Devil-dog
by John Waldo Miller
WARNING: This tale contains mountain dialect, scary critters, and does not obey the rules of correct grammar and punctuation. Read with a light on and lock the door.
There is a part of the Smoky Mountains, especially in the higher ups, a certain area that seemed to be off limits to all moral beings, men, including dogs, and then some. On a cold foggy winters night some of the low-landers were often seen to turn their head. Then they whisper they heard strange, spooky sounds, and freighting howling on those nights. A scream of death for someone about to have his or her throat cut. However, most of the whispers became ghost tales and myths. But one connected to my family.
Once upon a time, there lived a happy man and his loyal mule. Early one morning in the fall, they had started up Nolan’s Mountain that led to Cataloochee Valley. Something out of the sky swooped down and knocked Willy Messer’s hat right off his head, a big black ugly raven. Willy thought nothing about it, stopped the wagon, set the brake, got out, and retrieved his hat.
When he did, he looked up to his loyal mule and said, “George Washington, what in the worlds gots in that black bastard, knockin’ my hat off my head. You woods think hit were tryin’ scares somebody.”
Walking around to the front of George Washington, adjusting his hat, he asked his soul mate, “You’uns believe in ghost and gobblin’ George Washington?”
His soul mate shook his head up and down, check one believer.
Willy laughed, got back in his wagon, and kept going. They were on their way to see Willy’s Uncle Ahab. Uncle Ahab had sent word for Willy to come to the farm over in Cataloochee Valley. He had a new dog for him to train.
Willy knew the ways with animals more than anyone in Haygood County did. You might say, he was their county vet. When they got sick, hurt, or needed special training, they went to see Willy. But he also took a lot of kidding about talking to all the animals. Willy didn’t care. Folks jest decided he had a special gift.
But Willy had already known about the dog. He had had a dream about a dog a month ago. Now he thought, this could be the dog his Uncle Ahab planned to give him. The strange part, there was a big black buzzard in his dream and that made him a little upset. He had heard the old wives tale about the famous big black crow buzzard from Devil’s Hell Cave, a cave that nobody had ever seen. An evil critter out of Hell with a bell around its feet that bringing death to anyone who looks up and sees it over their head, the evil critter know as the “Bell Ringer from Hell”. Mama used the old ghost tale to threaten their kids. Willy had heard it all his life.
“If you don’t behave, I’m gonna get the Bell Ringer after you’uns!”
It has to be that folks were scared to look up if they heard a bell, wouldn’t turn their heads. Willy didn’t hold with the old wives tale but now after seeing that raven act so strange, he jest didn’t rightly know.
However, he did take time out to say to George Washington, “Don’t worry George Washington. It’s not the right buzzard but the wrong bird too, or is it?”
George Washington said nothing.
When they got there, Uncle Ahab took Willy to his barn.
Uncle Ahab, “What I got fur you’uns Willy is the strangest dog I’ve ever seen. I’ve been raisin’ bear dogs all my life, but I ain’t never seen a god damn dog like this here. Close that barn door behind you. I don’t want this son of a bitch to get out that there door or we will never catch him.”
Willy smiled and mumbled, “This is got to be some dog if Uncle Ahab is a’feared of him. He’s the best bear dog man in this here county.”
As they walked thru the barn door, Willy closed the door behind him and said, “Well Uncle Ahab! If you is a’feared of this here dog, I might not want any part of that bastard.” and laughed.
Uncle Ahab smiled and said, “Oh! I’m ain’t a’feared of that there bastard. That’s not the trouble! We just can’t catch him. That’s the trouble! He won’t come to us, even for a bone. Dam’nest dog I’ve ever seen that want come to you’uns fur a’bone.”
When Willy saw the dog, George Washington saw Willy turn a little white, something Willy never did, now his soul mate wondered why. It was the same dog in Willy’s dream. Willy said nothing and walked over to the dog. But first turned his head to Uncle Ahab and asked, “Do the bastard bite?”
The dog never moved, but laid there watching Willy, showed no signs of upset, and stuck his head out for Willy to pet
Uncle Ahab shook his head and said, “Naw! Hit don’t bite. But ain’t hit the strangest lookin’ dog you’uns ever never seen. He looks like he ain’t got no eyes. Look how far back in his head them eyes are’s. I can’t even tell what colors they are’s. Damn dog, I ever seen, has you’uns ever seen one like him?”
