Stringtown on the Pike

A Novel by John Uri Lloyd

Chapter Two

CUPE�S STORY AND THE OMEN

A delightful sensation came over me as I lay in security once more among human beings. Only those who have been through experiences such as I suffered can appreciate the relief I felt. God help the coward! God pity him who, frightened, lies powerless with consciousness intact. Fright blots out all other pain; and he who adds one useless pang to the suffering of a terrified creature must answer for that despicable act in the hereafter where sins are expiated.

Exhausted, bleeding, suffering physical pain, and yet content, I rested upon the floor, mentally taking note of the surroundings. The room was that of a plain log house. The floor was very rough, being made of hewn, split beech logs, the rounded portion down, the edges roughly jointed together. The furniture was of the simplest description; the place was lighted by a single candle. A girl and a man occupied the cabin, the latter none other than the �Corn Bug;� and it was evident that I had wandered from my course perhaps in a spiral out and back again, for the valley in which I saw the strange grey cross was, I well knew, but a short distance from the rude log house in which I now was sheltered. The other occupant of the house was to me unknown: a singular little creature, with great eyes and round face encircled by wild flowing hair, a curious child who fascinated my gaze despite my pain and terror. The silence caused by my strange entrance was at length broken by the �Corn Bug.�

�Sammy, what�s the matter?� he said.

�I am lost,� I answered.

�Not while you are here.�

�I was scared.�

�Wall,� he continued slowly, �thare ain�t no bars ner catamounts now; why didn�t yo� lie down beside a fence er in a briar patch this warm night an� sleep?�

�I was too scared.�

�What scared yo�, sonny? Thare ain�t no varmints hareabout.�

�I saw something terrible.�

�What war it? Tell me what yo� saw.�

�I can�t,� I replied with a shudder.

�Wha� wa� yo�?�

�In Bloody Hollow.�

The look of incredulity passed from his face; he came at once to my side, raised me from the floor, led me to his own chair, and seated me by the side of the little girl.

�Cupe,� he called out, — �Cupe, yo� lazy nigger, git up; the boy �t yo� told me about es here.�

There was a noise overhead, and then through a hole in the ceiling appeared two legs, and Cupe began the descent of the ladder which led to the cubby hole of the attic.

�What fo� yo� call Cupe, Ma�se?�

�The boy, Cupe, the boy �t ye said would come from Bloody Holler. Here es the boy.�

The white-headed negro manifested no surprise.

�I done tole yo� so, Ma�se,� he said reflectively; �I knowed he wah com�n�; de signs nebbah lie, Ma�se; de figgah in de fiah, de hoodoo tracks in de ashes, de tings dis nigger saw an� hea�d when de chicken crowed las� night fo� midnight, tings what de white man doan know nuffin� �bout, pinted t� de movin� ob de spell. Ma�se, tings p�dicted am come. Old Ma�se, yoah pap, sleep in Bloody Hollah an� den he died es Cupe said he would; de gearl sleep in Bloody Hollah, an� now de boy am heah. De end ob de spell am nearly come.�

�What air yo� talkin� about, yo� black scoundrel?� muttered the �Corn Bug.�

�Nebbah yo� min�, Ma�se, dah ain�t no use in borrowin� troub�l; nebbah yo� min�, Ma�se; de spell will end fo� yo� when de yeah ends, an� den yo� an� ole Cupe mus� part.�

�Talk sense, Cupe, talk sense; I told yo� to come down out ov your loft, not because I want any ov youah goblin nonsense, nor any ov youah nigger signs, but ter tie up the scratches on this youngster�s feet; can�t yo� see he es tired an� sore an� scared nearly ter death? Move, yo� black rascal, move!�

Old Cupe, muttering to himself, obeyed; he washed and bound up my lacerated feet, having first anointed them with a sweet-scented soothing ointment made of the resin of the sweet-gum tree.

