Subject:Overboard
Entries
Entry 3899
Dey said dat a person take yore hair. Dey could take yore hair an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' keep it an' yo'll always think swell of 'em. An' ah heard dat a person could take yore hair an', or part of yore ministration rag, an' put it togethah an' one yore dirty socks, an' throw it ovahbo'd an' yo'll go crazy.
(Now somebody would do that to a woman. Take her hair and what else?)
Her ministration rag.
(And her sock. All these things [three things] belong to her?)
Yeah. Yore dirty socks definitely belongs to the woman; the man not adding his own sock to her hair and blood. He would also have driven himself away!]
Entry 5191
De only thin' dat ah knows of dey shoes, dey take an' jes' kinda burn or scorch it a little bit an' throw it ovahbo'd.
(What will that do?)
Dat will run 'em jes' about mindless. Dey'll have spells. Dey mind is goin' an' dey jes' cain't stay one place. Evah time dat shoe would be goin', flippin' back an' fo'th, dey mind will jes' be goin' lak dat, until dey jes' go crazy an' run away from yo' or somepin lak dat.
Entry 5582
Beginning Norfolk, Va. [This is the first rite from Norfolk.] Take right foot track an' put nine needles in it. [Of] co'se I'd git 'em in a bottle, nine needles, an' yo' goes to de rivahside, see, nine mawnin's. See, you got nine nee- dles in dis here bottle wit de dirt in [from the right foot track]. An' goes down to de rivah nine mawnin's. An' when yo' gits down dere yo' walks backwards so many feet - yo' walks backwards nine times [9 steps] each mawnin'. An' de las' mawnin', yo' throw dat bottle ovahbo'd. Nine needles an' go down to de rivah nine mawnin's an' de las' mawnin' yo' throw dis bottle ovahbo'd.
(I see. Well now, what is this supposed to do to a person?)
Dat will cuz a person to leave his job, or cuz fuss 'tween man an' woman. If a woman want tuh git de man from 'er husban' [a bad influence on her husband, gambles, etc.], dat would make him leave. Dat's how a woman out here - a woman said dat 'er sistah had been did [sister had been sent away by some man's wife].
(Now, what foot track do they dig that dirt from...both feet or...)
Naw, dis one - de right foot.
(The right one.)
De right foot. Take dat dirt outen de right foot. Go on dere jis' as soon as de sun rise - see, 'fore de sun gits hot an' dat sun rise. [I stop recording here but informant continues. I try to recover missed words.]
(What carries it out, did you say?)
De tide, de water. You know, when de tide goes out, takes dat bottle out wit it.
(Yes, and after that carries it out, what does it do then?)
Dat cause dat man to leave, see.
(Carries him out.)
Carries 'im out, carries 'im from 'is work or 'is wife.
Entry 5584
Dey take dat[foot track] up, put dat in a bottle. Understand? Put dat in a bottle an' put war watah. Git chew a bottle of war watah an' put some of dat war watah on it, cayenne peppah, yo' undahstan', nine needles, nine pins, an' take dat an' stop it up, an' go to de rivah. Git on de ferry an' when de ferry git in de middle of de rivah, throw it an' turn aroun'.
(You throw it and you turn around?)
Throw it in de watah an' turn aroun' [demonstrates] an' say a oath.
(I see, you throw that as you turn around.)
Turnin' aroun'. Throw it an' turn aroun' [demonstrates]. Wheel like dat.
(I see.)
An' dey'll go right on behind it. Yes, sir, right on behind it.
Entry 5618
Take dere tracks an' take a pinch, three pinches an' git chew nine grains of red peppah an' nine grains of black peppah an' nine peas of black- eyed peas, an' put it in a bottle an' throw it ovahbo'd, an' don' look back. Says she'll 'peah [appear] 'way from dere. (Here's the track like that. You take three pinches out of that track - either track, the right track or theleft?) De right track.
Entry 5665
Well, if yo's a person dat want a person tuh leave town or anything like dat, if yo' kin ketch 'is footprint in de evenin' when de sun's goin' down. Yo' gotta lay fo' 'im. Some- times it be weeks an' months, yo' know, when anything like dat goin' tuh occur, yo' gotta wait until yo' kin ketch 'im goin' dat way. An' yo' kin git de whole shapes - de whole shape.
(Either track?)
