo' go fo' nine mawnin's, an' on de ninth mawnin' he'll meet chew dere.
Entry 341
If yo' wanta learn to pick a guitar, go to a road nine Sunday mawnin's - de fo'ks of de road, nine Sunday mawnin's. But 'fore yo' evah go tuh de fo'ks of de road to learn yo'self, dey way fo' yo' tuh do - git a rooster, an' if he ain't blind, have some de young ones to knock his eye out. It won't.hurt him yo' know. Don' do it chewse'f but have somebody else tuh do it - lak yo' ketch a rooster, put one his eyes out. Ah reckon yo' heerded dat ole song - dey say long time ago it wus named atter [after] [what a] root worker done, chew know. Dey says, "De Ole Blind Rooster, When He Comes." Well, dat's de way dat is. See, yo' take dat rooster one eye. Den yo' kill him an' yo' take his drumstick when all de meat is done 'way - done eat de meat off yo'self. Take dat drumstick an' yo' go ahead an' yo' put it in yore pocket.
(What do you put in your pocket, the eye or the drumstick?)
No, not de eye, jes' de thigh an' let somebody else eat de meat off it. [He calls the thigh bone a drumstick, a term usually reserved for the leg bone. Thigh in old-fashioned country-fried chicken was never called second joint, a carving term; the chicken being completely disjointed and cut up when fried raw.] (What do you do with that eye that you took off the rooster, what do you do with that eye?) Well, yo' see -
(You just blind the rooster?)
Yeah, jes' blind de rooster in dat one eye. Den yo' take dat othah eye an' put undah de back do'step yo' know. An' so whenevah de mawnin' when yo' goin' tuh learn tuh pick de guitar, an' cut. tricks, yo' know, yo' got dat rooster drumstick in yore pocket.
(You kill the rooster and eat him?)
Uh-huh, kill de rooster an' eat him, but don' eat none of it yo'self, see: Yo' git de drumstick an' de eye - take de eye time yo' kill him an' bury it undah de do'step an' let nobody know whut chew done wit it. Den yo' take de drumstick an' yo' go down to fo'ks of de road Sunday mawnin 'fore day, jes' right round 'bout three a'clock an' when yo' git down dere, yo' wanta learn tuh play de guitar. So de first Sunday mawnin' yo' go dere, well, yo' don't stay but 'bout eight or ten minutes - give yo' eight or ten minutes. Well now, whenevah yo' 'cide tuh leave dere, if yo' go dere fo' dat business, yo' know, well, yo' drop dat bone down right in de middle of de fo'ks of de road, near as yo' know, say, "Well, dey ain't nobody heah dis mawnin', thigh, but me, an' so's yo'." Now yo' ain't goin' say nuthin'. Well, yo' start to pickin' yo' guitar an' whenevah yo' startin' tuh pickin' yore guitar, the corner of that bone round dere would be heah, an' it will keep changin' but yo'll nevah see it change dat mawnin'. Yo'll look at it - one end of it's small an' de othah end large, yo' know. Co'se it be larger up heah, yo' know, den it would be down dere, but that end will be round, that end, an' ever' time yo' pick a tune, it will be changin' - yo' know yo' comin' on den wit de guitar, yo' know whut chew done. An' when it quit changin' yo' know it time tuh go.'Well, '' yo' say, "nex' Sunday mawnin'." If yo' want it be at twelve a'clock, yo' say, "Twelve a'clock an' it change agin. Not watch it yo' know, an' whatevah yo' see it comin' at de change, yo' jes' hold it at dat hour an' yo' come de next time dat hour an' - so - on whenevah Sunday mawnin' come agin, yo' go back dere. Well, whut yo' do dat time, yo' go back dere an' yo' set right down, right up on de - sit down dere an' pick. Say, "Dere's nobody tuh worry yo' ah ain't got but one eye." An' yo'll see a sheep - a sheep will come up cross de road an' git right in de road an' face yo' an' look mournful an' pitiful, an' yo'll look at dat sheep an' keep on pickin' an' dat sheep atter while will vanish away. Atter while yo' see somepin black comin'. Well, dey'll pass on by, won't stop dat time. Well, it's time tuh go den. Yo' goes de nex' time. Well, de nex' time yo' go dere, yo' guitar will git pickin' bettah an' bettah. Well, whut'll drive yo' 'way dat time, yo'll heah a cow come 'long. Well, yo'll nevah see dat cow dat time, an' fore yo' leave - yo stay dere 'bout a hour dat time befo' yo' leave, an' if anybody on de road kin see yo' or anything, den dat cow de las' time she'll low, she say, "Aah-aah-do sound lak she say. An' it's time tuh go den. An' so yo' go dat time. An' de next time yo' go dere, dere a lil' ole funny boy will come out an' yo' speak to him an' he'll play all dumb, an' yo' not know a thing about him. Well, it natural sometime yo'll run up on people yo' nevah knew. An' yo' git picking de guitar till yo' git tuh messin' wit him, an' quite natural yo' think he'll not keep it, keep it down. Well, at least it wus wit me. An' ah got tuh playin' an' fust