Subject:Beef
Entries
Entry 3156
A girl tole me dat she could take beef livah an' cook it an' give it tuh me tuh eat, an' dat would cuz me, if ah went out wit anothah woman, dat would cuz me an' 'er tuh go tuhgethah lak a dog. Jes' beef livah. (She wouldn't put anything else with it?) Ah don't know whut she put wit it. She nevah did tell me whut she put wit it. [Surely not beef liver but dog liver is meant - see later sub- subsection (c) DOG, under subsection (1) CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.]
Entry 3715
Beef gall is sometime that is used to bring a man's nature back when a woman done tied knots aroun' - nine knots aroun' 'er stomach. (Well, how would you handle that? How would he get his nature back?) You use - take ordinary beef gall, if a man drink coffee, or whatevah drink he drink. Take or'nary beef gall an' make coffee or whatevah it is, make it strong enough dat yo' kin put one drop into dat an' he won't taste dat gall in dere, an' let 'im drink it, yo' see. An' if a woman is got a knot aroun' 'er stomach, an' she wears dem nine knots aroun' 'er stomach to kill a man's nature, yo' give him dat beef gall. Jis' continue givin' 'im dat beef gall, an' when dat string bu'st on 'im, he'll become a normal man when dat string bu'st on 'er. Long as he take dat beef gall an' urinate through 'is penis, dat string will continue wearin' - wearin' - [away].
Entry 6997
She kin take some beef blood an' put it in some whiskey yo' know, an' give dat tuh 'im. Yo' jis' put nine drops in dere at de time, yo' know, an' let 'im drink dat. An' dat'll make 'im sick an' dat'll turn 'im against it.
Entry 6998
Dey says yo' kin take a beef gall an' give him de beef gall in coffee an' dat'll stop 'im from drinkin' likkah.
Entry 6999
[They]tell me yo' take beef gall an' yo' put 9 drops intuh a bottle of whiskey. See if he don't stop drinkin'.
Entry 7008
Take beef gall. Take some beef gall an' a catfish; yo' know, dese ole big long-head mud cats. Take dat mud catfish gall, yo' undahstan', an' take a [chicken] egg an' beat it up wit dis; keep it from bein' so bittah, yo' undahstan'. An' take [add] dis whiskey, beat it up good, good, good; so it won't foam much, yo' undahstan'. An' shake it up in de bottle of whiskey an' let 'im drink dat. It'll stop 'im from drinkin' all de whiskey in de world.
Entry 8018
On de first Friday of de month yo' see, yo' goes an' yo' git chew a beef tongue an' yo' split dat beef tongue jis' long enough where yo' kin stick a piece of papah in dere. Stick dat person's name in dere, write dat person's name lengthways. Jis' don' cross. Kin jis Write it longways, yo' know, jis' write it nine times de long ways. Ah don' mean no cross it, yo' see. An' yo' take aftah dat, aftah yo' write his name, den yo' take it yo see an' yo' stick it down in dat beef tongue. An' yo' go in de graveyard an' yo' bury dat, see. An' when dat beef tongue begin tuh rot, dat person begins tuh feel drowsy an' droopy, sleepy, jis' continue sleep until he kinda sleep hisself away. [Algiers, La., (1590), 2987:4.] [Material about bones from the dead has already been given in many places, among them: MOANING BONES, P.36; HEAD BONE, P.38; POWER FROM HEADBONE, P.282; POWER FROM BROTHER'S SKULL, p.283; DEAD PREACHER'S BONE, p.285; and DEAD GAM- BLER'S HAND BUILT EUREKA HOTEL WHERE I INTERVIEWED IN MEMPHIS BUILT BY THE DEAD, first quotation on p.1871, from p.1876, line 17 from bottom of page, continued on p.1877. I am dividing this subsubsection on bones into: (ea) WHAT BONES FROM THE DEAD DO, and (eb) TYPES OF BONES FROM THE DEAD. These two divisions of course overlap.]
Entry 8669
Yo' take an' git chew a pack of bran'-new needles an' yo' buy yo' a beef tongue. An' yo' put nine needles in it an' yo' take dat beef tongue an' yo' bury it toward de east coast of de tree, or right undah de tree in de no'th corner of yore garden or yore fence. Dat's tuh kill dem. Rill me or anybody else. It'll rot. Yo' put de name on de tongue. (All right. You didn't tell me that.) Well, ah'm tellin' yo' now. (Now, how do I know?) We-ll, ah'm tell yo'. (How do you put the name on the tongue, now? Tell me.) Nine time, an' on a piece of papah, an' pin it wit dem needles nine times. Nine needles, see. An' yo' pin dat an' yo' bury dat tongue upside down. An' when dat tongue rot, dey rot.