Eithah track, right or lef', an' de same thing ag'in. Carry it right down tuh de rivah. He lef' town but he won't be hurt.
(Well, how do you pick that up.)
Yo' gotta pick dat up wit 'is face goin', goin' west, his face turned from de sunrise tuh de west. Yo' pick up dis track.
(Then what do you do with that track?)
Yo' have tuh take it an' put it in a bag or anythin' an' carry it. Throw it ovahbo'd where de tide's goin' out an' he go right along. He [will suddenly] have a job [somewhere], he'll rush tuh go.
Entry 8715
Jes' lak if a person want 'em [to] leave, wanta run a person outa town, yo' take a brand-new bar [of] Octagon [trade name] soap an' write in de fo' cor- ners of it. Yo' take it an' go to de rivah. (You do what on the four cor- ners?) Write de person name whut chew Wanta leave, want 'em leave outa town. Write dere name on de fo' corners of de soap, an' throw it ovahbo'd when de tide be goin' out. An' dat will make dem leave town. (How do you write that name on the corner? Here's the soap [I demonstrate]. Do you write it like this, or like that?) De fo' corners [demonstrates].
(Like that, catercornered in the four corners.)
Yes.
Entry 8921
Now, if anyone has stole anythin' from yo', yo' go tuh some runnin' watah an' yo' write his name on dat piece of papah an' put slime or mud, whatso- evah it 'tis, an' call de Three Great Names - dat's de Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost, "may he bring dis back to me, ' an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dat runnin' watah hit'll run back to yore house, bring it back to yore house. He pick some chance tuh bring it back, 'thout [without] chew seein' 'im. [The preceding expression Three Great Names is rare compared to the more usual ones of Three Highest Names and Three Holy Names. (If you think that's the person that stole the article, you write his name on a piece of paper, and you put this mud on the piece of paper.) Right on top of his name.
Entry 9434
Yo'll take dat chicken aig, de red[!] of de aig. An' den yo'll git chew three needles, new-bran' [brand-new] needles, an' yo' run it through dat, de red of de aig. An' yo' wrap it wit red flannen an' den throw it ovahbo'd. Well, it don' kill yo', jis' make yo' wandah - wandah aroun'.
(How do you know that you have the right person?)
Oh! well, yo' go tuh work an' pick up de right person through a card [having fortune told by cards]. Write de name of de person on de aig.
(On the outside of the egg, before you break it and get the yellow?)
Yeah, yeah, git dere name an' jes' write it - write dere name. [These 3 new needles, symbolizing the 3 Holy Names are here worked through yolk taken from egg, but I now believe the yolk was left in the egg and the needles worked through the shell and crossed inside - see No.9272, p.3736.]
Entry 10056
Dey git a black cat an' care 'im tuh de fo'ks uh de road fuh nine mawnin's about six a'clock. An' dey come back home an' bile dat cat. An' dey says den dey kin do mos' anythin' dey want. Dey bile dat cat an put 'im a - take all de bones, yuh know, aftah dey boil de cat, an' care it down tuh a creek am trow all de bones ovahbo'd. Well, all de mos' a dem bones'll go tuh de botto. save de bone w'ut float. Dey say dat be de lucky bone.
Entry 10938
Yo' take it an' pick it up from de ground dis way first [demonstrates]. (From the toe back to the heel.) Yes, back to de heel, and den from de heel to de toe. Yo' carry it and get some black gunpowder, and you take it and go to a river and ketch a catfish. And when yo' ketch him, don't kill him, put dis in his mouth in a piece of paper. And sew his mouth up and throw him overboard and dey'll go until de fish stops. Wheresomevah he stop, dey'll stop; whether it be beyond de state, where dey come from.
(Do you put just a piece of plain paper?)
Yes sir, jest plain paper.
(How many tracks do you take?)
Jest one.
(Which one, any one?)
Right.
Entry 13369
Yo' kin take a aig. Yo' kin take one aig an' yo' kin put dat aig intuh chamber lye an' let it lay fo' 9 days, see. Well, den yo' kin take dat aig, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh fix a person. Well, yo' go tuh fix 'em, well yo' kin take dat aig aftah 9 days an' yo' kin take it an' throw it ovahbo'd. See. An' if a person's aftah yo', well yo' could - yo' know - git rid of 'em. (How do you throw that egg overboard?) Yo' throw it overbo'd tuh eithah run de person crazy or make 'em leave town. (Well, how do I know I've got the right person? By just using that egg? What else do I do with that egg?) Whut else? Well, ah don't know nuthin' else except yo' know, yo' go some- wheres an' yo' git information, see.
