Stringtown on the Pike

A Novel by John Uri Lloyd

Chapter Twenty Four

CUPE�S ADVICE TO HIS DOG

Mr. Wagner at once visited Cupe, taking me along, for I was known to be a close friend of the old negro. He was sitting in the accustomed chair beside his cabin door. He had turned for solace to his faithful violin, and long before the visitors reached the cabin we caught the mournful tones of a plaintive tune that spoke the mood of the musician�s mind. George Washington looked up and growled, but, evidently under the command of an undertone from his master, closed his eyes and lowered his head. Cupe gave no sigh of salutation; he continued his dolorous tune until the intruders stood close before him, and could distinguish a few lines of one of the most plaintive of negro melodies:

Yo� ask what make dis niggah weep,
Why he like uddahs am not gay,
What make de teahs roll down his cheek
From early dawn till broke ob day?

Interrupting the song, Cupe lowered his violin, arose and placed his chair before the man, but took no notice of me.

�What are you doing, Uncle Cupe?�

�Sah�rin�.�

�Have you seen Susie?�

�No sah.�

�She disappeared last night.�

�I hab n�t seed nuffin ob her.�

�I thought that perhaps she had returned to her old home.�

�She hab not be�n heah, an� I hab not seed de chile.�

�You are sure, Cupe, that you know nothing of her whereabouts?�

�I hain�t seed her, I tole yo�, an� I hain�t hea�d from her sense yo� took her ��way.�

�You will help us search for her, Cupid? You know the land well, you will assist in her recovery?�

�I hab had nuffin t� do wid de takin� ob de honey, an� I will hab nuffin t� do wid de bre�kin� ob de spell. De cheer an� de table talk ag�n last night, de doah shake in an� out, an� Cupe wah waitin� fo� news ob trouble.�

He dropped his voice, and added: �An� when Dgawge Wash�n�t�n an� Cupe go out t� trail de coon, de headless dog come ag�n. Et wah down by the bars wha� de ole man Doty wah killed, an de hant dog slip close an� trot by Cupe�s side, an� when Cupe walk slow de dog widout de head go slow, an� when Cupe move fas�, de hant move fas�. An� nuffin but nigger kin see dat sign; ole Dgawge Wash�n�t�n could n�t see de crittah. Et wah a monstrous bad sign, an� Cupe tink ob de chile an� pray de Lawd dat de sign wah not pintin� t� de yinnicent chile.�

Mr. Wagner, realizing that he was losing time arguing with the superstitious old man, turned to go.

�Yo� had better look in de cabin befo� yo� lebe; yo� might feel es ef de nigger had �varicated ef yo� doan.�

Cupe opened the door, and Mr. Wagner stepped into the room. Dinah sat beside the hearth with bowed head, but no other person was to be seen. Cupe pointed to each corner, to the empty space beneath the bed, and conducted his visitor into the loft, which contained no visible objects excepting the iron chest, some strings of dried corn, bunches of seeds and medicinal roots and herbs that hung about the rafters.

Leaving the house, Cupe insisted on a search being made of the shed-stable; indeed, he seemed afraid that some spot in which the child could be secreted might be overlooked. As Mr. Wagner entered the door of the shed-stable, my old black friend spoke to me in a low tone: �Did yo� see de Red-Head Boy ag�in?�

�No.�

�Keep yoah eye op�n, peel yoah eye fo� dat chile.�

Whatever else he might have said was lost, for at this point Mr. Wagner returned from his fruitless search of the shed and announced his intention to return to Stringtown.

As the visitors departed, Cupe bestowed upon them a very low bow, and having returned to his cabin and seated himself on the familiar chair, reached up to the hand of tobacco over his head, stripped a part of a leaf and thrust it between his flabby lips.

�Come heah, Dgawge Wash�n�t�n,� he commanded; and the four-footed friend laid its lank head on the knee of his master, who took its nose between his thumb and finger. �Yo� hab work t� do, Dgawge, wo�k t� do t�night, Dgawge Wash�n�t�n. When yo� hab wo�k t� do keep yoah nose cool.�

�Dinah,� he cried, �Dinah, don�t yo� gib Dgawge nuffin t� eat till mahn�n.�

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