thing ah knows he had two lil' ole sticks yo' know, an' keep playin' it on, dat bark got to ringin', yo' know, good, an' ah kept playin', kept playin' an' ah wus playing one tune an' when de guitar got playin' anothah, ah change back. An' den ah didn't have tuh go no mo'. Ah didn't have tuh go no mo' 'tall 'cause ah got playin' so's ah could play anything ah want. Ah have been where ah could lay de guitar upside down an' stan' beside it - it would ring right on. Dat's true. But ah laid off of it. Way ah wus doin', ah'd be a speck mo' den ah is. Ah went dere 'bout - ah missed two Sundays an' ah got off on de guitar a lil' bit, an' ah went back den on a Sunday mawnin' an' ah met somepin dere. Well, people say yo' meet de devil, but tell de truth 'bout de thing, ah don't know if it wus de devil or not. It wus a black something othah jes' 'bout dat high - sorta 'mind me of a dog. He had han's lak a dog when ah fus' seen him but fust an' last his han' wus jes' lak mine only it wus jes' as hot as could be. Well, ah wus drinkin' putty ha'd dat mawnin' tuh hol' mah nerve, but ah warn't drunk, an' he took dat guitar an' got tuh pickin' an' he changed it back tuh me. Well, atter while ah got tuh de place ah could pick anything. An' de bottom of mah shoe, ah had had a sole an' hit wus 'bout tuh come off, yo' know, an' he says, "Gimme yore soul" - whut he says. Ah wus gittin' ready tuh leave yo' know. Ah say, "Well, nobody knows." An' ah says, "Good-day" - jes' lak dat an' turn roun an' he say, "Gimme yore soul befo' yo' goes." Ah went an' pulled de half-sole off mah shoe an' gi' him de sole, yo' see, an' he disappeahed. Well, ah went on back tuh de house an' ah got tuh play - ah got tuh pick de guitar extra good. (Were you supposed to do anything else the rest of the times you were supposed to go out there?) De nine days?
(If you keep on going out there what happens?)
Yo' keep on goin' dere? Well, yo' see if yo' keep on goin' dere, yo' kin go dere eight mo' days on Sunday mawnin' an' yo' git to de place, de devil will give yo' a root. Dere's somepin come out lak a dog an' he'll come by an' he'll drop somepin down - it's 'bout six inches long, jes' 'bout lak dat. He be runnin' jes' lak a dog or somepin an' drop somepin yo' know, an' quite natchral yo'll pick it up yo' know. An' yo' pick it up an' yo' keep dat. If yo' offah tuh show it tuh somebody, dey cain't see it - [dey] say, "Yo' ain't got nuthin' in yore han'." Yo' cain't see it. Well, if yo' try tuh show it to dem, dey don't hardly believe yo'. So yo' keep dat in yore pocket till yo' git to de house an' git a chance tuh go down 'side de spring an' bury it. Well, de day yo' bury dat, if yo' bury it deep enough, yo'll nevah find it yo'self, but yo'll have luck de longest day yo' live. But chew go' tuh dat crossroads nine Sunday mawnin's. Well, dat ninth mawnin' yo' know, yo' done made dat aftah yo' done learn tuh pick de guitar. Well, yo' don't have but seven mo'. An' yo' go dere seven mo' Sunday mawnin's. Well, yo' beat right on de guitar. Yo' kin cut all kinda tricks den an' de devil will show yo' how tuh manage tricks. Yo' kin see the police dere an' everything in close places, an' how tuh git out chew know, an' ever'thing.[ Fayetteville, N. Car.,
(1438), 2581:1.]
Entry 342
I did hear once [of a man] sellin' hisself to the devil with a black chicken, you understan'. He wus, seemed to be kinda unlucky - you see, couldn't have any luck country-fashion an' so he went to a witch. She tole 'im, she says, "You're crossed with bad luck, you can't have no good luck." Well, he ast her how she could do. She said, "Well, I'll tell you wha' choo do. Now, you go to work," she says, "now, you git a black rooster." She says, "You take this black rooster, take 'im to a runnin' stream, an' you cut his throat, you see, an' hol' 'im up over de Water like that, an' as that blood drips, say, "Nick, Nick, black cock, over the Water, please to teach me to be one quarter as wise as thou." An' repeat that over nine times while the blood runs. An' you can take the carcass an' throw it away if you wanta." An' they say from right then you're sold to the devil - you're supposed to belong to him body an' soul. Yes sir, that was a ole sayin' at home in Tennessee.
The rooster occurs in a witch's reported instruction within a heard account involving animal harm; its effects are unverified.
Entry 343
Say, if yo' kin take a frog outa God an' put 'im in man - an' build yo' a brush heap an' stand in de smoke of it, say de devil will appear befo' yo' lak a nachur'l man, an' he'll talk wit chew, an' den he'll tell yo' whut chew kin do.
(You take a frog out of what did you say?)
Take him out God hide an' put him in man hide - now, ah don't know whut dey meant by dat.