Willy agreed, “Nope, ain’t never ever seen a dog like this one. Look at them feet! Bigger than any dog I’ve ever seen, got a funny smell about him. But he seems to be friendly. He wants me to pet his head. Come here boy! Come here boy!”
Willy squatted down, waved for the dog to come, but he never moved.
Willy stood up and backed off, said, “Well! He’s friendly enuff. Don’t bite. I believe he and I will get along. Where did you’uns find him?”
Uncle Ahab set down on a stump, “My feet are’s killin’ me. I’ll tell you’uns in a minute.” then he pulled his boots off, and said, “There are’s somethin’ else you’uns need to knows. And you ain’t gonna believe this. When we tried to put a collar on him, we couldn’t. He throws that bastard off, slips it over his head. We finally put a choker on him, but had to take it off when he almost strangled his self. Damn dog I’ve ever seen.”
Willy’s now worn a puzzled look and asked, “Where in the hell did you’uns get him? I hope you didn’t pay much for a dog you can’t collar.”
Uncle Ahab stood up and winkled his toes, “Naw! I didn’t have to buy him. He found us! He comes out of nowhere, come up with thu pack. Hit were when we was chasin’ a bear way up there over on Devil’s Hell Ridge. Never had been up that high before. Don’t think too many hunters have, a’cause it’s so goddamn thick and full of drop offs. Nobody with any sense a’tall dares goes up there. Thu only reason we went, a’cause that there goddamn bear took off up there. My old Daddy told me to never ever never hunt that ridge. Funny things known to happen up there that nobody will talk abouts hit. If hit hadn’t been for that goddamn bear, I wouldn’t has ever never gone.”
Uncle Ahab set back down on a barn stump, “But this here damn dog ain’t a’feard of nothin’. Not even the Devil himself. He were leadin’ our pack and torn into that bear like he knew what he were doin.’ Damn good fighter, but no one cans control him. That’s why I sent for you’uns. If you can’t control him, nobody cans.”
Willy set down on a barn stump next to Uncle Ahab, put his hand on Uncle Ahab and said, “Well! How in the hell did you’uns gets him in thu barn?”
Uncle Ahab shook his head, grinned, “The boys and me chased that son of a bitch all over this here barn yard and couldn’t catch him. Then we tried to run the bastard off. But he would run out there so far and stop, wouldn’t go any further. Frank even dusted his ass with birdshot, but that didn’t do any good. Claimed he hit him, I believes him, but hit didn’t do no good. He jest didn’t want to leave. Never had a dog I couldn’t catch. You’uns ever seen this here kind before?”
Click on this: next column
Willy shook his head, “Naw! But if you can’t catch him, how in the hell am I gonna catch him? How did you get him in the barn?”
Uncle Ahab, “It were your cousin Chillydog’s idea. We put the other dogs in thu barn. Strange, they didn’t want to get close to him either. You could tell they didn’t like his smell, a’feared of him. We closed all the other doors but one. Threw a bone thru the door openin’ and he chased hit down inside the barn. Then Chillydog ran up and slammed the door shut. Got’uns!”
Willy now laughing hard, caught up quick, said, “Well! How am I gonna catch him if you can’t?”
Uncle Ahab put his boots back on and said, “Ah! We cans catch him in thu barn, but that’s not thu trouble. What he does later, that are’s thu trouble.”
Willy took out his Bull Durum smoking sack, rolled a cigarette, lit it, and smiled, “Ok! You’uns gots me, what’s the trouble?”
Uncle Ahab motion for Chillydog with a hand and said, “Chillydog you and Frank corner that bastard and put that choker collar and chain on that idiot for Willy.”
The dog fell motionless to the ground. They pulled, begged, and threaten him, but useless.
Uncle Ahab grinned, and said “See what I mean? Ok! There you are’s Willy. He’s yours. Let’s see you lead him out of this here barn.”
Willy walked over, picked up one end of the chain, and motioned for the dog to follow. But the dog jest set down. Willy went over it again. The dog didn’t move. He pulled on the chain. Nothing! He jerked on the chain. Nothing! Willy didn.t hold with kicking dogs or any animal. It’s not his way. But the dog never moved.