�Now for his supper,� said the �Corn Bug.� �Stir yourself, Dinah!�

Then I noticed another form gather itself, as if it were created from the shadows. From the edge of the hearth, where, motionless, she had been huddled, an old black negro crone arose and silently busied herself arranging my supper, which proved to be simple enough, but very sweet to the taste. Then when the task was done and the dishes had been removed, she slunk back to the shadows, and in the edge of the light-flittings, where the seen and the unseen blended, crouched again on the hearth, clasped her hands around her ankles, drawing them close to her body, and rested her chin on her knees. Part of her form was visible in the firelight, part was blotted out; and thus she crouched motionless, silently eyeing me. When I had finished the meal, Cupe again began talking to the �Corn Bug.�

�Ma�se, yo� mus� lis�n t� what Cupe says, case he means yo� well. Dis nigger hab nuss�d yo� since yo� wah a little tot; he hab raised yo�, honey. He nebbah lef� yo�, chile. When uddah niggers desarted de plantation, Cupe stood by yo�, an� yo� knows dat eb�ry bressed word he ebah tole yo� wah God�s truff. Now lis�n, Ma�se; de preachah nebbah spoke mo�ah serous dan Cupe do now. De signs p�dicted am come. Cupe hab kept t� hisse�f what ole Ma�se tole him in de ole mansion house dat bu�n down ahftah Ma�se wah killed, an� now de time am come fo� yo� t� know what Cupe hab t� tell t� yo�. Yo� calls et nigger signs, but lis�n, Ma�se. Who stuck closer t� yo� all dese yeahs dan dis nigger hab done; an� what fo� should Cupe fool yo�, Ma�se? Now white man an� nigger mus� not try t� circumbent Prov�dence; an� de time am come fo� Cupe t� act, case Cupe am done gwine t� tole yo� sump�n� now what no man ebah know �cep�n� Cupe an� de dead folks what caint talk t� de likes ob yo�. Lis�n t� Cupe�s story, Ma�se.

�Ole Ma�se, yoah pap, wah a wile chile. Nightime come, he wah rac�n� ober de country cotch�n coons, danc�n� shindigs, gwine ter place wha he nebbah ought t� had be�n, actin� up in ways dat ole Cupe doan care t� memberlec�, an� doan intend t� memberlec�. Wall, one mahn�n� in de time ob de yeah when de �simmons wah jes git�n� sof� an� de �possum wah git�n� fat an� de co�n wah bein� shocked, ole Ma�se come home an� say t� Cupe: �Cupe, lay in de back logs an� git de mansion in order; fer on de las� day ob de yeah dah�l be a wed�n�, an� yo� niggers �ll hab a missus.� �Fo� de Lawd, dis nigger wah s�prized. He wah not �quainte� wid all de signs den, else he would hab seed de ebil com�n�.�

A low chant, melody without words, negro melody that harmonised strangely with Cupe�s pathetic expressions, arose from the lips of the shadow-clad old crone. Evidently her mind was vibrating in unison with Cupe�s words, and until the chant died away old Cupe stood silent. Then he resumed: —

�Howsumebbah, Cupe knowed some tings, an� he say t� ole Ma�se: �Ma�se, doan bring trouble on yoah head.� Ole Ma�se ansah: �Yo� brack rascal, why cain�t one man marry es well es �nuddah?� ��T ain�t dat, Ma�se,� Cupe say: �de marryin� is all right, else de good Book wouldn�t say so. It am de time. Nebbah marry on de las� day ob de yeah, lessen yo� want trouble. It am a slap in de face ob Prov�dence, Ma�se. Wait one day longah, Ma�se; all de niggers �ll tole yo� trouble come lessen yo� lis�n t� �vice.�

� �What a nigger know �bout Prov�dence? Damn yoah nigger nonsense!� say ole Ma�se.

�An�, suah nuff, when de las� day ob de yeah come, he did marry Missus Alice, yoah mudder, one ob de sweetes� creatures. Lawd! Lawd! chile, but she wah a honey! But all de niggers shake der heads an� slip away de wed�n� night, an� stan� roun� gloomy-like, an� whisper t� demsels, an� suah nuff nigger sign come out right; an� de end ob dat mistake ain�t come yet. Nebbah mo�ah did Ma�se hab any luck. One night de bahn buhn; next winter six ob de best niggers done run off t� Canerdy; dem fool niggers. Den ole Ma�se gits cross an� takes powerful strong t� his cups, an� night ahftah night dat sweet young missus would hab t� sleep in her big room wid Aunt Dinah on de flo� by de bed, an� ole Cupe on de flo� by de doah outside in de hall. An� missus would cry herse�f t� sleep, an� in de mahn�n when ole Ma�se come home swearin� an� cross, she, honey deah, would fro her arms �roun� his neck an� � oh! wall, Ma�se, what�s de use ob �memb�h�n eb�ryting?�

�De honey deah, de honey deah!� moaned Dinah; �bress de sweet chile.�

�Shet yoah mouf, Dinah; dis am no time fo� blub�rin� niggers,� Cupe rudely said; and then continued:

�So at las�, one stormy night ole Ma�se git on horseback an� ride off t� de tab�n, an� dat night yo� come inter de world, Ma�se honey. Bress de soul ob yoah deah angel muddah. When de nigger what go fo� ole Ma�se fin� him, he wah playin� keards at de tab�n an� he cuss an� swar case de nigger say missus wan� him quick, an� nebbah a step would he move till mahn�n come; an� jes befo� ole Ma�se step in de doah de angels carry de sweet missus out ob de windah. She lib only a few hours ahftah she see de face ob her baby chile. Yo� am dat chile, Ma�se. De doctah know she couldn�t las�, an� he ax her ef she hab any word t� say befo� she go t� glory; an� she say say yes, an� ax fo� Cupe.

�Lawd, Lawd, Ma�se! dat wah awful hard times. Cupe take his shoes off, an� tiptoe in de room, an� kneel down by de bed, an� cry like a baby, an� say very gentle-like: �Fo� de Lawd, honey, Cupe ain�t t� blame fo� de troub�l, case he wahne� Ma�se ob de ebil what come ob marryin� on de las� day ob de yeah.� An� she say, berry weak-like: �T ain�t dat, Cupe; yo� alls am yinnercent. What I wan� t� say am �bout tings wot comes heahoftah.� Den she say: �Cupe, when I am gone, dis little yinnercent babe won�t hab no muddah an� de Lawd only knows what kind ob a fahdah.� Cupe he keep still an� make no ansah, fo� what could he say? an� he only cry an� cry. Den missus say: �Cupe, nebbah yo� lebe dis chile; nebbah; promise me dat, Cupe.� An� Cupe say: �Fo� de Lawd, missus, I promise.� Den missus say: �Cupe, yo� is a nigger, an� all niggers can�t do what dey wants t�, but yo� is not a fiel� nigger, yo� is a fam�ly nigger, an� yo� will nebbah be sold, nebbah. 1 An� nebbah mus� yo� lebe dis chile �cep�n� it am fo� de good ob de chile.� An� I swar befo� de Lawd t� missus dat nebbah de weddah shall be too hot, nebbah too cole, t� keep Cupe from doin� his duty to de new blos�m. An� den she reach out her han�, monstrous weak-like, an� ole Cupe smuddah it wid kisses, an� keep a kiss�n�, fo� he couldn�t talk, an� he hadn�t nuffin� else t� do.�

A wail came from the crouching form on the hearth. A wail that spoke as words could not have done of the impression Cupe�s story was making on the solitary witness of that night�s experience. Old Cupe stopped his discourse and this time waited patiently until the last sound died away, then resumed as if there had been no interruption.

�An� den de doctah, he say: �Cupe, lay de han� back, Cupe;� an� de doctah go sof�ly t� de doah an� call Aunt Dinah, who had gone out t� cry, an� he say t� Dinah: �Take de chile, Dinah; yo� am now de mammy;� an� den he smoove de cubbahleds an� Cupe say how easy-like missus go t� sleep when she git de trouble off her min�, an� de doctah say: �Yes, Cupe, nebbah t� wake.� An� den ole Cupe look close at de face an� see dat de deah young missus wah dead. Her sweet spirit had gone t� glory while ole Cupe kiss de han� ob de missus what wah.