Entry 8689
Now, ah tell yo' 'bout de stockin's. He could take her stockin's - [she could] take his socks an' put 'em undah 'er do'step. Git a beef tongue, yo' understan', an' stick pins in it; but she gotta stick a pin dere every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's till she git nine pins in dere. An' den take a pencil an' a piece of papah an' sign his name all ovah dat beef tongue [see correction later] an' take an' wrap it up an' den put it - jes' bury it in de groun' right at 'er do'. He'll come back.
(She also puts his socks under the door?)
Undah dere.
(Do they point them any particular way or just....?)
Jis' put 'em dere - jes' so he walk ovah dere to go back an' forwards. (Well, now. She doesn't write on that beef tongue, she writes on the paper doesn't she?) She writes on de papah.
(What does she do with the paper then?)
She takes de papah an' den she folds de beef tongue up in de papah. An' den she bury it.
Entry 8780
If yo' wants tuh make a person move ag'in [another method] eithah [or] make 'em live bad - it goes fo' both de things. If yo' wanta make 'em live bad, ah break some ice up, an' ah take dat beef gall, an' de dirt dauber - yo' knows dat - an' yo' roll it [dirt dauber]. Yo' know, yo' take a bottle an' put it [dirt dauber nest] in a piece of papah an' roll it up, yo' know lak yo' do bread crumbs. An' yo' take dat beef gall an' yo' take de same cayenne peppah. Yo' use a whole box of it an' de beef gall, an': yo' mix all dat up togethah. An' yo' write de individual name down nine times each way. Yo' see, yo' could write it nine times straight lak dat [demonstrates]. An' den whosomevah yo' breakin' up from, yo' could write dem on top. An' den yo' write 'em down nine times each way yo' see. Yo' write it straight lak dat, an' den urite it, yo' know, catacorner [catercornered]. Yo' undahstan' how ah mean? Write it across jis' lak a seal lak yo' make. [These 2 groups of names cross each other making an "x" or cross.] An' den yo' put it in dat piece of papah, but chew git a white piece of papah an' yo' write it in ink. An' yo' git it in dat papah an' yo' fold it up, an' when yo' fold it, don' fold it towards yo', always fold it from yo'. An' yo' put it in a jah. Yo' put all dat togethah in dat papah an' yo' put it in a jah an' yo' stop dat jah up tight an' yo' put it in a ole country toilet. Have tuh be shure tuh find a country toilet tuh put it in where nobody won' find it.
(What would that do then?)
Dat would break yo' up. Dat would break anybody up, if yo' want 'em tuh live bad an' not prosper or nuthin. Dat'll make 'em, yo' know, live bad.
(These two people.)
An' den ag'in, dat same thing yo' could do ag'in, if yo' wants tuh put some- body against - lak yo' have friends an' de people heah lak [like] yo'. If yo' put de othah person ag'inst dese othah people, yo' kin take dat same thing an orite dere name down an' den write de othah individual name on top an' put it down, an' dey'll come tuh lak yo' an' hate de othah one.
(You don't throw that in the toilet do you?)
Yes, de same thing. Yo' know it diff'ren ways yo' could do.
Entry 8956
If they got any kind of a witness that would speak against yo', well yo' gets their name an' yo' writes it upon this beef tongue. And you kicks it around the floor and you takes it and you put it up in the chimney. You hangs it up in there and they couldn't speak against you
[at court]. [Kicking is a frequent magic act.]
Entry 8957
(What do they do with that?) They go to the slaughterhouse an' get it [a fresh tongue is required]. (What do they get?) Get a tongue, a beef tongue, yeah. And you make a fire in the ole chimley when yo' going for trial, an' burn that On the judge. Put his name there [on tongue]. An' burn that on the judge. That changes his mind.
Entry 8958
Yo' take a portion and yo' put it in each shoe.
(You mean the oil. The oil?)
Yes, yo' put it in each shoe. An' there's three oils yo' get. Yo' get this oil of muritel.
(You get what?)
