SUPERSTITION 



wafted upward from open hatches in the slave ships of bygone days. 



Richard and his wife spoke to a disconsolate looking negro boy, and 

 found that he had come to Nassau from Acklin, a distant island from 

 which he had never strayed before. He was willing to work for food 

 and shelter. His manner was pleasing so they engaged him. His speech 

 was difficult to understand because he knew few words that he could 

 use to express the new thoughts caused by his change of environment; 

 also he stammered. They could not understand him when he gave his 

 name. The nearest they could come to it was "horse" so they let it go at 

 that. Horse became entirely devoted. 



Richard made a visit to Nassau in the summer to attend to some repairs 

 to his house which he had left in charge of Horse. He slept in a little 

 two-room cabin on his property during his stay, Horse occupying the 

 other room. He was awakened during the night by Horse entering his 

 room and closing the windows. This conversation followed (I do not 

 attempt to imitate the stammering.) : 



"What are you doing, Horse?" 



"Fs shettin' de windows, boss." 



"But it is hot, I don't want the windows shut." 



"Yessuh, boss, de windows mus' be shet so de sperrits can't come in." 



"There are no spirits here, you left them all in Acklin." 



"Yessuh, boss, sperrits is heah, dey is ebryweah." 



"Have you seen any?" 



"Yessuh, boss, I see um." 



"Can you show me a spirit?" 



"No suh, boss, I can't show yo' no sperrits, white man can't see um." 



"What do they look like?" 



"Boss, I can't say how dey look." 



"Try, Horse, try to tell me what they look like." 



"I can't say it, boss, dey looks— dey looks— jes'-awful." 