�An� Cupe moan and cry an� de doctah come an� say, monstrous sah�ful-like: �Doan yo� know, Cupe, dat she am happy now? Dah ain�t no swar words, dah ain�t no tab�n, dah ain�t no coon dawgs yelpin� all night wha� she am now.� Cupe say: ��T ain�t dat, Ma�se Doctah; case she am gone t� glory, de Lawd knows she am happy now; �t ain�t dat � but de ebil sign.� �What ebil sign?� say de Doctah, an� Cupe say: �Trouble, pile on top ob trouble; fo� de deah missus is done gone t� glory an� Cupe had de han� kiss�n� it like es it wah alibe. No wussah sign could be. God help the chile, Ma�se Doctah! God help de blos�m!� 2 An� de doctah couldn�t no moah ansah sech argyment dan de preachah kin. He say, says he: �Nigger signs air nigger signs.�

�Now Ma�se honey,� Cupe said, suddenly addressing the �Corn Bug,� �Ma�se honey, hab Cupe not done what he promis�d yoah deah muddah? Hab he ebah lef� yo�? Hab he not stuck closer t� yo� dan a tick sleep�n� b�hin� a dawg�s ear? Hab de weddah ebah be�n too hot er too cole fo� Cupe t� sarve yo�? Hab yo� ebah got any sarse words back when yo� cuss ole Cupe? Ma�se, yo� know dat ef yo� had done what Cupe wanted, yo� would hab been well edye�cate� an� a fine gem�n like Ma�se Manley am. Yo� knows dat ole Cupe trot ahftah yo� from de day yo� wah a chile until what yo� air now, an� hab begged an� prayed dat yo� lis�n t� Cupe when yo� go on de wile track.�

�Yes,� conceded the �Corn Bug;� �yes, Cupe, yo� hev been a good nigger.�

�Wall, what fo� Cupe lie now, Ma�se? What fo� Cupe say tings dat am not so? Lis�n, Ma�se honey; de day befo� ole Ma�se wah killed Cupe wahn� him ob de danger in de air. Ma�se he laff, at first, but Cupe say t� him, es he say t� yo�, �What fo� should Cupe lie?� When ole Ma�se heah dat argyment he lis�n� like an� say t� Cupe, �Cupe, life am mighty onsartin�. Nigger sign er no nigger sign, life am onsartin�, an� I guess, Cupe, I might es well es not tells yo� some tings t� do in case yoah uddah nigger signs am right; not dat I b�lebe in tings yo� talk �bout; fo�,� says ole Ma�se, says he, �niggers am �stish�us.� Den he go on, kindah talkin� to hisse�f: �Howsumebbah, niggers am not fools. �Sides,� say ole Ma�se, �yo� is true t� yoah friends, Cupe, an� dat�s moah dan I can say fo� de white people what sit on de seat an� play keards �longside me.� So he git sollum� like, an� say, says he: �Cupe, if yoah nigger sign consahnin� me comes true, an� dey hab monstrous often come out right, dah air uddah nigger signs what will come true consahnin� tings heahoftah. Cupe,� Ma�se say, �I hab be�n a fool, Cupe, an� it air too late t� quit. I hab be�n a fool, Cupe, an� I knows it an� don�t keer t� quit, case et air pleasant-like now t� be a fool. But yo� hab stuck t� me an� t� de chile, an� de time may come when yo� will wan� t� be free.� An� den he took a papah out ob his pocket an� say, says he: �Dese heah papahs am all �cordin� t� law, an� when yo� show dem, yo� is a free man.�

�Cupe he take de papah, an� try t� t�ank him, but de Ma�se go on wid de talk an� wouldn�t let him say nuffin�. �Keep yoah mouf shet an� doan gib me no back talk,� he say. �Dah am jes one ting fo� yo� t� do, an� dat air t� stick t� de chile.�

���Deed I will, Ma�se. I done promise de missus dat de night de angels come.�

��Stick t� de chile, Cupe,� he say. An� den de Ma�se stop talkin� an� walk off.

�So much fo� yoah pap, an� now fo� yoah gran�pap an� my pap.�

�Go on,� said the �Corn Bug.�

�Wall, yo� knows es well es Cupe, dat ole Ma�se, yoah pap, wah killed in Bloody Hollah, an� he wah tole by Cupe dat he would be killed likes he wah, jes es Cupe tole yo� �bout dis boy comin� t�-night an� de gearl com�n� de day dat she did come. Howsumebbah, dat doan consahn yo� jes now. What I gwine t� say consahns ole Ma�se�s fahdah, de fit�n Colonel; he wah yoah gran�pap, an� my pap wah his nigger, jes es Cupe air yoah nigger. An� what pass� between ole Colonel, yoah gran�pap, an� my pap, yoah fahdah nebbah know�d, case the sign wah not right an� Cupe couldn�t speak widout de sign; but now de sign p�dicted am heah, an� Cupe gwine t� tole yo� �bout what yo� nebbah �spected in all yoah bohn days.

