I's got 'im by de tail, an' I'll fotch 'im out." He drew forth as he spoke a huge black and yellow snake, writhing and hissing, and proceeded to smash its head with a stone.

I shut my eyes during the operation and when I opened them again I saw to my horror that he was stuffing the carcass in the front of his shirt.
"Good heavens, Mose!" I cried, aghast.

"What are you going to do with that ?" "Boil it into oil, sah, to scar de witches off." Inquiry at the house that night brought out the fact that this was one of Mose's regular occupations.

Snake's oil was in general favor among the negroes as a specific against witches, and Mose was the chief purveyor of the lotion.

Taken all in all he was about as queer a human being as I have ever come across, and I fancy, had I been a psychologist instead of a lawyer, I might have found him an entertaining study.
I heard about this time some fresh rumors in regard to Radnor; one--and it came pretty straight--that he'd just lost a hundred dollars at poker.
A hundred dollars may not sound like a very big loss in these days of bridge, but it was large for that place, and it represented to Radnor exactly two months' pay.