Murotel, yeah. That [is] if you out, yo' understand, goin' to meet co't. If yo're not in jail, yo' can take oil of murotel and cedar oil an' labena [ver- bena]. An' yo' mix them three oils together. [First oil is surely myrtle!] (What kind? Labena?) Labena [verbena], yes sir. An' yo' bathe yoreself in it that morning before going before the judge. An' if yo' have any witness, well yo' take a beef tongue. An' yo' know the right names, yo' writes the name upon dat tongue. An' if yo' got a chimley anywhere in de house, yo' hangs dat up in there, an' your witness can't speak clearly. (Well, what do you hang that beef tongue in that chimney for? What - how do you do that?) Just take it and [first] you roll it around with your feet [it is kicked in No.8956] and hangs it up in there and smoke it.
(Oh, you smoke it! I see.)
Entry 8959
If mah boy wuz in jail, ah would take a beef tongue an' ah would smoke it an' ah would keep it in dere [chimney]. An' ah would take de judge's name, de district attorney's name, an' take me nine needles an' put it in dere, an sew it up an' smoke dat beef tongue fo' nine days. An' ah would go tuh co't an' ah cross mah fingers, an' he Would git discharged. (How do you mean you would cross your fingers?) [Informant demonstrates.] (You would take the index finger of each hand and just cross them; each hand, like that. You would hold them crossed in court. Why do you use nine needles, any particular reason?) If dey got nine district attorneys [jurymen?] on dis case, yo' understand, if dey got nine of 'em, dem needles represent de district attorney [jurymen].
(If you have twelve jurymen then you would use the twelve.)
[Informant does not understand why 9 needles are used. We shall meet these 9 needles again and everywhere. This was the very first rite I collected on my second visit to New Orleans. Informant was the wlfe of one of my contact men, Peg Leg. She a professional worker had refused to see me two years before on my first visit. Her material, good, is scattered throughout the text.)
Entry 8961
[The day the case] comes off yo' git the beef tongue from de market. Yo' see, yo' gon'a know when de case come off 'cuz [you] git de subpoena. Freeze dat tongue in ice. Take a pen and write [scratch] de judge's name on dere [the tongue], bury it, an' have de party dat live in de building, a brother or anybody else, turn everything upside down. Turn de mat- tress upside down, de chairs upside down, de tables [upside down] during de time de case is coming off, an' de case will be nol pros [nol-pros, nolle prosequi].
Entry 8962
(How do they use the beef tongue?)
They take a beef tongue - they got to get a fresh one - have to go to the slaughterhouse and they get a fresh beef tongue and they bring it home. And they get a fresh beef tongue and they bring it home. And they get your name, the judge's and the district attorney's name and everything, and puts it in this tongue. And they take this tongue and they put it down in ice. That's to freeze the judge's tongue, you see. That's the way they do with them beef tongues, but you got to go to the slaughterhouse and get one fresh. Can't get none [from the butcher shop].
Entry 8963
(How do you use the alligator tongue?)
It do the same part as the beef tongue and from what it was taught to me from Doctor Henry Laemson, it's better.
(You think the alligator tongue is better than the beef tongue?)
Absolutely.
(What do you do with that, then?)
They take that alligator tongue and freeze it hard until it hard as the table. For instance, if it's a - the judge, probably he be named Anderson. I will write Anderson on that beef tongue, just take a hatpin or kind of a... [demonstrates]. [Since he changed from alli- gator to beef, I ask:] (Are you talking about the beef or alligator tongue?) Absolutely, write his name on there. See. Write the district attorney name on that. The tongue ls well froze. The day the case come off, bury that tongue. The party whosomever - if this lady that live in this building here, if it's her son, have her to turn the mattress upside down, the chair upside down, the table upSide dOWN, and IT LOOK LIKE THAT GIVE THE JUDGE NO WILLPOWER TO FIGHT AGAINST THE CASE, NEITHER THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SEE. They absolutely more than have to nol pros the case, see. So that they won't get any good evidence, see, from none of the witness, even if I'm the witness, statement won't correspond. One may say that they....
Entry 8965
(If you are going to court, you say?)
Yes. Now, yo' git that beef tongue an' yo' takes hit an' yo' puts it on ice. Write de name whut chew done wrote. Yo' would write de name of de party dat's gotta go tuh co't where dey cain't talk, yo' see, lak yo' want a person convicted, an' git fined someway or 'nothah. Yo' takes dat name an' yo' writes it nine times, de judge an' de lawyer dat he has, an' puts dat round dat beef tongue an' put it on ice, an' dat freezes dey tongue an' dey cain't talk. Whut dey know dey cain't explain no mo'.
