San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-03-04
A M0ORLAND MYSTERY.

1t was what sailors call dirty night A
wild west wind was tearing over the Fell
and sweeping down the narrow valley il
fierce gusts, driving the rain in sharp bursts
against the windows, and bowling angrily
round the chimneys of the little inn at Sci
side
But if the evening was dark and stormy
and things outside were cherries, the kitchen
Of 1.-THE Moorcock" was a coy picture of
warmth and brightness 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 timbered 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 deli rack on the wall, and lighted
up the brass face Of tho old clock in its dark
corner, as it licked a solemn accompaniment
to the titful snoring Of golden tan sheep
dog which lay stretched out upon the brick
floor in front Of the hearth One side of the
room was taken up by deep, old fashioned
settle, with slOped back, and an end which
curved round 50 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 clays, which we're peri
odically withdrawn from bucohc lips to
allow OF the application Of the quart mugs
which stood in regular sequence upon the
wooden table In front
Two tall rocking chairs were drawn IN on
the opposite side Of the kitchen, in which we
two storm bound rovers were comfortably
ensconced And highly picturesque figures
we made, clad in miscellaneous garments, be-
longing to mine host" who was himself en-.
throncd on an upturned cask, and formed a
connecting link, as it were, between "the
classes on one side and 1.-THE Masses on the
other Of his hearth.
"A good deal pleasanter here, landlord, than
up on the Fells"
$50 l reckon, sir. Turn-Dub's a dowlv
spot O meets when it's doggy [AngIce, mistyl;
eh, Job tina knaws"
tall, lean fellow, with the hard. wiry loo),
of a Yorkshire dalesman, gravely nodded.
and muttered:
I'D moan gan over t'neet not fur ten
pupd"
'Ah! thee had 'onst a rum soart on q thing
happen eull'ee," quothHlis right hand neigh
Dor, whose ruddy face was set in a mass of
bright red whiskcr. Come, tell tgen'elmn
ont; they've moan heerd loike ont Pm
barnd"
After little coy hesitation, which gave
way when our order to FILL I'D all roundn
had been carried out, Job Kirkbright, shep-
herd and tactotum, told his story, which
being translated from the rugged dialect of
Craven into ordinary parlance, was much as
follows:
Il had sold some ewes over in Littondale
and after getting. the brass and taking q glass
OF ale to wet the bargain at Tom Mason's, |
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 well on our
way. 1t was late in the autumn and the
days were drawing in fastiSh but knew the
path wen and so thought nothing much
about the time O day But when | pot
right up on MOortop began to see as how it
was coming on misty, and so pushed on q
bit faster; but the fog was coming I'D with
goldfish wind from seward, and soon it had
got all round mo and made me feel chilly Il
did not close in thick, like a regular smoth-
erer, you must know, but it kept whirlinr in
patches, then lifting a bit and rolling away
up the Fell, but only TO coIaeunrolliny bacl;
every row and then don't mind as how |
ever heard the wind moan 50 queerlv, il WIS
for all the world as if a lot Of folks were
groanlng and moaning, and it made me feel
q bit skeery like, and the rocks and powders
looked uncanny with the gray wisps twininc
among them was main glad can tell
you. when made out Hanging Crag, and
knew was over the highest point of the
road and beginning to get higher home
The path leads down a dip like "a the
moor, and Langton Beck runs alongside for
maybe half a mile and then it turns oil sud
denly and runs away southwark, to plunge
down into Huntpot-a big sort of pit, which |
Is ninety yards deep, and as fearsone u place |
as you can want 10 see. They say it's haunt |
ed with boggart, ever since a young girl |
was thrown III there by her sweetheart nigh .
twenty years agone At least, folks always .
said as how he had showed her down, for they
was seen not far OF the hole one evening
having some words together, and that was
the last time she was ever seen. He swore.
when they asked him what had become of