Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-08-14

the little man like impassioned carbuncles.
His voice arose to howl of ferocity. tits
your antep With q rantherlike motion
he drew q 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.
How muchs" he said, with a shivering
look at the knife that glittered.
The carbuncles faded.
"Three dollars" said the hermit, in
sepulchral tones which rang against the
walls and among the passages, awakening
long dead spirits with voices. The shak-
ing little man took roll of bills from a
pocket and placed three ones" upon the
altarlike stone. The recluse looked at the
little volume with reverence in his eyes,
1t was pack of playing cards.
Under the three swinging candles, upon
the altarlike stone, the graybeard and the
agonized little man played at poker. The
three other men crouched in 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 flicker. The fire in the
corner expired.
Finally the game came to point where
the little man laid down his hand and
quavered: II can't call you this time, sir.
Pm dead broke"
WHAT" shrieked the recluse. mot
call me? Villaini Dastard Curl Ihave
four queens, miscreantp His voice grew
so mighty that it could not fit his throat
He choked, wrestling with his lungs for a
moment. Then the power of his body was
concentrated in a word, Sop
He pointed quivering, yellow finger at
a wide crack in the rock. The little man
threw himself at it with howl His erst-
while frozen companions 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 dis
tance to their camp in furious springs.
The sky in the east was lurid yellow
In the west the footprints of departing
night lay on the pine trees. In front of
their replenished camp fire sat ohm Willer-
kins, the guide.
"Hellol' he shouted at their approach
"Be you fellers ready to go deer huntin9"
Without replying they stopped and de-
bated among themselves in whispers.
Finally the pudgy man came forward.
John" he inquired, do you know any
thing peculiar about this cave below heref"
Yes" said Willerkins at once, TON
Gardner"
What" said the pudgy man.
tom Gardneri"
"How's that?"
well, you see" said Willerkins slowly
as he took dignified pulls at his pipe, Tom
Gardner was onct family man, who
lived in these here parts on a nice leetle
farm. He ulster 20 away to the city orr
ten, and one time he got a-gamblin in one
of them there dens. He wentter the dick
ems right quick then. At last he KUN
home one time and toll his folks he had up
and sold the farm and all he had in the
worL His leetle wife, she died then
Tom, he went crazy, and soon alter
The narrative was interrupted by the
little man, who became possessed of devils
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ST FIJI ehadlef m g.
Observation-Disclosures og g on ID
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" he shrilled, in a
seething sentence. The pudgy man gazed
at the little man calmly and sneeringly.
'Oh, WELL" he said, 1--WE can tell great
tale when we get back TO the city after
having Investigated this thing"
$50 to the devilp replied the little man.
New York Tribune.