Entry 8968
Suppose yo'd [you would] have a case comin' off, yo' see, on de 28th of dis month. Dey day dat chure case goin' come off - [the day before] yo' git dat beef tongue from de market an' yo' put it on ice an' leave it freeze very hard. Aftah it freeze yo' take dat needle an' [scratch] all de jurys name on dat tongue. Aftah writing de jurys name on dat tongue, yo' take a shovel an' yo' put it [ice and tongue] about one foot in de ground. Yo' covah it ovah. It's frozen yo' see. Now dis dwellin' house dat chew live in. Yo' turn de chairs upside down. Well, dat chills his tongue an' he wouldn't be able tuh prosecute, unless de case is so brutish until de jurymen - yo' understand, regardless of whut de judge say - dey would have capital punishment. But if de case is not [too impossible] de [jury] wouldn't take de statement of de judge becuz he gonna give no statement whatevah. Dey take de statement of de witness dat got on de stand.
Entry 8970
[If you are] in court like this. If yo' done did a bad crime. He got a witness against yo' - or maybe ten or twelve - fifteen or twenty witness against yo'. Yo' take all of these witness names. Now which is de beef tongue, an' it runs about dat long [dem- onstrates]. Yo' know de size of a beef tongue. Yo' take dat tongue an' yo' split it open right into de mid- dle. Yo' take all dese names an' yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue. Aftah yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue, yo' get yo' a pack of needles an' yo' use nine of de biggest needles in dere. Yo' get yo' 50 pounds of ice. Dat's de day yo' goin' to court. Get yo' 50 pounds of ice an' yo' take dis beef tongue an' yo' put it down into dis ice an' freeze it. Co'se [of course] yo' could use it de night before dat. An' yo' take dis tongue an' yo' freeze it with these witness names against yo' in it. Then, when they get in court they can't say nothing against you. If it's anything, they going to say somepin for you.
(What do you do with those nine needles?)
The nine needles, you just stick it all in them names and in the tongue. New Orleans, La., (860), 1371:6.]
Entry 8976
Yo' use dem needles an' nails - well, nails. Ah'll put nails an needles togethah. Fo' instance, yo' have a case in court. Yo' have, probably three or fo' witnesses against yo' an' yo' afraid dat when dey appear dat dere testimony will convict yo'. Now, nine mornings befo' de day of de trial, yo' go to de market an' yo' get yo' a beef tongue. Yo' get de beef tongue an' yo' come back home an' yo' split it down de middle. Yo' take dese witness' name, also yore witness, an' yo' write dere name down, nine times, an' place it inside of the tongue. Get yo' this No.8 thread - yo' get black an' white an' yo' take a needle an' yo' sew dis up in dere, an' as yo' sew dat, yo' curse it. As yo' sewin' yo' cursin'. (Which do you sew with, the black or the white?) Well, it's known as No.8 thread. It can be white or black. (Oh, I see.) But like if it was a negro an' have white witnesses against 'im, yo'd use white an' black thread. See, like mixed. (What if it's a colored man and he had negro witnesses against, him, then what?) Well, he would use black thread. Yo' take this black thread an' sew it an' cuss at 'im. Sew an' cuss at 'im. Evah time yo' sew it, cuss 'im. Sew dat up. Den yo' take nine needles an' drive dem in dere an' curse it all de time. Aftah yo' take nine needles, yo' take nine tenpenny nails an' jug in dere, all de way up to dere. Just take dat an'...
(You drive the nails into the tongue?)
Yeah, drive dem in dis tongue, all.de way through dis tongue.
(I didn't get that word. Do you jerk them or jump them in?)
Yo' push 'em in.
(Oh! All right. I didn't understand what you said.)
[I am trying not to offend! Remember the hermaphrodite in New Orleans and my use of the word sporting-woman - see p.1685,5 lines from bottom, fol.] Yeah, yo' push 'em an' den aftah yo' take dat an' yo' dig a hole. Dig a hole deep enough fo' yo' to git say around abount 25 pounds or 50 pounds of ice. An' yo' put de ice at de bottom an' put dis tongue in between an' freeze dat tongue fo' nine days an' nine nights. An' de day of de trial - whenevah yo' think de ice will run out, yo' just go back an' yo' put ice on it. Yo' keep dat tongue froze. As long as yo' keep dat tongue froze just as hard, yo' know like when yo' freeze sompin it git real hard - as long as yo' have dat tongue froze, it will work. Yo' keep de tongue froze. De morning dat yo' are goin' to trial, get up - just like yo' get up out of yore bed, don't make it up, leave it. Take yore undahclothes, yo' turn dem on de wrong side, even yore socks. Put on yore shoes an' clothes an' yo' come on out. Den yo' go to court. If dat tongue is froze when yo' go to court, to trial an' get up on de stand, dey'll call de witness to de stand, it'll freeze his tongue. He can't talk like he wants to. He'll git up dere an' he'll make some mistakes. He'll git up dere an' he'll talk, he'll be talkin' against yo', but de way dat he'll talk, it'll be in yore favor. See. He'll sort of stutter an' can't get de thing right like he wants, yo' know. Dey will throw it [case] out then.
