The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-07-27

It was dark when he woke up He
scrambled over the ground with his hands
and feet, and then stood upright and en-
deayored to recall the events OF TIE Past
night
Now he remembered his meeting with
Giles Ellis. He remembered how Giles
had spurred him into q recital OF the
scene he had witnessed, and reminded
him the crime was to be laid on Martin
Lee. He tried to recall the number OF
times he had been given rum, then slowly
he recalled all the circumstances attend
ing his last visit to Globe Inn.
Where was he now? AS he looked, some
thing approached him-a monster with
a great, glowing eye. 1t seemed to Indian
Joe's eyes to be as large as a cow-larger.
Ju-ee-mo rubbed his eyes, and looked
again. Yes, the animal was there, NOV.
ing about slowly, with curious, swaying
steps. The one eye-it had but one-was
avoid it. Now that he observed the mon.
It would be useless to attempt to escape
it, even if it we're not looking OF him with
its one great eye. Ju-ee-mo crouched
upon the ground in terror.
Still the eye moved, the creatures legs
moved, but it came no nearer. Indian
Joe listened; he placed his hand to his
ear, and craned his neck forward in the
darkness. There was o curious sound
Was it the monsters teeth? The thought
made the Indians heart throb. A deadly
fear oyercame him. Such sound as that
mortal had never heard until now. All
the witch stories Indiar. Joe had listened
to in the past month were recalled. All
the hobgoblins and devils invented by the
gossips Of Salem passed before his dis
ordered brain in review. This monster
was the devil he had heard of. Indian
Joe made noise that was neither O cry
nor grunt, but blending of both.
Suddenly the glowing eye disappeared.
The monster was nowhere to be seen.
Indian Joe rose slowly, cautiously, stood
upright, and looked about him. The cool
night wind famed his cheek. An insect
whirring past struck him full in the face,
but the Indian lad 40 eye, no ear for any
thing but the monster that reappeared;
that had fixed its eye on him again.
Now he could see the monsters legs
plainly. He counted them. Eight legs.
They moved in the strsngest way. Some
times they were punched together. Some
times they seemed to be but single leg.
Then they separated in twos and fours;
then they seemed to walk off in pairs.
The perspiration rolled down Ju-ee-mo's
face. He wiped his head with his hand,
and looked again. The great glowing eye
was swaying; the monster seemed to be
shaking his head at him. Suddenly Ju-
ee- mos mood changed. He laughed softly
to himself.
The great glowing eye was a lantern.
It was swinging in mans hand. The
monster with eight legs was four men.
Indian Joe could see their outlines quite
plainly now. But what were they doing
there, and where we're they? They had
spade and pick.
Ju-ee-mo crept forward slowly on his
hands and knees. The lantern showed
him four men plainly, but he could not
distinguish them. Now one was down
in the bowels of the earth. Indian Joe
could see the others holding the lantern
near him; could see the man in the earth
stoop and disappear altogether. Was
this, then. the opening to the internal
regions? Were these men really men,
or witches, such as he had heard Of?
Now the man emerged from the bowels
of the earth and brought with him an
other, clad in white. Ju-ee-mo could see
the others reaching down, grasping the
figure in white, md lifting it out Of the
earth. Ju-ee-mo moved nearer. He
heard voices; his curiosity led him to
point where he could see and hear. #
these were really witches, what tale he
would have for Salem tomorrow! He
was fascinated by the spectacle the men
and the lantern and the cavity in the
earth presented. He could not resist the
inclination to approach the actors in this
strange scene. He moved nearer. His
foot caught twig, the twig snapped,
and an instant later Ju-ee-mo was
by blow on the head. He was
buffeted and kicked and lifted bodily.
from the ground. A dozen hands seemed
to throw him up in the air and strike
him as he fell. A score of feet kicked
and pressed upon him. He was rolled
over, crunched, and left for dead.
When he rega ned consciousness all
was silent The events of the past hour
seemed a dream, but Indian Joe's arm,
his head, and his back told him it was not
all dream. He got up with difficulty,
looked about him in the dark. and seeing
what he conceived was the outline of
house near at hand, he walked slowly
and silently away.
When he related this strange expert
ence to the people Of Salem, they shook
their heads, and some put their tongues
in their cheeks. Indian Joe's weakness
was we'll known. Besides, he had been
cen half drunk the day before. What
more natural than that he should dream
ae beheld these things? What would the
men be doing digging in the ground? If
it were the evil one, he did not need q
,antsrn; everybody knew he could provide
himself with as much light as he wanted
to. And who would be bent on such silly
work as digging holes in the earth?
so IndisUV oe's sory found few listen.
irs, and no credence.
One effect produced wos unnoticed at
the time. It weakened his narrative OF
the killing of JOHN Winslow's horse and
sheep. Even the gossips asked each
other if a man who told such prodigious
lies, and stuck to them, as Joe did TO his,
could be believed.
CHAPTER XIX.
GILES ELLIS MlsCALCULAT1oNs.
When the strange story Indian Joe re.
lated came to Giles Ellis ears, that indi-
vidual gave it immediate credence. 1t vas
polite to do SO. de foresaw the effect il
would have upon his statements coLcern.