"
Then march'd he to mine Uncle and ask'd was Mistress
Jessamine to oversee the Overseer, and call him hard Names
for the whipping of a Troublesome Nigger? And my Uncle fell
into a Fury With me. Allowed the wretch to Triumph. Shooba
was whipt again. I saw his Back.
Once old Shooba cur'd me of a pestilent Fever, with Simples,
when I was a little Child, and our Leech had given me Over,
nor did he Bleed me once. Now Shooba's Back was Bleeding,
and I might not help him!
Now in the night I had gone secretly to his Hut to fetch him
such poor little Comforts as I might secretly get & give. He
took them, & look'd at me long & long, with his brooding,
deep, strange eyes.
"For the man that whipt me, I have sent forth my Snake. My
Snake will have a Thing to say to him. The man will die.
Then laughed he, and hugg'd his knees.--And 't is true
Meekins the Overseer one week later was bitten by a Serpent
in the Field and died an Unlovely Death.
"Missy," whispered Shooba, "in my country when I young,
chief get mad with chief more stronger, not fight with
spears.
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