Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1893-12-29

Meantime the months went on.
New Years day was past; March was
at hand, and still no fish. A sense of
relief was evident among the rank and
tile,. and they could even joke old
Mother Flanaghan, the local witch.
Yet Mother Flanaghan shook her
grizzled shock above her dudheen.
'Th' haste 'ull come, she said.
"And sure enough, on the night of
the LIST of March chalk-faced sentry
burst into the canteen, his hair on end,s
his mouth agape but dumb till the
third nip of whisky neat unglued his
tongue. And then the air was thick
with questions.
"Fwhat had ia Gallant seen, hech?'
"'What has tina heeard, tina fooil?
Warnt it the red dorg, nowP Be
jabers, ut's tn banshee!
"'Not it, yelled the poor fellow at
last. It's the fish--the devil!'
THE thing was coming up the sands,
he said, straight up towards the fort.
1t was dragging an endless tail, and
rafting alligator jaws! Fire was
shooting from its saucer goggles!
my father headed rush to the
shoreward ramparts, l following in his
wake. There lay the silver sickle of
the sands, the white waves Tipping
them shyly. There were the boats, the
staith of nets, the reach of gloomy cliff
The moon was full and cloudless; we
could see it all; but nothing unusual
was in view. So we returned to the
canteen, relieved and laughing,
"'Twass choke of the lads, said
Color Sergeant APP Thomas
Maybe he saw the smoke and fire
of passing coaster my father
thought But there by the stove-side
quaked the seer, in perfect ague OF
| terror.
Nothing should force him on that
beat again, he swore-not even if TIE
colonel begged him on his Bonded
knees; and corporal, who was skep.
teal about incorporealities, had to vol
unteer to take his guard.
Next night second sentry fled his
beat and foamcd in fits upon the bar
rack room floor; the next, my father
himself stood guard, but nothing eerit
visited the glimpses of the moon. AL
the fourth day an equinoctial tempest
blew, and the night was thick witt
rain. At the hour for relieving guard
the dreaded spot was found unsenti
neled, its sentry missing devoured
said most; deserted, thought few.
II we'll remember that 9Th of March
Afternoon found me engaged will
little Eva Owen on the scales. Lady
Emily was in her parlor, the mex
room; but for wonder, the lessor
closed without O'Massey passing in
The day had been dry but murky. anC
dusk beginning carly put an end to on
strumming,
Just as pretty Eva rose from tn,
piano | heard from outside, family
what sounded like shrieks and Irish in
terjectious.
"A minute later, The fish, The fish
was shouted in the quadrangle, peare
aud clearer.
with my heart in my mouth,
scurried towards the hall door. BEHIND
me, bare of hat or wrap, came running
Lady Emily, and as we sped to the sea
ward ramparts a strange sight met on
gaze
''rhe west gate looked upon tn
: shore. BY the half-light could Sc
the tide running in wrathfully, Mid
} way between it and the gate the ug
, liest of monsters was crawling up tn
beach. Before it fed a brace of STUN
bling, screaming fishermen, who's
oaths and supplieations to the Virgil
lent human horror to the scene
: The scaly beast was gAunt an
black, of awkward gait ana lank
build. Great fiu-like wings droope3 o
its wrinkled TANKS; smoke came in pus
from its jaws; it gave out a continuou
strident jarr-r-r, like the roll of gian
) rattleSuake. Nearer and nearer til