The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-04

what folks could want with house where there's neither gold to find nor land to farm is more than 1 can tell We may thank our luck we've tumbled across it.
 He jumped of his horse as we drew rein at the door of the queerest old house 1 ever saw. It was tumble-down sort of place, half stone, half wood and the woodwork vas fast going to decay, though we could sec plainly enough that time and money had once been spent over it. The stone was pretty rough 1: but the house was all pointed gable-ends and queer-shaped long windows. The high-peaked overhanging roof and the diamond panes reminded me of houses
 I'd seen in England when was young un. The pointed gables were faced with carved oak formed the framework of the upper stories; while the spaces betseen
 were rough-cast with shingle and plaster. The wickedest old faces were grinning and leering at us from the carvings above the windows ; and we could see the whole place, every stick and stone about it. plain as daylight. We had been riding
 in darkness through the Devils Panni- ken, a 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 hundreds of candles.
 The place seemed all aHame inside and out; the walls were as bright as if the moon was shining her clearest and strongest full on the house: ye,," said Old Grizzly, dropping his voice impress lively, "there was no moon at all that night. We stopped and looked at one another in wonder, and then stared at the house again. We could hear sounds inside now quite plain, mems voices, and women's too. Ugly sounds besides, that
 l couldn't understand such bowling and shrieking as though all Bedlam were let loose inside-wailing like some creature in pain, and roars of mocking laughter. turned deadly cold, and shivered as if it were mid-winter.
 "'For mercy's sake, let's ge, away from this madhouse-if it's not some thing worse" said 1. tAll's not right here; and I'd go afoot all night before I'd rest in tha, place
 "s Nonsense. returned Eermudyn in his impetuous way. I'm going in any how and you'll stop to see fair play, know
 "The upshot of it was he seized my arm and led me into the house while a gypsy-looking fellow came o1s for our horses after we'd unloaded our knapsacks and blankets. My gold was sewed Tn belt round my body, and determined 10 light hard for dear life, if need be while l was equally determined to see Yer mudyn through the nights adventure. as far as i. lay in my power.
 II the outside of the house was strange to us, the inside was still stranger. The furniture appeared to be hundreds of years old. The presses. chairs and tables were all of polished black oak, which re- feoted the light of many candles while big fire roared in the open fireplace, near which table was laid for supper, and everything on it matched all we'd al- ready seen. There were drinking horns mounted in silver; cups of the same such load plate as I'd never seen in my life, and such as, was pretty certain, belonged to no country inn in a wild dis tric, where the only travellers were miners. and the only natives lnjuns. On the top of carved press in one corner there was fine show of ottles-long-necked. slender aasks. crusted over with oobwebs and short squat bottles that held Hol- land and kirschwasser. Vernudyn told me.
 We'll, while we took stock ofthe room and its contents, there wasn't q soui to be seen, yet the noise and hubbub con- tinued still all around us; the clatser ot a hundred voices rising and falling far and near like the wind; laughter, screams. and low moans, all together, or following each other quickly. The longer list ened the less liked il; ye, as I sa. in a corner of the big chimney, seemed ,s grow drowsy and stupid-like. as if had no power oi my limbs or my voice. l think l couldn', have walked a dozen steps for thousand pounds ye, could still hear and see all, through ligh, mist that fell betwix, me and everything looked at.
 "Nermndyn didn't appear afraid or 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 ire, warming his hands, and ! looking around him quite gayly, and pleased with all he saw
 Wake up, mate" he called to me we've fallen in luck's way this time. ! surely. You've no cause to fear. It | seems to me that must have been here a score of times before, know the place so we'll and yet he stopped for min ute and put his hands over his eyes-I and yet-it can't be.--l 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 suit of faded green velvet the cut of which re- minded me of old pictures I'd seen at home: and when vermudyn took them | out and looked them over carefully, thei whole thing struck me so absurdly that | began to laugh like maniac, though still l had no power to speak. wanted | to tell him he would look like a tsmbling l at fair if he rigged himself out in the velvet suit but only laughed | and nodded at him silently from the chimney corner. like some drivellinc old |