(You take this frog out of God hide and put him in man hide.)
[Burning a frog takes the animal out of the hide God gave him and by means of the smoke puts him within man's hide. The smoke, as in ancient burnt offerings, is the spirit of the sacrificial gift. Once inside man, the spiritual smoke could become a frog. Usually, live things put in a person is done by using the blood or powdered body of the animal in a person's food or drink.] Yes, an' then build a brush heap an' set it afire an' git in de smoke of it.
(You put this frog in there alive.)
De devil will appear befo' yo' lak a nachur'l man an' talk wit yo' - tell yo' whut all yo' could do.
Entry 344
I heard you have to go to a runnin' stream whare the water runs clear an' go thare nine mornin's, an' read a certain chapter somewhare, the Bible, on ever' mornin'. An' when you go the ninth mornin' you meet the devil thare on the ninth mornin' an' he'll give you a test. An' if you kin stand the test after you git thare that he puts on you, says you kin do anything you want to an' he'll defend yo'. You kin go out an' kill a person almost an' he'll clare you.
Entry 345
Dey tell me dat chew take a Bible an' go to de crossroads on a Sunday night at twelve a'clock an' yo' read, but chew have tuh read it backwards - an' when yo' read one verse, dey say yo' hear de voice of de next verse somewhere in de woods; an' when yo' finish it up, dat chew have sold yoreself to de devil. Dat's all ah know 'bout dat.
Entry 346
You meet there every morning regular for nine mornings at the same hour or late at night [to] get [learn] your music. And I was told you get on yore knees and prays backwards, but pray not to God but to the devil - see, you pray backwards. And the devil will assist you along dat line, if you kin stand there. If you kin stand the test, den you would get graduated. But I did never go out - don't know whether you get graduated or not.
Entry 347
I had a party to tell me tha' chew could go to a four crossroad - what is called a four-way road [a crossroad] - for nine mornings at one partic'lar hour in de morning, and dance and sing and put on a little program such as you're able to do, and on the ninth morning the devil'll put in his appearance or some of his imps and give you the power to accomplish what you want to do. And this one boy did do it, but he - and also you can do it by goin' to the woods. And there's a certain location in the woods tha' chew kin do it. And this boy did do it - had he carried it out, he was on his ninth morning. And when a big black man came from behind a pine tree and come to him a-laughin', he couldn't stand it and he run and left it.
Entry 348
Dere wus mah ole granddaddy, ah used tuh hear him tell it de way he had a uncle doin' it - dat he wanted to be good wit his boss. He would go out to a road-crossin' [crossroad] befo' day in de mawnin' at fo' 'clock - well, when it is winter in de fall of de yeah. An' he'd go dere fo' so many mawnin's an' stan' in dat road-crossin' an' make his wishes. He'd go dere de first mawnin' an' he'd make his wish an' he would go back fo' de second mawnin' an' make his wish; he went back dere de third mawnin' an' he made his wish an' he didn't see anything. He went back de fo'th mawnin' an' made his wish an' he wus tole tuh turn aroun'. When he turn aroun' he seed a man, a great big black man, an' dat man ast him whut did he want. Said he tole him dat he wanted luck. He said, "Well, go back, an' come back fo' nine mawnin's. An' he went back an' de ninth mawnin' he met dis man dere agin an' he ast, "Whut chew come fo'?" He said, "Well, ah come fo' luck." He said, "Well, it's one thing yo' will have tuh do." Said, "Yo' will have to not serve nobody but me." An' he ast him, he says, "Kin yo' say, God isn't all?" An' he tole, says, "Well, ah will serve yo'." Dat whut wus called sellin' yo'self to de devil. Well, de devil ast him, says, "Do yo' believe in God?" He says, "Yes." He says, "Yo' cain't serve me." Den he went back an' ast him agin. He says, "No, ah believe in yo'." An' he tole him den, says, "Ah'm goin' make yo' a part ruler ovah de whole earth as long as yo' serve me, an' yo' must cuss God three times." Say he cuss God three times. An' he tole him tuh go then an' git a black cat an' throw dat black cat into boilin' watah. He tuk dat black cat an' throw it in boilin' watah, an' de bone dat come on top, he took it. An' he says, "Now, when's [when it's] de time tuh git ready fo' a piece of money, git where it is, an' says yo' jes' take dis piece [bone] an' put it in yore mouth an' go an' git de money an' walk on out." An' said, dis uncle [went] down dere [a bank?] one day an' dey all wus sittin' in dere countin' out money, he put it [bone] in his mouth an' walked in dere an' git de money an' walked on out. An' well, ah 'member de time - lota people used tuh tell it dat he used tuh go down to de sto's an' git things in de name of G. Berry. His name was G. Berry. Said G. Berry would go down to de sto's an' git shoes or anything he wanted an' come on out an' de wouldn't see him till he take dat bone out his mouth. See. Dey git atter him an' put de houn's on him, de dogs on him. An' he'd ran an' ran an' put dat thing in his mouth an' de dogs turn roun', dey nevah could run him back. He'd run an' de dogs couldn't see him. De dogs jes' runnin' an' howlin' an' jes' goin' on. An' one time dey put him in jail - dat wus in mah days when ah wus a boy. An' dey put him in jail an' when dey come out - dey locked him up an' come outa jail, dere G. Berry sittin' right on de steps.
