Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-11-16

And for that night the affair was over
But the next, just imagine, hardly hat
1 blow out the candle, when flap went The
villains ears!
"Filka!n I roared.
In he runs, down he goes, and finds
nothing again.
I go to bed once more, blow out the can.
die, and in an instant 1 hear him breath
ing, scraping, swapping and biting al
himself for phantom feas, just as if he
were real canine.
"Filka!' cried, ''come again, but
don't bring light"
He comes!
"Wellln said, edo you hear?"
ssI dol'' said he; and I could tell by his
voice that he was afraid. g 'Tis a piece
of sorceryr" he went on-''a deviltry!"
"Go to the deuce!" said I, stoutly; but
remarked that my voice was as wispery
as his.
light my candle. No more dog! No
more rowl No more anything! but Fill
ka and myself, as white as the sheets,
A happy thought struck me. An inspi-
ration of common sense! l left my can
die burning, end for the rest Of the night
all was peace.
Well, my friend continued Porfrii Kap-
itonovitch), this little diversion lasted for
six weeks! and at last became 80 &C
cumstomed to it, that / blew out my
candle Observation-Disclosures [ cannot
sleep if there is a light in my bedroom.
One evening, a friend ofmine, Vassili
Vassivitch paid me visit, and I invited
him to stay all night, for 1 wished to if a
stranger could break the spell. A bed
was prepared for him in my room, and
the moment the light was out, the farce
commenced.
Scrape, scrape, scrape! and scratch.
scratch, scratch! and better still, my
phantom hound marches up and down the
room, tearing at the floor with his claws,
the while; and finally overturns chair
close to the bedside Of my friend.
"Ah!' said he-and, take notice, in his
ordinary voice. quite naturally "ah! you
have dog therel What breed is he?"
"Breed!" | muttered to myself. And
then l lit my candle, and tod him the
whole story; aid said I, 81 lelieve don't
either Socrates or Freerick the Great
himself could clear it up"
never saw MN in such hurry in
my life as was Eassiii Vassllivitch, when
1 explained matters, He sprang from
the bed like a scalded cat!
"Porfrii Kapitonovtch." he cried, 81
do not wait here another minutel Thou
art man accused My horses My
horses!'' And without waiting to get in
to his boots, he fled from the rooml
He came to see me the next day, and
counseled me to leave the place for a time,
to try if that would destroy the charm.
Very sensible advice, you would say, but
then my neighbor Vassili was very
remarkable mana man Of an altogether
superior mind. His own mother in-law,
among others, he perplexed and over
came in most triumphant manner; and
she became like sheep in his hands!
Imagine what man he must have been,
thus to subdue and circumvent mother
in-law!
Brief, l went to the city, and took up
my lodgings with an old inn-keeper l
knew, named Roskolnik-a little grumb-
ling old man, who held tobacco and dogs
in horror, and believe would not on any
consideration have allowed one of the
latter in the house.
''It is likely?" he would say. 'Here is
the good Virgin who honors me by hang
ing in my apartment, and shall an impi-
Gus dog dare to intrude his unholy muz-
zle therein?''
AS favor, the old man allowed me to
share his room having another bed placed
there purposely for me. This arrange
ment suited me very well, as it provided
me with a reliable witness for my canine
encounter.
At bedtime, my ancient mumbled his
PRAYERS before the aforesaid picture of
the Virgin; then tumbled into bed, where
he soon initiated an intastically gradua-
ted nose solo, beginning with plaintive
nasal wailing, and finally merging into a
regular rolling fire Of full-bodied snores.
Sleep through that, eh? And then the
lamp burning before the pictures disturbed
me. This latter difficulty disposed of at
one breath, and crept quietly back to