The Hunter

a. The Bull turned Courter.

George Barret, Maroon Town, Cock-pit country.

Deh is an ol’ man live into a big large city an’ ev’ry day he go out an’ shoot some cow. Ev’ry time he go out an’ see dem come to de pond drink water, he shoot one. An’ when de rest mek a’ter him to come an’ kill him, he say “Chee!” an’ he tu’n a stone; an’ dey come an’ couldn’t see him an’ dey have to leave him. An’ he tek up dat one, cut it up an’ carry to his house. When dat done, he come again, an’ dey come drink water until de las’ one come out, an’ he shoot him. An’ ev’ry day continually de one t’ing.

So he leave one bull, an’ go a’ter de bull many days an’ couldn’t overtake him. An’ dat ol’ man get dead an’ leave his wife an’ one daughter, big woman now. Den de bull change himself into a man. He go to de tailor an’ mek him a suit of clo’es an’ a pair o’ boot to put on, an’ was comin’ soon in de mo’nin’ about ten o’clock. An’ de daughter say, “Well, since I live here, deh is not a man come here yet an’ dat is me husban’!” An’ on de day he come, say, don’ eat beef, anyt’ing else gi’ it to him he wi’ eat. Den ’he begin to tell him say, “When me fader go to de pond-side an’ shoot a cow, he say ‘Chee!’ an’ tu’n a stone.” De mudder in a dif’rent room say, “De firs’ time you get a husban’ you tell him all yo’ belly-word? Save somet’ing!”

Nex’ day dem gwine away. Den de young woman walk wid him t’ru de common till him ketch de place whe’ him hide him skin; den he say, “You sit down an’ wait a while.” Den, she sit down dis way, an’ hear a stick broke, an’ when she tu’n round so, see de bull was comin’ on upon him. Den him buck him, an’ say “Chee!” an’ tu’n dry trash. He ’crape up all de trash an’ mash dem up to lint. Dat time de girl say “Chee!” an’ she tu’n a tree. He buck de tree, ’crape off all de bark. Girl say “Chee!” an’ tu’n a needle fasten at de tail; when him going away swinging tail, him drop ’pon a leaf. When see him gone to a distance, him say “Chee!” an’ tu’n de same somebody again. An’ run to him house, holla “Mamma, open do’!” De ma say, “Wha’ I tell you? Save somet’ing! De firs’ day you get a husban’, you tell all yo’ belly-word.”

b. The Cow turned Woman.

Elizabeth Hilton, Harmony Hall, Cock-pit country.

One time a woman have one single child,—a boy. An’ choose out a hunter. Mother fret an’ cry a good deal an’ say not a good trade, he might get dead in the bush. Sometime, go ’way for two or three months an’ don’ return, and where he shooting, only wild cow is there. The cow is so cross he has to turn stick an’ stone to live amongst the cow.

One day when he go shooting, he see a beautiful young lady—one of the cow turn a beautiful young lady. An’ he married her an’ carried her home. When he go a-bed a’ night his wife say, “How you live among those wil’ cow an’ they never kill you, an’ no other hunter ever could return home?” Said, “Me love, when the cow come to buck me, I turn a piece of stick, an’ they buck me all the same, I turn a rock,—I turn all different things.” An’ the mother call to him an’ say, “Hi, me son! you jus’ married to a ’trange woman, you tell him all you secrets? Tell some, lef’ some!” Only one thing that he didn’t tell,—that when he turn something, he fasten at the cow tail an’ the cow couldn’t buck him. An’ the girl turn a cow, go back in cow country; an’ the nex’ time he go back in bush, all the cow buck him no matter what he turn an’ the only way he escape, he fasten at the cow tail.