Chapter 7

Jim and Jackie returned to find their pictures had been developed.

She and Jim impatiently open the pictures in front of the store clerk. Jackie was shaking. The pictures were blurry and some of them were under-exposed. The other pictures showed some trees and the trail heading up from the river where the woman stood, but she did not appear on the film. Looking with despair and discouragement, Jackie and Jim went back to Statum Shores.

Jackie and Jim sat down by the oak tree and wondered why the pictures didn't develop right. Jim decided to carve their names in the old oak tree. He pulled out a pocketknife and etched Jackie loves Jim. Then he carved out a huge heart around their names as a symbol of his love for Jackie. She looked at Jim and kissed him like never before. Jim wondered maybe he should carve somemore, but it was understood. Jackie was his first and only love. It was nighttime at 10:00 p.m. Jackie and Jim were in their Jon boat trolling up river looking for good branches to hang limb lines. Limb lines were a good way to catch big catfish. The branch would resist if the fish were to get hooked. The next morning they could fish the lines and retrieve the fish.

Jim started up in to a slough where he was very familiar. He was a well-known river rat. He could tell you where all the deep spots were and where not to go. Jackie felt very safe with Jim on the river at night.

"Here's a good spot," Jim said.

"We can hang limb lines here and along this bank," he said.

Jackie started to tie the line on the limb and suddenly a snake fell from the tree on to Jackie. She lunged backward screaming and fell in the Jon boat.

"Don't move," Jim said.

"I have him in sight and I can get him out of the boat."

"It's a harmless tree snake," Jim said.

"Well, get it out of here, Jackie said. I'm terrified of snakes. It gives me the creeps." Jim grabbed the snake and slowly tossed it to the bank. He reached over to Jackie and hugged her. He expressed his love and kissed her. He told her that he loved her and as long as she is with him on the river. He would not let a harm come to her. Jim gently kissed Jackie, and she accepted him gracefully.

Just beyond the tree line deep in the woods. Drums began to beat. Jim knows the river well. There was no homes, streets or dirt roads in the direction of the drums. Jim realized that this was not good. He looked at Jackie and continued to converse how the Indian spirits sometimes would find trespassers either favorable or unfavorable.

" Are we unfavorable?" Jackie asked.

"No, we are favorable," Jim said. We are going to be all right. The sound of the drums told Jim that the spirits were finding him favorable in love and that his brave heart would protect him in the woods. If any man was alone and found unfavorable by the spirits, he surely would die a horrible death. Sacred ground along the Ocmulgee is very important. The sacred ground was stumbled upon Jim accidentally in his young days running the river limb lines. Jim went on explaining that some people have disappeared in the river without a trace. Deep in the woods of Georgia's river there was no law.

"The only law was Indian law," Jim said.

Jackie embraced Jim close and listened and the intensity grew stronger by the minute.

"I don't want to stay here anymore," Jackie said.

"Let's go".

Jim started up the trolling motor and began to head down-stream. He decided to not catfish that night.

Jim felt that it was in his best interest to protect Jackie regardless of the spirits and foretells about the history of the Osachee Indians. Moments later the drums stopped beating.

"The drums stopped," Jackie said.

It's because we are no longer on sacred land," Jim said. The lantern started to run low on fuel. This was not a big problem for Jim. He would let it flicker out because he's only a mile away from Statum Shores. Jim continued on about the spirits. He claimed it must have something to do with the apparitions he'd seen as a child and so did Jackie. He was also disparaged, as he felt uncanny about the area near Statum Shores.

"I believe something happened terrible here," he said.

Jackie raised her head and turned right maybe around that area as she pointed it out to Jim.

"Whatever it was, it happened a long time ago, I just don't know," Jim said.

"It could be a drowning or a murder maybe," he said.

"I know that each time I pass this area I get these feelings." Jim went on about how he knows that something was wrong, but couldn't collaborate on it. He did know that what he was feeling was accurate. He was somewhat psychic in a way. His emotions told him that what ever happened here, happened a very long time ago. He approached the dock at Statum Shores, and tied the Jon boat off to a tree. He would get the trailer later and get the boat.

Saturday morning was a delightful one. Trucks could be seen backing up their trailers and dropping off their boats for an afternoon ride on the river. Some had coolers with beer and picnic baskets with plenty of good eats. Biscuits and fried chicken seem to be the favorite meal for a river run. There was a man that showed up in his white Chevrolet pick-up truck. He had a Jon boat and a bucket of minnows.

Jackie and Jim noticed something strange about the man in the white pick up truck. He didn't look Indian, but he favored them a little. Jim's curiosity got the best of him and he approached the man.

"You gonna go fishing?" Jim said.

"Yea!" replied the man.

"What's your name mister, I haven't seen you here before?" Mike, he said.

"What are fishing for?" Jim said.

"Catfish and Bass," Mike said.

Jim began to tell the man about the river where he could fish at; he started to tell him where the fish would bite best. He also mentioned just above Statum Shores there's a slough with big catfish lately caught from there.

"Don't go in the sloughs to the very end," Jim said.

That's is sacred land and Indian spirits don't like people trespassing on their land."

"Oh c'mon, Mike said. You don't believe in that stuff do you?" He asked.

"Where are you from?" Jim asked.

"Benhill," Mike said

"I got some friends in Benhill. I have been living on this river all my life since I was little boy. There are weird things that happened here a long time ago. I hear spirits roam the banks at night and such." Jim rabbles on about how he knew about all these things. Mike was intrigued. Jackie joined in on the conversation. Jim let Mike know that Jackie was his girl friend and Jackie has seen strange things on the river at night and in the day.

Mike appreciated the good word and thanked Jim. Mike headed out for the fishing and waved good-bye to Jackie and Jim.

Mike thought about what Jim had said. To play it safe Mike would not go in to the end of the sloughs. With all respect he just wanted to have fine day fishing and wanted no trouble. Especially from ghosts and spirits.

People from the nearby homes would come down to Statum Shores and bring their children to swim and enjoy the hot day. Conversations would always go back and forth about how some seen weird things. Others say their mind was playing tricks. Jim would join in and tell his ordeal that he claimed he wanted to keep a secret. He went on about how he tried to take a picture of what he saw, but failed. Terry lived in Abbeville, and spoke of his grandfather that told him along, long time ago a Steam-ship sunk in the Ocmulgee.

"Really," Jim said, His eyes were opened and astonished.

He told Terry, "please continue, I want to know more," he said.

"Well, there isn't much to really say about it. One thing for sure! My grand-pa doesn't lie. I tried to look it up at the library, but I found nothing. It seems whatever happened along time ago about a Steamship sinking in the river just doesn't exist. The information about it is lost or it just didn't happen. I gave up looking and left it alone," Terry said.