(The egg is supposed to represent the person you are to send away?)
Shore.
(Well, how do I know it's representing that person?)
Sign dere name on de aig.
(Oh! Did you tell me that before?) [Notice the answer.]
No, ah wasn't in heah befo' tuh yo'.
(I mean, did you tell me that a moment ago?)
No.
(Did you tell me you had signed the egg?)
[Here is a good example of working hard for information informant thinks you know.] See, yo' sign dat person name on dat aig.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Yeah, jes' ole black hen aig.
(You didn't tell me that before, see.)
Entry 4356
Takes yuh chamber lye an' dey puts it in a bottle an' dey puts - git nine peas, nine black-eyed peas, an' nine nails, eight-penny nails about dat long [demonstrates] an' a needle, one sewin' needle. An' po' dat [urine] in dere [the bottle], an' a piece of fat meat an' throw dat in dere, an' nine straws. An' fo' dey put dat in dere, dey'll take it an' let it set up nine days. An' when it set up nine days dey'll go an' put it - dey'll take it an' put some mo' [things in]. Put black peppah an' salt an' vinegah in it an' three pods of red peppah. An' dey takes it [bottle] tuh de rivah an' throws it ovahbo'd ovah de right shoulder [using the left hand]. Dat'll run yuh crazy.
Entry 1744
They takes a new shingle and cuts it like a boat you know, like a ship sharp at each end, and when the tide's going out - they writes your name on that too, nine times - and when de tide's out they throw it over- board and that person will die.
Entry 5654
Dey take yore foot track up in a spoon an' put it in a sack an' den throw it ovahbo'd. Dat will hahm [harm] yo'.
(What will that do to me?)
Dat will drown yo'.
(Which track do they take up?)
Take up de lef' feet.
Entry 5774
Den when yo' walk out de yard, take de foot of it when yo' walkin' take dat track, dat lef' one, an' throw dat ovahbo'd. Dat'll run yo' away.
(Which foot did you say?)
Dat left foot [demonstrates].
(And you are bringing it back from the toe to the heel?)
Yes.
Entry 11316
( Git holt of yore track - ah think it's yo' right feet track - and go to de graveyard and get some dirt off de head of a grave, a white man's grave. An' of co'se an' git some dog, yo' know, action; and write chure name three [changed to 9 later] time on a piece of paper.
(Whose name do you write?)
You writes de one dat yo' want 'em to leave - to run 'em away, see. If it was eah husband, yo' see, ah could write his name nine times on a piece of paper, [of] 'co'se [course] an' den cross it up. An' take dat graveyard dirt an' dat dog's action an' pound it all up together, an' carry it to de river or some run- ning stream of water and throw it overbo'd and of co'se he'll leave. (How do you cross that up? You say you write his name on that paper and you cross the paper up?) You write his name nine times this way [demonstrates] and then when yo' git it writ across, yo' jes' come back this way - cross it up. Come back backwards, cross up.
(You turn the paper around, write the name across the other way.)
An' jes' cross it - cross it an' cross it an' cross it...
(Making marks across it like an "x".)
Yah. [I was mistaken, but would learn with more experience. The real type of crossing is given in margin title.l
Entry 11562
"I could put dat track in a pocket han'ke'chef and I could take it and put it in a bottle...call your name, stop it up tight, an' take that bottle and carry it to some rivah...throw it ovahboard...keep you wavering and wavering and roaming all your life." [Charleston 642:4.]
Entry 11951
"They can take hair and throw it overboard with the going-out tide and run you away. Well, you leave home then." [Elizabeth City 471:7.]
Entry 1728
Say fo' instance now, yo' an' a fellah's had a little run into 'bout a girl an' yo' is scared of him an' yo' know he's a guy dat'll hurt chew. Yo' say, "Well, ah don't wanta git in no trouble. Ah'll git him outa town quick." Yo' git chew one those black quart bottles - dose brown ones, yo' know. All right, yo' git chew de indelibin [indelible] pencil an' write his name thirteen ways that way, an' nine thisaway [demonstrates].
(That is nine across the thirteen - make it like an' "x", a cross?)