(Where did he live?)
He lived in Tifton, Georgia.
Entry 349
If you want to know how to play a banjo or a guitar or do magic tricks, you have to sell yourself to the devil. You have to go to the cemetery nine mornings and get some of the dirt and bring it back with you and put it in a little bottle, then go to some fork of the road and each morning sit there and try to play that guitar. Don't care what you see come there, don't get 'fraid and run away. Just stay there for nine mornings and on the ninth morning there will come some rider riding at lightning speed in the form of the devil. You stay there then still playing your guitar and when he has passed you can play any tune you want to play or do any magic trick you want to do because you have sold your- self to the devil.
Entry 350
If dey go out dere, dey call dat prayin' to de devil or do somebody a dirty trick, yo' know. Well, ah heard dat yo' go out dere nine mawnin's an' bo' a hole an' git some graveyard dust an' put in it, an' dey say yo' git down on yore knees ovah dat graveyard dust fo' nine mawnin's an' pray whatevah yo' want to be done, say dey'll do it. Bo' a hole right at de fo'k of de road.
Entry 351
A man once, he sold hisself to de devil. So he got ready, he went in de cemetery, he stepped across sev'ral graves, you know, an' he cursed an' he sold hisself to de devil. So ev'ry day at dinnertime when he go for his lunch he'd go off to hisself an' eat. So at last one time he wus settin' off to hisself, he wus talkin', he wus feedin' somepin. They say it wus a little black thing there an' he wus feedin' it. It looked like a little dog, like. It had long ears an' de ears hung down on de groun'. So after that, well, he got ready an' he said he thought this thing got more than he did to eat of it. So he chopped this concern acrost de haid wid this spoon w'ut he had eaten out of. So when this thing came again it told him, it said, "Next time I come, I'm gon'a care [carry] you with me." So after that, well, when this thing came again it smacked de man. An' when it smacked de man, it jis' burnt de whole side of his face [see No. 103]. An' de man went when he [this thing] went.
The burning is narrated within the story; the adjacent cross-reference is editorial.
Entry 352
Yo' kin go to de fo'k of de road an' ever'body's mad wit chew. Yo' go dere a rainy bitter night an' set down, an' jes' lak ah lak a dead man - if yo' know any murderer, yo' call his name. Well, heah will come a cat sweepin' aroun' an' aroun', talkin' cat, and - yo' take peppah an' salt with yuh, an' [while] dat cat turn aroun', throw dat salt on him. An' says, "Yo' son of a bitch, yo' come out heah." But yo' go out dere agin de nex' night, an' dis man will be settin' right dere. Yo' goin' kill him or do whut chew please with him. He be right dere to de crossroads.
(You throw this salt on the cat?)
On de cat.
Entry 353
If yo' wanta be a professional gambler, why yo' git chew a deck of cards an' go in de cemetery aftah hours in de night, jes' aftah twelve a'clock, an' go to de first man grave in de cemetery an' straddle de grave. When yo' straddle de grave, somebody will come dere an' play a game or two with you, until you see a light comin' 'cross de cemetery an' dat'll be de ole devil. "If yo' kin stan' de temptation till he git dere wit dat light, den he'll play wit chew, an' when he git through playin' wit chew, why yo' be a 'fessional gambler. (Who plays with you first? Or do you just pretend you are playing with some- body?) Well, it'll be - dat bad fellah down in de ground dere, he'll stay tuh play wit chew, until de devil git dere.
(Well, do you call that bad fellow's spirit up in any way? Or what?)
Well, yo' kin call it but it's not necessary.
(You just go to the grave and play with this spirit?)
Yo' git company time yo' straddle de grave - time yo' straddle de grave an' shuffle yore cards, dere'll be somebody dere tuh take de cards up, den start playing wit chew.
Entry 354
If ah want tuh go gamblin', go to a crossroads 'fore de sunup an' have de dice in yore han's, an' look at de sun when she start tuh peepin' up, an' yo' stay dere an' shook dem dice at dat crossroads until de sun gits up where yo' kin see it. Ah'll do this - thrown 'em out, thrown 'em out. Ah'll do this In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. An' ev'ry time yo' throw 'em out Pop yo' fingers - "Dat ah may be lucky in my travels [quotation?]." Ev'r time yo' throw 'em out pop yore fingers an' aftah while yo' see de sun rise. It will rise jes' a little bit up, after yo' done say de names - yo' see, it will rise jes' a little bit up. Ah used to be a gambler but ah quit it.
(That will teach you how to be a good gambler?)
Yes.
Entry 355
He wanted to become a dice-shooter, an' he was to go to dis holly [tree] nine mornings an' play, you know, [with] whatever come. An' I think prob'ly de firs' mornin' come was - prob'ly - I think it was a rooster, a big dark rooster. Well he played craps with him. An' then the nex' [second] Sunday come - why a -
(He had to go nine Sunday mornings?)
