In the present, Mr. Courtney picks up a book written by the fastidious Mr. Barksdale. The book’s dehumanizing and objectifying analyses of African Americans and their religious beliefs cause Mr. Courtney to reflect upon the fateful August day when he met Mr. Barksdale, who had come to stay with Mr. Courtney at his club on Ediwander Island. Prior to Mr. Barksdale’s arrival, Mr. Courtney’s friend Spencer had written a brief letter of introduction about him. Mr. Barksdale had come to Ediwander with the intention of studying African American religion, but his views of the African American population were horrifically offensive, labeling them “primates” and “primitive”. As Mr. Courtney was leading Mr. Barksdale through the island, Mr. Barksdale stopped to disturb a graveyard for the African American workers. He found a rare half pint flask that would complete one of his collections and took it from a grave despite Mr. Courtney’s objections. As night fell, they caught sight of some of the workers heading home for the night. Mr. Barksdale called them a “simple folk”, but Mr. Courtney argued that they had many cultural achievements before the arrival of white people.

Mr. Barksdale began working in an adjoining room to Mr. Courtney’s bedroom. One day, while discussing African American religion, Mr. Courtney mentioned the Gullah believed in a spirit called Plat-eye, which took a form that would lure its victims into the woods to kill it. Mr. Barksdale continued his condescending attitudes towards African American religion anyway. That Thursday, one of the servants at the club left his job, causing Mr. Courtney to hire more from a nearby plantation. As he was inspecting the club, he wandered to Mr. Barksdale’s room to look for the flask, but Mr. Barksdale surprised him and said he’d moved it. Over time, the two saw less and less of each other. Then, one night, Mr. Barksdale opened the door between their adjoining bedrooms, claiming he wanted a breeze to help him sleep. Mr. Courtney was suspicious, then felt a tremor pass through the air. The vibrations continued to agitate them, leaving them unable to sleep. After approaching Mr. Barksdale, Mr. Courtney realized he was the center of the tremors. He asked him to leave, but Mr. Barksdale refused, forcing Mr. Courtney to ask Spencer to take him away. Mr. Courtney tried using a Gullah cure for Plat-eye, but it was ineffective.

After enduring the Plat-eye for three weeks, Mr. Courtney saw the spirit manifest. He had been awake, listening to the mysterious dancing and drumming coming from the village of African American workers, when he saw a woman appear in the room. By the time he had lit several lamps, the woman was gone—as was Mr. Barksdale. In the morning, Spencer arrived, and he and Mr. Courtney set out to locate the missing man. None of the African American men would help them, and when they tried looking for them, their village was empty. During the search, Spencer explained to Mr. Courtney that Mr. Barksdale was only so unlikeable due to his wife leaving him. Mr. Courtney deduced the Plat-eye must have taken the form of his wife and that the villagers must have conjured her to distract Mr. Barksdale so they could retrieve the stolen flask. After an arduous search, they finally found Mr. Barksdale collapsed in a marsh. They carried him back to the club, which had been torn through in the villagers’ quest for the flask. Mr. Courtney then stopped by the graveyard and found the flask returned to its owner. On his way back to the club, a group of Gullah workers passed him, greeting him through the hot noon air.