Willy, “If that don’t hair lip a goat. Never seen a dog that won’t lead, but that’s ok. When I get him home, I’ll feed him real good and we can get to know each other better. I’ll bring him back in about a week Uncle Ahab. I sees whats thu trouble is now.”
Willy tied to lead the dog again but he wouldn’t move. So he finally picked him up and carried him to the front seat of his wagon. Uncle Ahab and his boys said goodbye and wished him luck. As far as they were concerned, Willy could keep that son of a bitch strange dog.
Willy spent all of his spare time carrying that strange dog around with him everywhere he went. Most folks looked forward to see Willy coming in his wagon. They knew he probably had that strange dog that wouldn’t lead. It had to be a big thing for all to try and see if they could make him lead or even stand up. Every time he would jest laid there not moving regardless of any coaxing with or without food. Everyone had a remedy for a cure but none worked.
Then it happened. One cold morning after the night of a big thick fog, Willy family couldn’t find their number one son. He was missing. Willy liked to roam at night with his soul mate George Washington and eat Mama’s buttercups and drink his Daddy’s cherry jump moonshine. Then they could walk on the barn ceiling. But they found George Washington in his stall. Nothing made sense.
At first, the family thought it strange that the strange dog, his collar, and chain were also gone while George Washington left behind. After a week, they put out a search party for Willy, but nothing found. It seemed that Willy, strange dog, chain, and collar had gone somewhere, but where? After a month, they still thought he was traveling some place and would return. But after two years, they lost all hope.
After a couple of months they gave up, stopped all searches. Some thought he stepped in a hole that was plentiful in the mountains. The holes were deep and would close over a victim, and no one would ever never seen again.
Two years later a team of government surveyors walked in the High Sheriff of Haygood County‘s office front door. They had come from the high ridges of the Smoky Mountains where they were establishing a new state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. There had always been a question about the correctness of the line made back in the 1700. The early surveyors would survey up to the foot of a mountain and stop. They though that was far as any one would go.
Now these surveyors had something unusual to show the High Sheriff. They had found this something while surveying some high ridges, ridges that no one had surveyed before.
One of the men had a tow sack. He stepped forward and dumped on the floor all the contents. Spilling out were a trace chain, an old leather collar, and a pile of human bones.
One of them picked up the chain and said, “This chain was locked around a big giant chestnut tree. That tree looked like somebody had tried to beat it to death, gashes all over it.. The collar was around, who ever that was,” and he pointed to the neck bones and said. “Here are some pieces of old clothing and a well-worn hat. Who it was, we don’t know.”
The High Sheriff remembered the strange case of the disappearing Willy Archibald Augustus Messer, but if this was him. He didn’t know. It would take time.
And so was born another myth about the mysteries of the Smoky Mountains. Now, sometimes on a cold foggy winter night in the middle of bear season, someone would say, “I heard that Devil-dog chasin’ Willy last nights, or maybe hit were Willy tryin’ to catch that there Devil-dog.”
And others believers would say, “Well! Somethin’ were a’chasin, somethin’, and whatever hit were, hit sure were a’howlin’, a chain were a’slappin’, and thu smell of sulfur were everywheres."
However, there are some of thoses in thu knows, who says, "Willy got chained to a giant chestnut tree with Satan’s Collar around his neck for gettin’ caught! He gots caught for runnin' down a’Holly Rolly Tent Meetin’ sawdust aisle naked as a bald headed Indian. Then Willy, he took time out to jump up on that there stage and beguns to piss all over that dog-barkin', head-shakin', hound-dog howlin' Yankee preacher-man’s bran new store bought boots. Started the biggest fight you’uns ever seen, but thats are’s jest the way hit is up in them mountains.”
|
|
John was raised a Tennessee boy. He makes his home in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Joan Seigenthaler-Miller. He enjoys writing fiction novels and short stories with the dialogue written in a soft mountain dialect. His first novel, The "Curse of Satan’s Collar", was published in 2008. This book has been award the prestigious CLARK COX HISTORICAL FICTION AWARD. |
|
|
Click here to see the letter John received. |
|
Review other stories John wrote for the F&Q. See the Article Index for 2008. |
Thanks for the story John... J. Wolf
