The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-23
THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS,

- tHI oh - &e't tHc@' ~
mountain ridge of precipitous basaltic
cliffs, down which leap waterfalls from
the SHOWS above. The river on this side
rises q long way inland in a mass of lava
and flows through the Valley Of Shadows.
A little way up this valley is a farm called
Thorhallstead.
In the farm lived q farmer named
Thorhall and his wife. He was not a man
OF much consideration in the district,
and, moreover, his sheep walks were
haunted.
Not q herdsman would remain with
him. At last he determined to I've the
advice of the law man.
He saddled his horses and rode to
T~hingvalla. Skapti was the name of the
Judge then, a man with n long head.
~ can help you," said Skapti. "There
Is q shepherd with me, o rude, strange
man, afraid Of neither man nor hobgob-
lin, and strong as a bull; but he Is not
clear In his intellect. He is a Swede,
named Clam"
Then it was arranged between them
hat Clam should go In a few months to
Summer. passed, then autumn, and
nothing further was heard of Clam. The
winter storms began to bluster up the val
ley from the cold Polar sea, driving the
flying snowfiakes n heaping them in
drifts.
One gusty night a violent blow at the
door startled all in the farm. In another
moment, Clam, tall and wild, stood i'm the
hall. his hair matted with frost, his teeth
rafting with cold, his face bloot-red.
His powerful jaw was furnished with
white p~rotruding teeth and about his low
brow hung punches of coarse wolf-gray
hair. Time passed, and the shepherd
was on the moors every day with the Hook:
his loud and decp-toned voice was often
borne down on the winds as he shouted to
the sheep, driving them TO the fold. Christ,
mas eve was raw and windy; masses of
gray vapor rolled up from the Arctic
ocean, and hung in piles about the noun
tain tops. Now and hen a scud of frozen
fog, covering bar and bean with feath-
cry hoar.frost, swept up the glen. As the
day declined, SNOW began TO fall.
When the wind lulled there could be
heard the shout Of Clam high up on the
hillside. Darkness closed in, and with
the darkness the snow fell thicker.
The lights were kindled in the church,
and every snowflake as il sailed down
past the open door burned like a golden
feathery in the light.
When services were over and the farmer
and his party returned, Clam had not
come home. This was strange. Thorhall
was uneasy and proposed a sc arch, but no
one would go with him. So 'the family
sat up all night, listening, trembling and
anxious.
Day broke at last family in the south
over the great white masses of mountains.
Then q party was formed to search for
the missing man, on the top OF the moor.
Here and there a sheep was found SILVER
ing under a rock or buried in a snowdrift,
but of Glam-nota sign.
Presently the whole party was called to-
gether about a spot on the hilltop where
the snow was trampled and kicked about;
il was clear some desperate struggle nat
taken place. The snow was also dabbed
with frozen blood. A red track led fur
Their up the mountain side, and the
searchers were following il when n boy
uttered a shrek Of fear. Behind a rock
he had come on the corpse of the shep-
herd lying on its back with arms ex-
tended. How Clam had died, by whom
Two nights after this one of the thralls
burst into the hall with a face blank from
terror, staggered to a seat and tainted.
On recovering his senses, in n broken
voice he assured everyone he had seen
Clam walking past him, with huge
shepherd had turned his head and looked
at him fixedly from his great staring
Eyes. On the following day a stable lad
was found in a fit under n wall, and he
never after rec overed his senses. The
day some of the women saw Clam look
ing in upon them through the dairy win
dow. In the dusk Thorhill himself met
him, lint made no ATTEMPT TO iniure his
raster Nightly n heavy tread Wa heard
ronnd the house. and a hand propinr
along the walls. and sometimes a hand
came I'm nj the windows great coarse
seemed ste,.ned i'm biood.
When snring came round. the disturb.
ances lessened. and ms the sun obtaincJ
fnII mower. ceased altogether.
Durino the summer. n Norwegian vesse,
camel into the ford. Tborbali went ON
Loard ami cngaoad n man nau,ad irbor.
,o,t who soon estahIished bims.lf as n
s,cnarai IA vor;te i'm the honsa.
When winter ser In strange sights and
sounds beonn 10 alarm tho folLs M ,ha
farm bnt fhoroaut was not mi, he
lent too sonndiv nj NIGHT IN he dist,rhaf
nv the heavy tread round the house.