Yassuh. It matters [not] which way yo' put 'em. Yo' kin put nine one way an' thirteen de othah, an' thirteen one way an' nine de othah - jes' so yo' make it lak a cross dat way. Yo' fold it. Yo' take dat on a piece of papah an' roll it from yo'. See, roll it from yo' an' put it in dis bottle an' git on a boat an carry it de center of a rivah that's where de watah is swift, de current, an' jes' drap it ovahbo'd. Stop it up tight wit de name in it an' drap it ovahbo'd. In twelve hours he's gone.
Entry 5079
Tuh make 'em leave town ah've heard people tell how yuh do dat. Yuh take de lef' sock, an' take some of yore [foot] track an' put in one of yore lef' socks, an' carry it tuh watah dat's runnin' west an' throw it ovah- bo'd. An' dey say in nine mawnin's dey'll be gone.
Entry 8443
Git chure [photograph] on a piece of tin [a tintype] an' throw dat ovahbo'd an' dat makes yo' leave. Ah know dat. Ah had it done. If dey take yuh photograph - dat's de reason ah won't take one. Dey jes' take dat in a jar or anything an' throw it ovahbo'd. Two or three days aftah dat, yo' done gone right dere [to the same place and jump into the water].
Entry 8445
Jes' lak if dey take yore photograph an' throw it ovahbo'd - if yo' mad wit de person an' throw dat photograph ovahbo'd, dat would cuz de person tuh git drowned.
Entry 25
Yo' could write a person name on a piece of papah an' throw it ovahbo'd an' it would cause dem to go. It would cause dem to jump ovahbo'd - jes' like yo' throw it in a rivah, it would cause dem to go an' jump in de rivah.
Entry 128
If you see a light and you follow that light and keep on following the light, do you think you're going to get to that light? You can't get to it. It's quite likely it's way out in the river and you'll walk overboard. If your parents are terribly, terribly smart and they should look out at nighttime and see those lights, they said, "This is a night for jack-o'-lanterns. I'm going to put an iron in the fire, my children are out, ' for feared they will get led off by jack-o'-lanterns. They used to take a poker from the fire hearth. I put it right along these ashes in the fire and let it stay right there. It will make the jack-o'-lanterns vanish, they tell me. Keep it right there until the children get back. Of course after that they had nothing to worry about.
Entry 905
[Dey put] on me a sleepin' spell - jes' sleep all de time, sleep, sleep. And so all the man did when he'd taken that spell off of me - he came there and he measured each one of my fingernails on my fingers from here to here, from my fingernails to there [demonstrates]. (Up to your wrist - that bone in the wrist.) Measured 'em nine times. Den he tied nine knots in de strings that he measured 'em, and he asked me if I knew de lady and had any idea who it was or was it a man. He say, "I know who it is, but I just want to see if you got any idea." I told him, no, I didn't know who it was. He said, "Well, I know who it is." And he said, "I'm goin' throw dis in runnin Water," he say, "but before I do this, I'm goin' to send her here," he say, "it's one of your best friends." And it was - a woman that I'd taken for a particular friend of mine. Well, I know that she went on to the God that giveth; she Went to the God that giveth. He sent her dere like dis morning and the next night she was dead. I don't know what he said to it when it got to the water, but I know what he done at my house. Maybe he make a wish [when] he got to the Water and throw it overboard. And he guarantee me that she go to the God that giveth.
(Which hand did he measure?)
Dis hand - de left hand, next to your heart.
(Did he tell you what she had done to make you sleep that way?)
No, he tole me lak dis - I don't want to excite you in your nervous condition, he didn't tell me.
Entry 1315
I wouldn't do nothing but git one penny and carry it to the graveyard and git me some graveyard dirt and tie it up and mark it crosstowmways wit a piece of yallah homespun cloth - tie it dis way and tie it dat way.
(Tie it what way?)
You tie it across like dat [demonstrates]. (Across one way and across the other way.) [Two diagonal ends are brought to the center and tied; then the other two diagonal ends are tied.] Cross it. An' I'll take dat penny and I'll wear it in my shoe fer three days and den I take it and throw it ovahbo'rd. No one will harm yuh, dey can't harm yuh. De only way dey kin harm yo' is dey kin go ovahbo'rd and git dat penny, but dey can't go ovahbo'rd to git dat penny - dey can't harm you no way in de world. [Crosstownways means two city streets crossing at right angles - a cityfied version of a country crossroad. Yallah homespun cloth is normally homespun. YalZah equals unbleached.]