Entry 8978
Get yo' a beef tongue, an' get de judge's name. An' if dey have a wit- ness, get one for de witness an' one for de district attorney. An' yo' get a block of ice. An' yo' see, yo' set dem three candles or white candles [mentioned before recording started and also later] on [this] ice before yore trial, an' dat chills dere tongues. Yo' put de tongue into a big block of ice [usually 50 pounds]. Just make a hole an' put it down into de ice. An' cut de tongue open an' put de judge's name, de dis- trict attorney's name, an' de witness [name] in dat. An den set de light [candles] on before yo' go to court. One candle for each of dose people. Use white candles.
Entry 8980
Now if yo' go before de iudge, de judge goin' to discharge yo', ac- cording to what kind of case, yo' know, yo'll have. Well, if yo' got people against yo', yo' know, an' yo' don't want to have dem part of de jury. Yo' going before de judge, like if it's a criminal case, yo' know, yo' got to have de jury. Yo' see, dey have [a panel of] 75 jurors [to select jurors from]. Well, yo' don't know what people [will be on the jury]. They don't pick out but twelve. Now, yo' don't know what twelve dey going to pick out. Dat makes yo' gotta use de whole panel. Yo' see, ah [in my work] done use 'em all.[ Well, now, de person - what jurors is against yo'. Yo' go an' get yo' a beef tongue, a fresh beef tongue. Pay odd money fo' it, not even money - 25 or 35 cents or somepin like dat. Let de money be odd money. An' yo' go an' take dat tongue an' yo' get these peoples names what is against yo', what done harm yo', don't yo' see or what yo' done harm. Yo'll take dat tongue, yo'll write de names on a piece of papah, an' yo'll write all dem jurymen's names, de dis- trict attorney.
(The whole 75 of those names?)
Yeah, just put de whole 75. Yo' have to use de 75, because outa dem yo' get twelve.
(I see. All right.)
Now, yo' get de district attorney what is de man to prosecute yo'. Yo'll get his name an' put it on dere, but not de judge in dat part. An' yo'll -git yo' dat tongue. Yo' get yo' nine needles an' nine pins. Yo'll get yo' dese people names an' yo'll put down on dere an' yo'll put dat down in de throat of dat tongue. Yo'll take dat tongue an' yo'll hang it up in de chimney. An' den aftah dat, yo'll take an' git yo' some watah an' yo'll get yo' some peppah. Yo' git yo some coarse snuff an' yo'll burn a - light a candle.
(Coarse snuff?)
Coarse snuff, dat coarse snuff; not dat in a box. An' yo'll light dat candle an' yo'll put it.in dere. Now, yo' want to come clear an' yo' want de judge to be lenient wit yo', so yo' take de judge's name. An' yo'll take de judge ame, den yo'll git yo' a block of ice, 'bout fifty pounds of ice. Yo' put it in a little pail an' yo'll sweeten it. Den yo'll light de candle, but yo'll light it straight up [the candle will be standing upl. An' den yo' see, sweeten de judge. But this othah part what yo' do, yo' take an' yo' put de candle - yo' turn 'em upside down, yo' get dat coarse snuff an' all dat, an' put in dere. Well dat make de district attorney be fightin' against dem. An' de people, what he got fo' witness, goin' to speak against yo'. Anything dey drink, perhaps dey drink whiskey. Some might drink gin or somepin like dat. Well yo'll get dat [liquor] an' yo' put dere name an' set yo' a little glass. An' put dat candle on dat [name and liquor in the glass] an' ah'll guarantee every one of 'em will go to court drunk. An' yo'll come out clear 'cause dey'll be drunk. Dey won't know what they're sayin'. They'll be lying backwards and forwards.
(What'll that ice do?)