Nine Sunday mornings.
(Any particular time?)
I think it was nine o'clock. An' de nex' [third] Sunday mornin' he played with a drake. See, wouldn't be no females; always be males there they played with - would come to him. An' the nex' Sunday mornin' 'twas - it went up a little from a fowl and went to - a dog come. An' at de fo'th Sunday mornin' he says a - it went a little futher - he said a bull come. An' he said he played with him an' he was gittin' along good; said he won all - they played craps. An' the nex' Sunday mornin' he said a white horse come with no head, an' eyes at de shoulders. He said he hadn't got scared yet. An' he said he played craps with him. An' de nex' [sixth] Sunday mornin' he says a - I don't know - he says de image of a man came but he jes' couldn't zackly figure out. But anyhow, he jes' took a chance an' played right on' an' he said he beat him. An' he said he played on an' on till de ninth Sunday mornin' an' when de devil came hisself, he didn't git scared. He said he heerd a great - act like de win', you know, comin' in a whurl [whirlwind]. He says, "I know," he says, "that mus be de Ole Man hisself." Well, then [he] shuck his dice an' throwed eleven - that was a winnin' pint [point]. An' when he got there, he said, played craps with de devil; said he was a lucky man gamblin' ever since. [For devil in whirlwind, see Nos. 167-183, and No.361.]
Entry 356
Now, de fo'ks of de road - now, in case dis is whut chew wanta do, if yo' wanta learn hoodooism. See, if you wanta learn hoodooism, you go to de fo'ks of de road. Go dere - yo' leave home zactly five minutes of twelve an' make it dere at twelve 'clock - make it dere zactly twelve an' have yo' a fo'k. Git chew a bran'-new silver fo'k an' git to de fo'ks of de road an' git down on your knees an' stick dat fo'k in de groun'; see, an' anything on earth yo' wants tuh learn an' know, things will come 'fore yo an' tell yo' what to do. See. But chew got'a be dere zactly twelve 'clock - go dere de third day but it's got'a be in de night, twelve 'clock in de night.
Entry 357
Well, whatevah yore desires is, yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road - one goin' yonder way an' one goin' dis way, lak dat. Well, dat's a fo'k, see. Well, yo' stand direct in de fo'ks of dat road an' look towards de sun jes' befo' it rise. Yo' makes yore wishes an' whatevah yo' wants done or did why yo' say dat an' den make a wish In de Name of de Father, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Dat's de climax on whatevah yo' wish fo'. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's befo' de sun rise. Be shore yo' do dat befo' de sun rise an' yore wishes will come true.
The informant describes standing at road forks facing sunrise on nine mornings, expressing wishes in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The account gives a promised outcome without specifying a devil encounter or applying neighboring rites' requirements.
Entry 358
Whenever somebody wants some help, dey go to the forks of the road for nine mornings and carries some kin'a music piece with 'em - a banjo box or either some, you know, record. And the sun'll move jis' like dis here [demonstrates].
(Sun swings back and forth like a pendulum.)
You'll meet de devil dere every morning for nine mornings and de ninth morning dey'll be some form dere to show you da' [dat] chew want. And after the nine mornings you'll have anything you want and you'll be lucky. If you be gamblin', yo' go to a skin game and you'll win every time, see. But, if you turn back and startin' doin' any, you know, things dat de Lord would wan' chew to do, you can't ast de devil for nothin' else. You couldn't curse and get nothin' else da' chew want [one relapse and you are unsold to the devil].
Entry 359
You go out under a holly tree for nine Sunday mornings and whatever you wanted to be or to play, on de ninth Sunday morning de devil would come himself. On the ninth Sunday morning if you wanted to be a dancer, the devil would come himself and strike a step. But he [a man known to the informant] couldn't stand it. The pressure was too heavy. I heard him laughing about it many a time. [For holly tree, see also No. 355.]
Entry 360
Take ever' Sunday mornin' before sunup, about seven [Sundays] I think, an' go out in de woods an' go to a ole dogwood. Do ever'thing you kin do mean - say anything you kin to it [the tree]. You bury your face up [against the tree] an' de devil'll send his imps. An' de seven years up [the seven-year period for which you sold yourself to the devil], you can't rest, you can't stay in de house, you jis' have to walk all de time. Den, after a while he come an' git joo an' care [carry] you away.
Walking is the claimed later compulsion in the account; its cause and effect are unverified.
