Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-06-05

AZ 5Ne SiSoi Va thO oitu, cOmCUOuy
aPays speaks, and then you know
awaysthey goes with a whiz. Now
I'm determined, let come what will,
even if it's Old Nick himself, that
won't speak word till / git a piece
of my own money into the pot, and
want you to be jist as guarded, aud
then let the devils git it if they can.
Wen see sights, l know, and wen
hear awful noises-but if we don't
mind 'em, they can't hurt u.s.
s'I'll do it,, says Baker. Moth
ing in heaven above, nor in 'arth be-
meath, nor in the waters under the
'arth, nor from the lower regions
themselves, shall skeer me, or git me
to open my mouth till I've got the
money!
wall, we got to the place all ST.
lent, set our lantern down where we
could see, struck our spades into the
sandy s'ile, and went to digging.
And | tell you l felt queer, even
from the lust. 1t was a awful lonely,
gloomy place, the night was as dark
as pitch. and the wind howled and
shrieked among the trees that growed
around, and the rain was drove agin
as furious, sometimes SOS we
couldn't skeercely see.
"Wall, sir, we hadn't been digging
long-had't got down more'n two
foot-when, jist as true as / stand
here, | heered a awful noise, like a
clap of thunder, that sounded right
close behind us-so close that it
made both on US jump, in spite of
our expecting soothing like it. /
looked around, and there stood aw-
ful figur', all in black, with great big
wings, and streaks of fire crinkline
all over it, and it had a strong smell
of sulphur. | was dreadfnlIy skeereo,
| tell you, bekase Iknowed it wasn't
nothing Humankind Baker he was
as skeered as me-but nYther of US
said word, we didn't, and went on
with the digging Then the specter
gin a groan, that sounded awful hol-
Ter and grave-like, and then it van
ished. In minute or so there came
another awful clap of thunder, and a
strange, un'arthly light made every
thing around look yaller like, and
there was another smell of sulphur.
| looked around to see if the figur'
had come back, and then I seen so'-
thing all in white, jist like corpse
come out OF the grave in its shroud,
with stream of fire and smoke
coming right out OF the top of its
head. Still we went on with the Dig
ging and with another awful groan,
this ere spectre vanished too.
"t'or short time arter that, we
did not hear nothing more, and /
was in hopes the wicked sperits had
got thro'. But they hadn't. We'd
got dug down, / guess, about two
foot furder, when bang crash went
the thunder again, so close to us
that We almost tainted from the
skeer; and this time we seen a awful
human skeleton, all bones, with a
skull head. and dreadful black, hol.
Ter sockets, without eyes. Then this
ere thing gin big groan, and went
moving round US in circle, and
when / looked at it agin, it had grea,
red eyes OF fire Oh! it was awful,
and no mistake! and Baker and me
trembled and shook like we had the
agur. 1t was getting to be to much
for us TO stand, and the sweat poured
out of me like rain. But / thought
OF the money, and went to digging
agin, determined that nothing should
cheat me out ont this time.
For spell agin, after that, we
wasn't bothered any more, and then
we heard the cries of wild cats. As
this didn't stop us, there come the
screams of panthers, and the growls
of bears; but l knowed they wasn't
real animals, and didn't feel half as
skeered as at the specters. And all
this time we kept working on, dig
ging away, and not a word lad the
devils got out of us yit.
cat last, arter Citing down about
hive or six foot, Bakers epade struck
agin the pot, and we both heered the
clink. 1t excited me so that could
MT skeercely stand, and Baker was
as bad as me. We catched hold of one
and looked wild in each
others faces. and then put our fin.
gers agln our mouths, as a sign to
remember and not. speak. Then Ba.
ker motioned me TO stand still and
let him feel fort; and arter stopping
down he soon begun TO tug away, as
# lifting big load. l wanted to
hello him. but he wouldn't let me. aud
pulled and tugged away alone. s
"Wal, SIR, he'd got the pot out Of
he 'arth, and was lifting ont up,
md had it up SOS could see t,when
Nj at once, bang-bang, crash-bang,
vent the thunder sgin, right along
'ide of our heads, aud it skeered Ba-
Ser SO, that, like a COMPOUNDED fool,
le yelled out:
"sOh, Lord 7
oval, sir, our jig was up the de-
1ils had triumphed agin. Whlz went
he pot, out OF Baker's hand, smash
lgin the lantern, puti.pg out the
ight, and leaving us there in pitch
darkness, like couple OF big baby
ools, feeling about as mean and rs
mad as any two men ystl ever see
And then, to make matters woss. wei
leered the devils screech.ng and |
aughlng all round Us, as they
shisked off TO their internal home. /
don't often swear, but somehow
couldn't help it jist then, 10 think |
low nigh we'd come 10 gittlng The |
money, and then to lo.e il arlrr all,
cassed Bake, up hlil and down, tilIl
We was nigh gittmlg iatn tight oven
but afterwards farsase him -
ii, poor fellow I! II >'pose be couldn't
clip it-aud | knsS ne iesi as,pI bal /
bout it, bvkas he'd OF * much as 1
le. i