�Ole Ma�se�s fahdah (yoah gran�pap) say t� Cupe�s fahdah (my pap) long years ago: �All dese lan�s b�longs t� me; all ober behin� de big woods is mine; all dis part ob dis country is mine.� Den he took pap to his iron trunk w�ich he brought from Mexiky wha� he wah fit�n �long wid Ma�se Butler, who lib� in Cah�lton � de chist what nebbah no libbin� soul �cep� de ole Ma�se had seen into befo�, an� he op�n it an� say, says he: �Dese heah papahs am deeds fo� all de lan�s yo� can see if yo� clime de highest tree on de plantation. Now�, says he, �if dis heah son ob mine doan tuhn out good � an� he doan promise much, an� Lawd knows I hain�t done much need�h t� make him good � yo� keep dese papahs till he dies; den gib �em to yoah boy, Cupe; an� tole him what t� do wid em. He am a fam�ly nigger an� won�t be sol�. But ef my chile act like a man, yo� can gib him dese papahs an� all dis money.� Wid dat he showed pap a pile ob gol�, sech es I nebbah �spected t� see in all my bohn days.�

�You�re lyin�, Cupe, yo� know yo� lie,� said the �Corn Bug.� �I hev seen inside yer iron chest, an� thare ain�t no papers nor no gold in et neither.�

�Nebbah do yo� min� de chist, Ma�se; nebbah yo� min� �bout de gol�. Yo� don�t git none ob dat; it goes to de chillun what sleep in Bloody Hollah, case de sign say so. Now yo� knows, honey,� Cupe continued, �yo� knows, Ma�se honey, dat yo� nebbah hab be�n settled steady, so dat Cupe could do what ole Ma�se axt. De bottle am yoah mastah, an� it wah de mastah ob� yoah pap an� yoah gran�pap, so Cupe hab jes kep� de papahs es my pap kep� dem; an� de money an� de papahs hab been waitin� fo� de sign, an� now de sign am heah.�

�What sign, yo� black fool, what sign?� asked the �Corn Bug,� with an eagerness which showed that he was more interested in the story than he cared to admit.

�De sign what folks dat doan b�lebe in signs nebbah see,� Cupe replied; �but dese two chillun wah mixed up in de sign; Cupe hab done tole yo� dis day, Ma�se, when de sun wah shinin�, dat dis heah boy would come when de bat flap, an� de owl hoot t�-night, an� dat Bloody Hollah would mix itse�f a�gin in de consahns ob dis fam�ly?�

�Yes,� the �Corn Bug� reluctantly admitted.

�Now lis�n,� continued the negro. �Doan temp� Prov�dence, Ma�se; dah air tings de preachah doan know; tings dat teachahs can�t read out ob books; tings an ole nigger knows bettah dan book-larned folks. Dah air tings white men can�t teach a nigger; �case nigger sense ain�t altogeddah same es white man�se sense; an� dah air tings a nigger can�t splain de how an� whah-foh ob t� white folks, �case white folks� sense ain�t �zac�ly like nigger sense. Kin de dawg �splain how he cotch de trail ob de coon? Need�h am all niggers de same. S�pose Cupe should try t� show dese half white niggers, poo� mean trash, what my gran�pap larn from his ole mammy, who bring dat sense wid her out ob de hot Gol�coast 3 country, what could Cupe do? Nuffin�. Might es well try ter teach white folks es sech niggers. Ya, ya, ya,� he chuckled. �Now, sit still, honey, sit still, an� Cupe will show yo� sump�n� what �ll s�prize yo�.�

This chapter was typed by Betsy R. Conrad, Member, Florence City Council, City of Florence, Kentucky

Footnotes

1. Great distinction was made between family and field slaves. Family slaves often were free to talk as the master�s children were not permitted to do.

2. No worse omen could appear than for a chicken or animal of any kind to die in one�s hand. Old Cupe received a fearful stroke when he held that dying hand.

3. Gold Coast, the part of Africa Cupe�s grandfather came from.

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Stringtown on the Pike

Stringtown on the Pike: Table of Contents

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