The printed account moves from tying graveyard dirt in cloth to wearing and throwing away the penny. The interviewer and Hyatt's gesture and word explanations remain separate; those explanations do not establish corpus-wide synonyms.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 5291
Den he'll take his left-foot shoe. Dat'll he'p, too. Take his left- foot shoe an' carry it tuh a rivah an' tie it up in a rag an' put a brick tuh it an' carry it tuh a rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd. (What will that do then?) He can't stay dere, he'll leave town.
Entry 5312
It's anothah thing. Yo' could take one dese great-big ants. Yo' kin Spot [easily see] it, yo' know. It ain't none dese little-size ants, [it is] one dese heah run by hitself all de time. Yo' take one dem an' git de middle of somebody's track, if yo' wants tuh run 'im 'way. An' yo' put it intuh a bottle. An' put dat ants in- tuh it an' carry it tuh de rivah, an' throw it ovahbo'd an' it will run 'imcrazy.
(How many ants do you put in that bottle?)
One, jes' one. Yo' ain't goin' see but one. Dere jes' be one by itself all de time.
(What color is it?)
It's kinda brown-spotted lookin' ants, 'bout de colah of dat shade up dere.
Entry 5434
Ah heard if yo' want someone tuh leave heah, yo' know yo' wan'a git rid of someone, an' dey way dey do, dey said dey'd git chure foot track from yore toes - git chure right-foot track from de toes an' bring it tuh yo'. An' yo' put it in a green gourd an' stop it up, an' go tuh runnin' watah, where dere's runnin' watah, an' throw it ovahbo'd. Throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah, ovahbo'd. An' dey say dat will shore run 'em away. Dey'll go somewheres.
Entry 5650
Well, ah'll tell yuh whut dey do. Dey takes dere track an' den dey pats some kinda stuff wit it, see. An' dey take dat track an' den dey take it an' dey'll throw it eithah ovahbo'd or dey buries it, see. Or dey put it in a dirty sock an' dey'll bury it, see. An' dat will prohibit yuh from goin' if yuh vanta go some place.
(Keep you from going where?)
Wherevah yuh wanta go. Jis' like providin' if yuh got somebody an' dey love yuh, see. An' dey kin prevent yuh from goin', why dey takes dat track, see. An' dey'll fix it an' dey bury it. An' dat will keep yuh from goin' away.
(What sort of powder did they put in that track, did you say?)
Dey puts some ingredients in it, see.
(What do they put in it?)
Dey puts spice, sugar, or salt, eithah one, an' dey bury it.
Entry 5652
Like dat yo' git mad wid a fellah like dat, yo' ketch 'im goin'. Ah think he mus' be goin' east, yeah. An' yo' gits nine pinches outa his right track, dey tells me, an' yo' takes it an' yo' puts it in a bottle or anything an' stop it up. An' yo' spit in it nine mawnin's. An' de en' de nine mawnin's so' carry it down to de rivah, see, an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' tell me dey'll go away from home an' won't nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 5757
Why yo' kin take a person foot track an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up wit chamber lye an' throw it ovahbo'd an' run dem outa town. (Either foot track or both of them?) De right track an' part of de lef' track. Put it in a bottle, put chamber lye on it an' stop it up, an' throw it ovahbo'd 'cross yore lef' shouldahs.
Entry 5893
Ah knowed dis, pers'nal sperience. Ah give yo' dis firs'. Now, dis is not fo' love 'fairs, but dis is tuh make yo' leave heah. Yo' kin take some of yore hair an' yo' kin put it in a frog mouth an' yo' kin throw 'im ovahbo'd if it's on fresh watah, an' as long as dat frog go, yo' go be wanderin' somewheres. Well, if yo' put it in dis salt watah like de tide goes an' QES: IF DEY PUT IT ON DE GOIN' OUT TIDE, WHY YO' GOIN' LEAVE HEAH; BUT IF YO FUT IT ON DE COMIN' IN TIDE, YO' CAN'T GIT AWAY FROM HEAH. BrUNSWiCk, Ga.,
(1189), 2007:2.1]
Entry 6047
Yo' kin take a person's hair an' yo' kin run 'em crazy.
