Our Family Trouble The Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee by Unknown Page A

whole secret, telling all about Drew and Mr. Johnson’s trip. Kate went on to say, “I got on their track and overtook them twenty miles on the way, and followed along some distance, and when I hopped in the road before them, looking like a poor old sick rabbit, ‘Old Sugar Mouth’ said, ‘There is your witch, Drew; take her up in your lap. Don’t you see how tired she is?’” Kate continued to gossip about the trip in a hilarious way, manifesting much satisfaction in discovering the deep laid scheme, but no one knew how true the story was until Mr. Johnson and Drew returned the following evening, when they confirmed everything that Kate had stated. Mr. Johnson said that he did not really believe at the time of calling Drew’s attention to the rabbit, that it was the witch, but spoke of its peculiar action in a jocular way, as a mere matter of pastime, nor did Drew think otherwise of it.  They found Dr. Mize at his home east of Franklin, Ky., told him the story of our trouble, and the information received concerning his power to dispel witchery, etc. The Doctor said it was out of the ordinary line of phenomena, but he had no doubt of his ability to remove the spell and expose the craft that had brought it on, and he set the time, some ten days ahead, when he would be ready to begin the experiment. Accordingly, the wise man put in his appearance, having studied the question, and was prepared for business, making boasts of his knowledge of spirits and skill in casting out devils, much to the disgust of father, who had about sized him up on sight.  However, like others, Mize was treated courteously and allowed to pursue his own plans. The wizard stayed three or four days, hearing not a breath from Kate. In the meanwhile he found an old shotgun that had been out of repair some time, and he at once discovered that the witch had put a spell on it.  He soon cleaned the old gun, readjusted the lock and trigger, performed some conjurations, making the gun shoot as well as ever.  This much, taken in consideration with the fact that the witch had kept perfectly quiet since his arrival, he considered as remarkable progress, and he doubted the return of Kate.  Certain he was that the witch would hardly show up as long as he remained; witches, he said, were always shy of him. So Mize continued, working sorcery, making curious mixtures, performing incantations, etc., to the amusement of those who observed his actions.  Finally Kate put in, questioning the conjurer impertinently as to what he was doing, and the object of his sorcery. Mize was nonplussed by the mysterious voice, which he had not before heard, recognizing that the witch had come to keep company with him.  He tried to be reticent and evasive, intimating that a witch had no business prying into his affairs.  Kate, however, continued to ply him with hard questions, and finally suggested to Dr. Mize that he had omitted some very important ingredients for his charm mixture. “What is that?” inquired Mize with astonishment. “If you were a witch doctor you would know how to aerify that mess, so as to pass into the aeriform state, and see the spirit that talks to you, without asking silly questions,” replied Kate. “What do you know about this business, anyhow?” again inquired the bewildered conjurer. Kate then told him that he was an old fool and didn’t know what he was doing, and then started in to cursing Mize like blue blazes.  Such a string of blasting oaths was never heard, and Dr. Mize was frightened out of his wits, and was anxious to get away.
    “That thing,” he said, knew so much more about witchcraft than he did, that he could do nothing with it. 
     
    Mize arranged for an early start home the next morning. Somehow his horse refused to go off kindly, rearing and kicking up. Finally Kate came to the rescue, proposing to make the horse go, and accompany the Doctor home.  Immediately the horse started with a rush, kicking and snorting, and