Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-09-26

CiSdSlllS. ULOl1 b1OOd CO1O, UlCJ Oh OoO
to their feet. The cleaning glance of
the recluse. swept slowly over the
group until it found the face of the
little man. There it staid and burned.
The little man shriveled and crump
led as the dried leaf under the glass
Finally the recluse slowly, deeply
spoke. 1t was a true voice from a
cave-cold, solemn and damp.
s'It's your ante" he said.
sWhat?" said the little man.
The hermit tilted his beard and
laughed laugh that was either the
chatter Of a branshee in a storm or
the rattle of pebbles in tin box. His
visitors flesh seemed ready to drop
from their bones.
They huddeled together and cast
fearful eyes over their shoulders.
They whispered.
GA vampire!" said one.
GA ghou1!n said another.
ga Druid before the sacrifice - muir
INJURED another.
'sThe shade of an Aztec witch doc
tor. - SAID the uUUlo man.
AS they looked, the inscrutable's
face underwent change. 1t became
livid background for his eyes, which
blazed at the little man like impas-
stoned carbuncles His voice arose
to howl of ferocity. "It's your
ante!' With pantherlike motion he
drew long, thin knife and advanced,
STOPPING. Two cadaverous hounds
came from nowhere and, scowling
and growing, made desperate feints
at the little mans legs. His quaking
companions pushed him forward.
Tremblingly he put his hand to his
pocket.
elbow much?" he said, with a shiv-
ering look at the knife that glittered.
The carbuncles faded.
t'Three dollars" said the hermit, in
sepulchral tones which rang against
the walls and among the passages,
awakening long dead spirits with
voices. The shaking little man took
roll of bills from pocket and plac-
ed ssthree ones'' upon the altarlike
stone. The recluse looked at the lit
tie volume with reverence in his eyes.
It was pack of playing cards.
Under the three swinging candles,
upon the altarlike stone, the gray
beard and the agonized little man
played at poker. The three other
men crouched in a corner and stared
with eyes that cleaned with terror.
Before them sat the cadaverous
hounds, licking their red lips. The
candles burned low and began to flick
er. The fire in the corner expired.
Finally the game came to point
where. the little man laid down his
hand and quavered: ct can't call you
this time, sir. Pm dead broke.''
"What? shrieked the recluse. stNot
call me9 William! bastard! Curl have
four queens, miscreant!" His voice
grew SO mighty that it could not fit
his throat. He choked, wrestling with
his lungs for moment. Then the
power Of his body was concentrated
in a word, ttGo!''
He pointed a quivering, yellow fin
ger at wide crack in the rock. The
little man threw himself at it with
howl. His erst while frozen compan-
ions felt their blood throb again. With
great bounds they plunged after the
little man. A minute of scrambling,
falling and pushing brought them to
open air. They climbed the distance
to their camp in furious springs.
The sky in the east was lurid vel
low. In the west the footprints of
departing night lay on the pine trees.
In front of their replenished camp
fire sat John Willerkins, the guide.
"Hello!" he shouted at their ap-
proach. ssBe you fellers ready to go
deer hunting?"
Without replying they stopped and
debated among themselves in whis-
pers.
Finally the pudgy man came for
ward.
"John,' he inquired, edo you know
anything peculiar about this cave be-
low here?''
eyes, said Willerkins at once,
atom Gardner"
"What?' said the pudgy man.
ssTom Gardner?''
elbows that?''
'sWell, you see,'' said Willerkins
slowly, as he took dignifed pulls at
his pipe, atom Gardner was once
family man, who lived in these parts
on nice leetle farm. He ulster go
away to the city often, and one time
be got a-gambling in one of them
there dens. He wentter the dickens
right quick then. At last he KUN