(How do you do that?)
Yo' kin take a person's hair ag'in, but all de time take it from de mole, see. De mole of anybody's head. Fact, dat's a tendah spot about a person in de head, is de mole. Anybody yo' kin git to, git dere hair, yo' git it from de mole. Yo' gits dere hair, if yo' wants to git rid of 'em. Yo' take dat hair an' yo' git yo' what yo' call - we call it prickly pear - wit de stickahs on it, dey're green [unripe ones are]. Yo' git yo' one of dose pieces of prickly pear an' yo' lays dat down an' yo' cuts it as thin as yo' pos- sibly kin do ft. Yo' cuts yo' nine pieces of it. An' yo' try de bes' yo' know bou, when yo' plat dat hair, to plat dat hair wit dat nine pieces of de prickly pear [demonstrates]. (YOU'RE SORT OF WEAVING THAT HAIR AROUND AS YOU ARE DEMONSTRATING WITH YOUR FINGERS.)
[Informant continues demonstration.]
(You weave that around?)
Yeah, DAT HAIR HAS GOT TO COME IN BETWEEN EACH PIECE OF DAT DERE PRICKLY PEAR. SEE.
(I SEE, AS YOU'D MAKE A SANDWICH?)
Yes, sir. Now, den when yo' git dat in dere, yo' take yo' a piece of black thread an' yo' wrap each one of 'em jis' lak dat [demonstrates]. But it's all goin' to be togithah when yo' git through. Yo' wrap each one, an' as yo' wrap it close - now, when yo' git it all close togithah, yo' take yo' white thread m' yo' come disaway wit it. See, yo' wind up on dere an' den yo pull it dis- away, an' yo' wind up on dis end, an' yo' cross it disaway an' yo' come back. Den yo' wind it up ag'in dis way, see.
[I SUMMARIZE LAST DEMONSTRATION.]
(You wind that black thread around it one way.)
One way.
(And then you take the white thread and wrap it around the other way.)
T'othah way.
(As you would tie up a package.)
Yes, yo' wrap dat white thread de othah way, yo' see. Now, when yo' git dat done, yo' take an' yo' git yo' a piece of de reddest flannel yo' kin find - which flannel don't git no reddah, I don't think. Yo' wrap dat up in dere [the flan- nel] an' dat party's name. Yo' take dat name an' yo' git yo' a indelible pen- cil an' yo' write dat name down on dere fo' nine times disaway [demonstrates].
(Nine times that way.)
An' nine times disaway [demonstrates].
(Make it in [the form of] a cross.)
Makin' it across, yo' see. Now, when yo' do dat - aftah yo' do dat, yo' dig a crench where dey goin' to pass [over] dat, an' yo' bury it right where yo' know dey goin' to pass. Yo' bury it an' bury it as deep as yo' kin. Yo' bury it an' leave it dere, an' when yo' bury it an' git ready to walk ovah dat, yo' jis' say: In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost.
(What do you do - you say?)
When yo' walkin' away - when yo' bury it an' are walkin' away, yo' jis' say: Ie de Name of de Father.
(In the Name of the?)
In de Name of de Father. See, when yo' walk away, yo' say: In de Name of de Rtrer. Now, when yo' git jis' about ten feets away from dere, yo' says: de Son, 'de Holy Ghost. See. An' say: We'll depart. An' dat's dat person dat I'm dOIn' de harm tO. AN' DEY'LL GO MAYBE TO DAT RIVAH DERE, JUMP OVAHBO'D AN' DROWN; ° DEY MAYBE TAKE A GUN AN' BLOW DERE BRAINS OUT. See. Somepin goin' to be doe. Dey'll do somepin to demself to kill demself. If dey lose a dollah, dey y take an' kill dereself by losin' dat dollah.
Entry 6513
Dey kin take yore fingahnail an' run yo' crazy. Dey kin take yore fingahnail an' also dey kin take dis - de skin from de bottom of yore feet. Yo' know, de dirt from de bottom of yore feet, an' put dat tuhgethah, see, sew it up an' take it down tuh de rivah on de ebbtide, while de tide goin' out tuh de sea, an' throw it ovahbo'd.
(What will happen then?)
Yo'll have tuh follow it.
Entry 11612
Stop foot tracks up in bottle, throw overboard; if you don't drown yourself, you sure will leave home. [Charleston 623:2.]