Well, yo' see, de ice, dat's to cool, dat's fo' yore part. De ice makes yo' cool. Yo' know ice makes yo' cool. [Usually ice freezes apponent's tongue.] Well, de judge won't be fiery wit yo'. See, he'll be cool an' calm. But on dis othah side, yo' get dat snuff an' yo' put dem names in dere an' yo' get dat beef tongue. Yo' put dem things in dere an' shove dat tongue, all down in de throat, an' just hang dat tongue up an' den yo'll see. Yo'll see an' dey'll be lyin' an' dey'll be drunk. Just what dey drink, yo' set dat candle in dere [in the glass]. An' dey'll be lyin' an' dey won't say a thing against yo'. What color...just what candles you select. Don't try de black candles.
(Anything but black?)
But black candles.
(How many do you burn?)
Yo' burn - see, if dere's five people, yo' put five candles. An' if it's three, yo' put three; just accordin' to how many is against yo', yo' put dem many candles. An' den what they drink, yo' get a little glass, just what fit de candle an' put dat [liquor] in dere, an' ah'll guarantee yo' every one will be drunk.
Entry 8983
Yo' take a beef tongue an' yo' goin' to court, an' yo' takes it, an yo' put de one's name who got yo' arrested, an' de judge, an' de district attor- ney and the party dat's accusin' yo' [caused the arrest] an' yo' puts de [3] names in dere. An' yo' write it an' yo' stick it a way down in dat tongue. Yo' go to court an' yo' can carry dat tongue wit yo', wrap it up good, in yore pocket. When dey get ready to say somepin, dere tongue will be tied, becuz dere name is down in dat tongue - pushed a way down in dere - an' dere mind get all up [upset], an' dere tongue get heavy. It's just like if yo' take somepin [and put it] on my tongue - put anythin' in dere. It goin' to make it still heavier, if it held wit a weight, ain't it? Well, dat'd make de tongue get heavy an' dey can't say nuthin. So dat's de reason why - dat's what a tongue do's. Yo' put de name in dere, de party dat accused her [had her arrested], de judge, an' de district attorney. Dat's who all names yo' want, Just de three names: de party dat's ac- cusin' 'er, de judge, an' de district attorney. [New Orleans, La., (826a) 1212:2.]
Entry 8984
Well, de beef tongue. If a guy have commit a crime, why yo' git dat beef tongue an' put nine needles in it, [name of criminal in], an' take it to de cemetery an' put it on a grave. Wrap it up yo' know an' put it on de grave. An' it'll stay there till it spoil an' fade away. An' in dat time it fade away, dis guy will be back, yo' see, an' den he's captured.
(Whose grave do you put this tongue on?)
Well, yo' put it on any' grave dat chew know of, who had not been buried, yo' know, not so very long.
(You don't put it on the grave of the man who was killed?)
No, no.
(This is to bring back some man who has committed a crime?)
Well, yo' see, de man dat had done committed de crime, why yo' jes' put it in on a grave dat chew know of people were real smart peOpZe [DOES THIS MEAN THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD?" IF SO, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF USING THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD" - A HOODOO CANONIZED INTO A SAINT!] An' den When dat fade, why de man will be back an' be captured.
Entry 8985
Yo' take beef tongue an' dries it. Yo' make a dust out of dat, under- stand. Yo' take that an' dries it. Yo' take it - just like yo' take it an' lay it, let it just wither up. Hang it so it wither up, yo' see. Well, yo' take it, yo' take blood of dragon - dragon's blood. Yo' take lodestone. Yo' take that an' grind it up. An' yo' takes a piece of red flannel an' yo' puts them in there an' makes yo' a bag out of that. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' tote it in your pocket. He always be's lucky an' successful man, never being bothered or worried or caught up when he's out walking around. See, he ain't got no job or nothing, he's out hustling for his living. Laws and things don't pick him up an' ask him a lot of questions or any- thing. If they ask him, all he's got to do is to tell him, why he's goin' tend- ing to his business, an' they let's him go.
Entry 12476
Well, if a person do sompin an' dey wanta git away an' dey got 'em trail'-lak, say fo' instance, dey put de policemen on dere track or put de bloodhoun's. Dey git bloodhoun's behin' 'em an' trail 'em. Dey git a piece of beef livah an' jes' rub dat blood in de bottom of dere shoes. Dey git 'em some garlic an' chop garlic up an' put it all in de bottom of dere shoes. An' wheresomevah dey makes a track, kin nuthin trail 'em.