Entry 361
They say you kin go to the huckleberry bush - the devil's huckleberry bush - ever' Sunday morning fer nine Sunday morning, an' on the ninth Sunday morning, why, when he goes theah, he stays theah a while an' he cuts up [clowns] an' waits an' sings songs, an' aftah while the devil meets 'im. He hears a great ruslin' [rustling] in de leaves an' things, then the devil comes up. [A great ruslin' in de leaves shows the devil arriving in a whirlwind - see Nos. 167-183, and No. 355.] The devil comes up - him an' de devil has a talk - an' dey talk togethah, stayed theah an' talked togethah a while. Then aftah dat he sells hisself to the devil. Then the devil tells 'im he kin do jis' whut he please - nothin' won't hurt him, he would not have to work hard, an' de likes of that. Then he goes back [home]. An' den when he goes to work, why some ole man hires 'im - some white man hires 'im to work fer 'im. One day he wus settin' in the woods, cuttin' wood, haulin' logs, an' one thing anothah. Well, he goes in the woods an' goes to work. An' he works theah an' goes up that night an' he tells his master how much wood he had cut or how many logs he had mauled [split with a maul and wedge into cordwood]. Well, he didn't believe he had done all that work, so he makes up his mind that he would watch. So one day when he went out to work, why the man that bossed, he kin'a watched at 'im. So, aftah he went to work, why he went out theah an' hid himself. An'. he heard the axes a-goin', cuttin', an' chips a-flyin', an' de logs an' wood a-bustin'. He watched an' he start to creppin' [creeping] through the woods an' got a little closer to 'im. Seein' 'im, he wus settin' upon a stump whettin' his axe, whistlin', singin' - he had some little things theah playin' with. Well, them boys wus workin'! He had a crowd of 'em theah workin'! The logs wus a- flyin', they's pilin' up wood an' cordin' wood. It scared the ole man. He couldn't see nobody with 'im until he got right theah. He could see all these here little boys theah a-workin'. When he got there all these scattered. He went back - went back in the house. An' aftah while he come up, he tole 'im whut he had done. So this ole white man he got scared of 'im. So he discharged 'im. [FeW present-day readers can appreciate the activity here, the cording of wood. I have never cut a cord of wood but I have watched axmen cut and cord, and I have carried many cords cut up into the usual three sticks. Those devil's imps began work by driving down into the ground two solid stakes about two feet six inches apart and four feet high; then, eight feet away and parallel, two similar stakes were driven down, thus:--------: Wood was then cut into four- foot lengths - smaller logs round, large ones split - and stacked between these four stakes, so that the stack or pile filled this 132 cubic feet space; 128 being wood, the other 4 air space.]
Entry 362
Dey go to de fo'k of de road if yo' wanta learn to do any trick or to have people, or to win some goal or 'nothah. Yo' go to de road an' lay flat on yore back on a Sunday mawnin', an' anything dat yo' wish fo, it would appear, an' yo' could perform de action whut chew wish fo'. Ah heard that once there was a man he wanted tuh learn jes' tuh be a banjo picker, an' he undertake to try dat same trick at de fo'k of de road. He went tuh de road undah a tree an' he lied flat on his back, an' fin'lly he got so he could pick a tune on his banjo. An' de folks didn't wanta believe it dat he had learnt that way, so he made de second trip in order to prove it, an' his han' become tied to his banjo at de fo'k of de road on a Sunday mawnin'. [Tied to log, see No.75.]
The informant reports lying at road forks on Sunday morning to gain abilities, with a hearsay story of a banjo learner returning to prove it and becoming tied to the banjo. Hyatt cross-references a log account; the differing object is not reconciled into this story.
Entry 363
You go out there [to the forks of a road] aroun' about four a'clock - jis' commence dawnin' day, jis' about crack of day - an' start a-pickin' at de guitar. You go jis' onest. An' they says de devil came out an' take it - jis' somepin will pull it from you, you jis' give up to it. An' he'll tune up an' hand it back to you and you start to play. You can pick any song you want to pick.
Entry 364
There was a man who wanted to play an accordion and he didn't know how to play it. And someone told him that if he would go to the forks of a road nine Sunday mornings in succession, one after the other, at four o'clock, and on the ninth morning if he could stand what he saw, he would be a musician. So he went those periods of time and the last morning as he went across the field he heard a noise. When he was sitting in the forks of the road he heard an accordion playing a long time before it got to him. He said the accordion was about the size of a horsecart body. He was coming across the field playing the accordion. And just a little before he got to him, he began to sing Darling, where have you been? Where have you been so long? I'm on my way to the Old Shell Road. Then when he got to this man he clicked his tail on the ground, the same as a whip, and presented him that accordion. The man couldn't stand for it and jumped up and run. [old Point Comfort, Va., (27), Ed.; happened in Elizabeth City Co. Va.,1918, so informant says.]
Entry 365
Now a man kin get about as high as he wants to by going to de forks of de road. You kin go to de forks of de road, if you wanta do anything - you wanta become a professional musician or a man to do slight of hand or anything or walk out of people's sight. You kin go to de forks of de road and instead of praying to de Lord like most de people pray dey sins away, you pray to de devil. Well, de first morning you is there, it prob'bly may get a little windy. You do that for nine mornings. The next morning you may meet a bunch of birds, chickens or something like that. And the ninth morning you go there, you'll meet the devil himself. Well, if you got guts enough to stay dere and face what he's going to tell you, you'll be all right - you kin do anything you wanta do.
