time he was very tired of being mistreated. He remembered his old
master telling him to never let anyone be mean to him. He ran away to
his old mistress, told her of his many hardships, and told her what the
old master had told him, so she sent him back. At the next sale she
bought him, and he lived there until slavery was abolished.

Her grandfather, Bat Carpenter, was an ambitious slave; he dug ore and
bought his freedom, then bought his wife by paying $50.00 a year to her
master for her. She continued to work on the farm of her own master for
a very small wage.

Bat's wife, Matilda, lived on the farm not far from him, he was allowed
to visit her every Sunday. One Sunday, it looked like rain, his master
told him to gather in the oats, he refused to do this and was beaten
with a raw hide. He was so angry, he went to one of the witch-crafters
for a charm so he could fix his old master.

The witch doctor told him to get five new nails, as there were five
members in his master's family, walk to the barn, then walk backwards a
few steps, pound one nail in the ground, giving each nail the name of
each member of the family, starting with the master, then the mistress,
and so on through the family. Each time one nail was pounded down in the
ground, walk backwards and nail the next one in until all were pounded
deep in the ground. He did as instructed and was never beaten again.

Jane Garmen was the village witch. She disturbed the slaves with her
cat. Always at milking time the cat would appear, and at night would go
from one cabin to another, putting out the grease lamps with his paw. No
matter how they tried to kill the cat, it just could not be done.