Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-03-16
A MOORLAND MYSTERY.
The Boggart That Job Kirkbright
Saw on the FeIls.

Saw on the Fells.
1t was what sailors call a dirty
night. A wild west wind was tearing
over the Fells and sweeping down the
narrow valley in fierce gusts, driving
the rain in sharp bursts against the
windows, and bowling angrily round
the chimueys of the little inn at Sell
side.
But II the evening was dark and
stormy and things outside were cheer
less, the kitchen of 1.-THE Moorcock"
was a cosy picture of warmth and
brightness. A mighty fire blazed in
the wide open fireplace, and sent long
trails OF sparks and great curls of
smoke roaring up the huge chimney.
Its light danced upon the timber ed
ceiling, across which long ropes of
onions and bundles of dried herbs were
artistically festooned; it flashed upon
rows OF pewter plates and dishes on
the old delft rack on the wall, and
lighted up the brass face of the old
clock in its dark corner, as it licked a
solemn accompaniment TO the ftful
snoring of a %golden-tan sheep dog
which lay stretched out upon the brick
hoor in front of the hearth. One side
OF the room was taken up by a deep
old-fashion settle, with sloped back,
and an end which curved round so as
to shut out the back door into the
garth" or yard. On this bench some
half dozen natives were seated, putting
stolidly at their long olays. which
were periodically withdrawn from
bucolie lips to allow of the application
OF the quart mugs which stood in reg.
uiar sequence upon the wooden table
in front.
Two tall rocking chairs were drawn
upon the opposite side of the kitchen
in which two storm-bound rovers were
comfortably ensconced. And highly
picturesque figures we made, clad in
miscellaneous garments, belonging to
"mine host" who was himself en-.
throned on an upturned cask, and
formed a connecting link, as it were,
between 1.-The classes on n side and
"the masses'' on the other side of his
hearth.
"A good deal pleasanter here, land
ior0, than up on the Fells."
$50 l reckon, sir. Turn-Dub's a
dowly spot O. meets when its doggy
(Anglice, misty)i Ell, JobP-tha
knows.n
A tall, lean fellow, with the hard,
wiry look of a Yorkshire dalesman,
gravely nodded, and muttered:
I'D moan gan over t'neet not fur ten
pund."
ABR thee had onst a rum soart on a
thing happen t%ull'ee," quoth his right
hand neighbor, whose rudy face was
set in a mass of bright red whisker.
"Come, tell t gen'elm'n ont; they've
moan heerd loike ont, I'm barnd."
2fter a little coy hesitation, which
gave way when u order was to ''fll
up all round'' had been carried out,
dob Kirkbright, shepherd and fac
totum, told his story, which being
translated from the rugged dialect of
Craven into ordinary par.ance, was
much as follows:
=" had sold some ewes over in Lit
tondale, and after getting the brass
and taking a glass of ale to wet the
bargain at Tom Mason's. I set off home
over the Fells in good fettle. | had
my dog, Bob, with me, and we climbed
up on the moor. and had soon got we'll
on our way. It was late in the autumn
and the days were drawing in fastish,
but ! knew the path well and SO
thought nothing much nbout the time
o. day. But when l got right up on
Moortop, / began TO see as how ii was
coming on misty, and so l pushed on a
bit faster but the fog was coming up
with a goldfish wind from seaward, and
soon it bad got all round me and made
mefeel chilly. 1t did not close in thick,
like q regular smotherer, you must
know, but it kept whirling in patches,
then lifting a bit and rolling way up
the Fell. but only to come unrolling
back every now and then. l don't
mind a how | ever heard the wind
moan 50 queerly it was for all the
world as II a lot of folks were grooming
and moaning. and it made me feel a
bit skeery like; and the rocks ana
powders looked uncanny with the gray
wisps twining among them. / was
main glad, ! al tell you. when I made
out Hanging Crag, and knew I was
over the highest point of the road. and
beginning to get higher home.
"The path leads down d dip like on
the moor, and Langdon Beck runs
alongside for may be haItqmiIe, and
then y turns of 9ldden and runs
away southwark to plunge down into
Hnntpot-a big sort Of pit. which is