Entry 366
If you want to learn to play music or a fiddle, a man told a fellow what to do. He told him to go down to two roads [crossroad or fork of road] before sunup and turn his back to the sunrise and lay on his face, and no matter what noise he heard, never to turn around, never to raise his head and look at it. If you can stand that you can learn to play music. The fellow was laying down. He heard something, he was laying there, the sun was rising, and he looked behind him. It was a big blacksnake. He jumped up and lit out. He didn't learn how to play the music. Then he went back to the man that was learning him and he told him he couldn't learn him. So he went there again the next morning, real early, with the sunrise on him. He was laying there and something run out of the pasture, it was a big black bull, and run directly at him, and he jumped up and run. And he couldn't play the music. He didn't try to do it any more.
Entry 367
The piece he wanted to play was called The Fisherman's Hornpipe - seeming that he couldn't git right on his wyolin. So an' ole feller' tole him one time, he said, he says, "You go to a crossroad at twelve o'clock at night" - it's a road goin' that way and one goin' that way direction - and he said, "Take your wyolin wid jeh." And he says, "It will be a man will come. You set there and play till twelve o'clock. It will be a man will come," he said, "but don't chew mind," he said, "that." He was supposed to go nine nights. The ninth night the devil would come and start to play. He could play anything he wanted after the ninth night. Of course, he said he went. He set there and played this wyolin till twelve. He said he thought a man, but it was a bull come. No, it was a lamb. The first thing come was a lamb, the first night. He said, he passing along wery carefully, this lamb. The next night, the second night, he goes back again, sets and plays till twelve o'clock at this crossroad. The second night, he said, there was a breeze, and wind come as though the whole woods was falling, every tree was falling. And he goes back the third night and plays. The third night, he said there was a bull come through a-slinging fire, wid eyes just as red as could be. And he still set there and played. The fourth night he go back again. He said it was a band of six men come up with a coffun, set this coffun down, begin to take the leads off. Well, he couldn't stand that. He said he had to leave.
Entry 368
Go out to de fo'ks of de road an' stand when yo' git to the fo'ks of de road. Yo' goes out there an' meets - somepin comes to 'im. Dey say somepin comes tuh yo' an' tells yo' to come to de fo'ks of de road fo' nine mawnin's an' meet jes' whatevah he wants done. Jes' lak if he wants tuh be a musician. Well, yo' take an' go to de fo'ks of de road fo' nine mawnin's, if yo' wants tuh be a piano player or guitar player, yo' take that guitar an' go to the road fo'ks fo' nine mawnin's. When yo' git there then start tuh playin'. Well, dere somepin comes up 'cross de field behin' yo' lookin' jes' lak a cow. Well, maybe it have great big eyes when it git there. Why heah come snakes - a snake will come up there. Heah'll come a cat up. Heah'll come a dog up. Heah come a lion. Heah come a beah. Maybe a big smoke drop down ovah yo - drop right down ovah yo' an' yo' stand there an' meet that fo' nine mawnin's an' aftah de nine mawnin's, yo' supposed tuh leave an' go play any kind of music dat chew wanta.[ Fayetteville, N. Car., (1422), 2562:5.]
Entry 369
He [informant's father] was a great violin player - guess he wasn't a violin player, he was a fiddler in them days, you see. So he was a great fiddler and he fiddled and he was de best dey was around in de neighborhood where he was. I think it was in Westmoreland County, Virginia. So, after awhile another fellah come aroun' dere, could fiddle as good as him and he didn't want dat; he wanted to be de king bee, he wanted to be de best one. So he heard de ole people speak, you understand, dat if he went to work and went to de crossroad, you see - either crossroad or three forks of de road - twelve a'clock on a Sunday night, and take his violin and set down there and play, why de devil would come and learn him how to play. He made up his mind he was goin' to do it. So he said one Sunday night he takes his violin and goes to - he didn't go to the three forks, he went to de crossroads, one way go here and one go here. He said there was a big line- stone [boundary stone], so he set on this linestone and begin to play his violin. And de first he heard was. a - it sound like to him that it Was someone coming down de road on a horseback, coming like somebody galloping on a horse, you know. So he set there and he begin to play right smart. So dis horse kept comin' and gallopin'. De horse don't git no closeter. Well, he was setting on this line- stone, you understand, with his back to some little bushes. So after awhile dis man stopped on dis horse, he don't hear him no more. He kept playing, wondering why dis man don't come up, and there was a noise in the bushes behind him. He turned around and looked. My father said there was a black dog. The way he said it was half tall as a man. He said when he turned around the dog looked him in the face with great big eyes. He looked at it. He said he believed if de dog come up even [in front of] him he could have made it, but this dog come up behind him. He didn't like that. Of course he got up and left. But he told me, 'If you don't believe it, you try it."
Entry 370
If a man wants to sell hisself to the devil, why - if he wants to play a banjah [banjo] good, he's to go to a four-corner road [crossroad] nine mornings. You go ever' morning till the ninth morning. He sets along there playing de banjah until after awhile a lot of things would come up. They'll go around him nine times. And after awhile the last one behin'll ast him what would he rather do, do what dey doin' or serve de Lord. The man said do what they're doin'. He can bang his banjah up and he'll play on de ball anywhere.
