The state journal., 1884-11-08
'While he talked and urged, I grew

rein. 1t seemed then as if dIdn't care
what came next, so long as / could roll
myself up in my blanket and snooze, so
answered short enough : Have your
own way. The place is ours. 1 reckon,
as much as it is other folks.
1.-THE pixies and demons you mean,
| laughed Vermudyn 4 know all the
| miners tales Never fear. | dare wager
| we shall see nothing worse than ourselves,
| if we stop for month of Sundays. Did
YOU ever hear, he went on, of the White
Witch of the Panniken? She should meet
us hereabouts, if all tales be true. She
waits for lonely travellers, and shows them
gold in the rock where gold never was
in daylight; and if man is tempted, fol-
the COLDS sake of hers, to spend the
night with her, he's never seen or heard
of in this world again. She teasts him
with the sight OF big nuggets and her own
beauty, while she sucks his hearts blood
like the vampire; and when his body is
drained to the last drop, he is flung aside
among the rocks or dropped in some dark
gully; and she comes back to watch the
road for fresh prey
"1've heard of the White Witch many
time; but never knew the rights OF
the story until tonight, said |. But
witch or no witch. we'll have to stop;
the road grows harder, and my horse
seems to stumble at every step. It's so
dark, too. can hardly see my hand be-
fore my face; yet it seemed almost day
light when we rode into the gorge
"'The pair of US will be to many for
the White Witch, anyhow said Yer
mudyn. Too much human society don't
agree with her ghostly constitution
1--WE had stopped together, and l was
just going to get off my horse, when
Vermudyn sang out in hurry: I see a
light there to the left. Let's ride up.
We may find party forced to camp out
like ourselves: or they may be Injuns;
and any company is better than none to-
night
"'Right enough, says I, rubbing my
eyes. There is light, and pretty
strong one, too steady light, mate, and
not Will o. the .wisp. l never heard
before of white man or Injun daring to
camp in the Devils Panniken.'
"'Well, we must go up quietly till we
can see our company, said my mate.
we don't want to drop on a gang of
freebooters, who'll ease us ofthe dust, and
then leave us with bullet through our
heads. as parting gift
After this, we rode forward in silence
for what seemed quarter of mile; but
we went at foot's pace, on account Of
picking our way among the rocks that
lay thick in the road. Then as we turned
q sharp corner, we saw all at once that the
light came not from camp fire, but from
a house
We'll, says l, in all the years I've
worked in these parts, man and boy, and
tramped from claim to claim, I've never
heard that there was hut or shanty in this
place.
Nor | neither, returned Eermudyn
but perhaps it's new spec; though what
folks could want house where there's
neither gold to find nor land to farm is
more than l can tell. We may thank our
luck we've tumblcd across it.
"He jumped off his horse as we drew
rein at the door of the queerest old house
l ever saw. 1t was tumble, down sort Of
place, half stone, half wood; and the
woodwork was fast going to decay, though
we could see plainly enough that time
and money had once been spent over it.
The stone was pretty rough; but the
house was all pointed gable ends and
queer,shaped long windows. The high.
peaked, overhanging roof and the dia-
mond panes reminded me of houses I'd
seen in England when | was young
I'm. The pointed gables were faced with
carved oak; and heavy oaken beams
black with age, formed the framework of
the upper stories; while the spaces be-
tween were roughcast with shingle and
plaster. The wickedest old faces were
grinning and leering at us from the car
wings above the windows and we could
see the whole place, every stick and
stone about it, as plain as daylight. We
had been riding in darkness through the
Devils Panniken, darkness that grew
blacker as we went on; and the light
from this house fairly dazed us at first
Every window famed as though there
were jolly fires in each room, and hun
dreds of candles. The place seemed all
afame inside and out: the walls were as
bright as if the moon was shining her
clearest and strongest full on the house;
yet" said old Grizzly, dropping his
voice impressively, there was no moon
at all that night We stopped and looked
at one another in wander, and then stared
at the house again. We could hear sounds
inside now quite plain, mems voices,
and women's, too. Ugly sounds be
sides, that l couldn't understand; such
bowling and shrieking as though all
Bedlam were let loose inside-wailing
like some creature in pain, and roar5
of knocking laughter. turned
deadly cold, and shivered as if it were
mid-winter.
"For mercy's sake, let's get away
from this madhouse-if it's not something
worsep said l. 'All's right here and I'd
60 afoot all night before I'd rest in that
place"
Nonsense returned Vermudyn in
how; and you'll stop to see fair play,
know"
1.-The upshot of it was hesseized my
arm and led me into the house; while
gypsy locking fellow came out for our
horses, after we'd unloaded our KNAPP
sacks and blankets. My gold was sewed
in belt round my body and determ-
ined to fight hard for dear life, ifneed be;
while was equally determined to see
Vermudyn through the nights adventure,
as far as it lay in my power.
"Vermudyn didn't appear afraid or
surprised in the least; and the spell-I can
call it nothing else-that was over me
had no effect on him. He stood in front
of the fire, warming his hand, and look
ing round him quite gayly, and pleased
with all he saw.
"'Wake up, mate p lie called to me
we've fallon in luck's way this time,
surely. You've no cause to fear. 1t
seems to me that must have been here
score of times before. know the place
so well and yet he stopped for min
ute and put his hands over his eyes
and yeti can't be II know it,
That press, he went on, should hold
the green suit. And stepping across the
room, he opened worm eaten cupboard
in the far corner, and took out faded
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