The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-10-16
Certainly, BARN. They are now out

-
e you have heard their yells.
Q 'Gavrilytch.' exclaimed, snatchinl
u up my hat. Il must see that; let U
! goi
] The old man caught me by the arm
f sSergej EgoroyitchP he said, in ,
solemn voice. 4 am not a coward
but now say to you, take carel They
: are mad now; they are no longer wo.
, men during this night. but blood.
thirsty witches. Take careI
Nonsense! We shall find some
sure hiding place where we can see
all without being seen. Come.
I lighted q small blind lantern,
which put into my pocket in case OF
an emergency, and went out of the
house, followed by Gavrilytch, who
though grumbling, would not have
stayed behind for any price. I had
often heard of the practice of pillow.
ing out the cholera but had never
really belived in its actual existence.
had heard of superstition prevail
ing among the peasants that by dragg-
ing plow around the village in the
dead of night sort of magic circle
was formed which was supposed to be
proof against the ravages of the cpl.
demic. and that every living being
beast or man-showing it or himself
during the ceremony was to be con-
sidered as the personification of chol-
era, and slain on the spot. Would I
really now have the. opportunity of
/ witnessing the horrible witchery?
We walked rapidly and silently
through the village. For few mo-
ments all was silent. Then again the
same unsuccessful yells I had heard
before arose, but louder and more
distinctly. We heard the voices of
the women, wrought to the highest
pitch human shriek is capable of at
tanning. The sounds came from q
hollow eastward of the village.
Through this hollow rough country
road ran, half concealed among BUSH
es and underwood. This road, lead
ing through the large forest and along
the river side to district town, about
fifteen miles distant, was rarely used
in summer, and was allowed to re-
main in shocking condition. A
red glow on the bushes along the road
showed us that it was along this road
that the procession moved.
Gavrilytch and concealed our
selves in the underwood, and lay
waiting breathlessly for the things to
come.
The fendish yells approached near
er and nearer, the red glow became
more intense, and at last, at q turning
of the road about twenty PAGES from
where we lay concealed, the process
sion appeared in full view.
1t is impossible for me to give an
adequate DESCRIPTION OF the. quaint,
horrible sight which caught my eyes.
The procession consisted of some 40 |
women and girls, each brandishiDg
lighted pine torch in her hand, jump
ing, dancing, turning around like der
vishes and yelling out strange, sense
less incantatiOns from their foming
lips. Some of them had evidently al
ready reached an ecstatic condition
which rendered them insensible 10
bodily pain, for they threw themselves
down on the road. thumped their
heads against the sharp stones, and
then jumped up again bowling and
dancing, their faces stres ming with
blood. This sight seemed to add to
the demoniac fury of the others; sew
eral women began to strike themselves
and each other with the household in
struments of every description with
which they were armed: fire tongs,
kitchen pans, dung forks, and such
like. By far the most striking feature
Of the procession was, however, the
group which headed it. A young girl,
With her hair falling over her should
ers, completely naked and bowed
down under the weight of horses
was dragging at small plow,
Iided by four old women, who. with /,
:errific yells, pulled at the woodwork I
If the plow with one hand and BRAN
lished birch rods with the other. The /;
7oung girl broke down under her load q
nearly every moment, and screamed :
Strike me, mothers, strike me harder!
That is good That gives me strength + Z
And the old witches struck with all ;
heir might. :
The procession moved ON slowly.
When it had at last come up to our
liding place, and I was able to dis
inguish the faces of the women, near
y every one of whom knew person
lily, strong temptation came upon
ne to rush out, and by my sudden ap- !.
,earance put an end to this horrible
nummery. Gavrilytch must have '
,uessed at my thought, for he seized :
ne by both arms from behind and
leld me fast, whispering in my ear:
For Gods sake, keep still! They'll
ear you to piecesI
Among the inarticuIate yells and in b
incantations the only n
Vords / was able to catch at were: b
BLACK Death, appearl Fiend, show u
ourself! Evil spirit, take shape! e
These words were repeated again t
nd again, like the refrain of a chant.
lowly the procession passed and dis
ppeared from our sight, the women d
aud yelling, whirling around, a
nmping high into the air and falling v
ack with their full weight on the {,
tony ground. s,
When the glare of the last torch had h
in the forest we quilted
ur hiding place, Gavrilytch mutter-