Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-11-03

'tHo, old pudgkinsl" replied the lit
tie man. His back curved with
passion. A tempest of wrath was in
the pudgy mans eye. The final cpl
thet used by the little man was a
carefully studied insult, always
brought forth at a crisis. They quar-
relied.
'All right, pudgkins, bring on your
phantom, cried the little man in
conclusion.
His stout companions wrath was
too huge for words. The little man
smiled triumphantly. He had staked
his opponents reputation.
The visitor sat silent. The slate
cOlOred man moved about in small
personal atmosphere of gloom.
Suddenly a strange cry came to
their ears from somewhere. 1t was
low, trembling call, which made the
little man quake privately in his
shoes. The slate-colored man bounded
at the stairway and disappeared with
flash of legs through a hole in the
ceiling. The party below heard two
voices in conversation, one belonging
to the slate-colored man and the other
in the quavering tones of age. Di-
rectly the slate-colOred man reap
peared from above and said: ''The
OF man is took bad forshis supper"
He hurriedly prepared a mixture
with hot water, salt and beef. Beef
tea it might be called. He dIsap-
peared again. Once more the party
below heard, vaguely, talking over
their heads. The voice Of age arose
to shrek.
'Opep the window fool! Do you
think 1 can live in the smell Of your
soup?"
Mutterings by the -colored man
and the creaking Of d window were
heard.
The slate-colored man stumbled
down the stairs and said with intense
gloom, ''The black dorg'n be along
SOON"
The little man started. and the
pudgy man sneered at him. They
ate a supper and then sat waiting.
The pudgy man listened so palpably
that the little man wished to Kill
him. The wood fire became excited
and sDuttered frantically. Without
thousand spirits of the winds had
become entanPled in the pine branches
and were lowly pleading to be
loosened. The slate-colOred man tip
toed across the room and lit a timid
candle. The men sat waiting.
The phantom dog lay cuddled to
round bundle, asleep down the road
way against the windward side of an
old shanty. The specter's master
had moved to Pike County. But the
dog fingered as a friend might linger
OF lon h Of n fri &c ff1r.
like suit of old clothes His jowls
hung and Topped, exposing his teeth.
Yellow famine was in his eyes. The
wind-rocked shanty grOaned and NUT
tered, but the dog slept. Suddenly
however hegot up and shambled to the
roadway He cast long glance from
his hungry, desparing eyes in the di-
rectiOn of the venerable house. The
breeze came full to his nostrils. He
threw back his head and gave a long,
low howl and started intently up the
road. Maybe he smelled a dead man.
The group around the fire in the
venerable house were listening and
waiting. The atmosphere Of the room
was tense. The slate-colored mans
face was Lwitching and his Grabbed
hands were gripped together. The
little man was continually looking be-
hind his chair. Upon the counte-
nance Of the pudgy man appeared
cOnceit for an approaching triumph
over the little man, mingled with ap-
prehension for his own safety. Five
pipes glowed as rivals of the timid
candle. Profound silence dropped
heavily over them. Finally the slate
colOred man spoke.
"My OF uncle, Jim Croker, he's
sick ter DEATH
The four men started and then
shrank back in their chairs.
damn it!' replied the little man,
vaguely.
Again there was a long silence.
Suddenly it was broken by a wild cry
from the room above. 1t was shrek
that struck upon them with appalling
sWiftnesS, like a flash of lightning.
The walls whirled and the floor
rumbled. 1t brought the men to-
gether with a rush. They huddled
in heap and stared at the white
terror in each others faces. The
slate-colored man grasped a candle
and flared it above his head. 1.-The
black dOrg." he hOwled, and plunged
at the stairway. The maddened four
men followed franticallY, for it is
better to be in the presence of the
awful than only within hearing.
Their ears still quivering with the
shrek, they bounded through the
hole in the ceiling and into the sick
room.
With quilts drawn closely to his
shrunken breast for a shield, his bony
hand gripping the cover, an old man
lay, with glazing eyes fixed on the
open window. His throat gurgled
and a froth appeared at his mouth.
From the outer darkness came a
strange, unnatural wall, burdened
with weight of death and each note
filed with foreboding 1t was the
song of the spectral dog.
''Godl" screamed the little man.