Entry 371
Dey goes to de fo'k of de road to learn how to pick a guitar, an' dey goes to de fo'k of de road to do all diff'rent works.
(Do you know what they do when they get out there?)
Yes sir, dey goes to de fo'ks of de road - on de guitar pickin', now, ah'm goin' give yo' first on dat. When dey goes down to de fo'k of de road fo' guitar pickin', dey take a guitar - dat's a person nevah have know how to pick a guitar. Well, in goin' tuh de fo'k of de road at twelve 'clock at night wit a fifty-cent piece in yore hand, wit de guitar in yore hand - well, de devil walks up dere an' takes dis guitar outa yore hand an' picks a piece, de piece dat dey's tryin' tuh pick yo' know fo' months or somepin like dat. An' then dey lays de fifty-cent piece down an' he picks it up, an' after he picks de fifty-cent piece up, den he picks de guitar up an' he picks de same piece dat dey been tryin' tuh learn. Den dey [pupil] - de devil supposed to be backin' his life - den he [pupil] picks de box up himself an' after picking de box up, he'll pick dat same piece an' any other piece dat he wants tuh play. Ah knows a fellow right chere now done de same identical thing, in Waycross.
Entry 372
This man came out on the little end of this one. He sold himself to the devil. This happened right here in Snow Hill. I heard a man say that he wanted to play a banjo better than anybody in Snow Hill. A man came to him who could beat him playing a banjo and he went to see a man to see what he could do to learn how to play a banjo better than this other fellow. The man told him to go and get himself two tin plates, and go in the woods eight mornings straight and kneel between two tall oak trees, and rub these tin plates together, to sell himself to the devil, and pray to the devil that his heart would be as free of Jesus Christ as these tin plates are of rust - brand-new tin plates, too. And he did that thing. He got so he could play a guitar [banjo]. He done it seven mornings. And the eighth morning he went out there with these two bright shiny tin plates, playing a guitar, to be as free of Jesus Christ as these two tin plates were of rust, and one of these tall oak trees started to twisting around, you know, and moving. And he jumped. And the time he jumped, one of the limbs fell off. He left there - and the guitar, too.
Entry 373
Ah've heard dat yo' go to de fo'k of de road between midnight an' day an' yo' take with yo' a violin, an' whatevah de person wants tuh do at de fo'k of de road between twelve an' one a'clock in de night, dey say they will play that violin an' whatevah evil dey wants done, why that evil spirit will come tuh dem. An' dey will have a conversation wit de evil spirit an' dey kin call dat evil spirit to dwell around an' aggravate de person dat dey want dis evil thing done to. An' will cause dis person, yo' know, to lose his mind like yo' know, an holler things in de night.
Entry 374
[Years ago when the informant lived in Louisville, Kentucky, he did a great amount of gambling without much success. A friend offered to make him a successful gambler, provided he would participate in a certain rite. To perform this ceremony, both men one dark night went out in the woods, where the friend immediately made a large mud pie. Then, taking from his pocket a red-flannel ball which he began to roll round the outside of the pie, he asked the informant to cut the pie with a knife. But, before the latter could overcome his timidity, things began to happen. It lightened and thundered. Dishes dropped from the sky and broke on the ground. A cock appeared and began to crow. Knowing the cock to be the devil, the informant began to run and never stopped until he reached Louisville.]
Entry 375
(How do you sell yourself to the devil - what is the story?)
De way yo' sells yo'self tuh de devil, yo' got'a take somebody yo' dearly loves - a chile dat yo' dearly loves, if it's yore own chile or yore sister's chile dat yo' dearly love, an' not feel sorry for 'em an' kill it, an' go an' hide it an' bury it. Den yo've sold yoreself to de devil. Dere's no way atall fo' yo' tuh gain influence wit God agin, but still yo' goin' tuh live yo' days out. An' den de devil will learn yo' anything yo' wanta know - yo' kin do anything yo' wanta do. [For killing baby, see comment in No. 307.]
Entry 376
When I was a child we played a game as we touched seven telegraph posts then looked in seven alleyways you'd see the devil riding a white horse.
(What was the name of the game?) It was just a ghost game. We played it in Carlisle [Penn.].
Entry 377
If you run around de house seven times and look over your left shoulder you'll see de devil. [The devil is reduced to a children's gamel] [Deal Island, Md., (120), 33:3.] [Every night of the year hunters for buried treasure are out digging; daily all year persons seek hidden hordes in old houses and delapidated city apart- ments, ripping up a floor or tearing out plaster. Treasure hunting is something more than monetary value - it is a part of eternal hope, a mystical quest, the satisfaction of an unfulfilled dream.] [This endless search for desired wealth is very much the work of doctors, some of them being experts in the field - see margin-titles Treasure Expert fram New Jersey and Professor Frank of New Orleans and Doctor Washington of Charleston at the end of this subsection.]