The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-06-29


st the beginning Of the century :
blacksmith named John Nelle lived
with his family in the secluded and TO
I mantle village Of LongfOrmacuS ON the
border. BE Was by that time man Of
middle age, with sons approaching man
hood de was known all through the
/ country FOX his diSSOlute habits and in
temperate language. One day he Went
| % Greenlaw. about eight miles OF, 20
attend the funeral Of 4 sister, fully in
! tending to be home in the course Of the
afternoon As time wore on and nothing
was seen OF him his wife and family be
came somewhat alarmed. and they sat
up all night to wait for him In the
early hours Of the morning q heavy
weight was heard 10 fall against the
door Of the house, and opening It TO see
what was the matter Neale was diScov-
cred lying in 4 fainting tit on the thresh-
old He was put 70 bed and means were
used for his recovery, but when con-
sciOusneSs returned he was raving mad
and talked Of such terrible things that
his family were Mortified he continued
till next day IN the same state, but at
length his senses came back, and he de-
sired that the minister might be sent
for, and when he came insisted on see
lug him alone. After a long cOnyersa-
ton with M Ord, Neale called his
family round his bed and required from
his wife and children in turn q solemn
promise that none Of them would ever
pass over that particular place on the
mOOrland track between Longformacus
and Greenlav, known Is the Foul Fo-is.
He assigned no reason for this demand,
and the required promise was given.
After this he spoke no more, but died
the same evening
About 10 years after his death his
son, Henry SeaIe. who had succeeded
20 his business Of blacksmith and farrier
and had led IS bad I life Is his father
had done, had occasion 70 90 10 Green
law
1t was late in the afternoon before he
was ready TO return home. The last per
son who saw him Is he was leaving the
little town was John MiCkie, the Spottis-
woode shepherd Neale tried to persuade
the latter 10 accompany him home,
WHICH Aiicss refused 70 do. as TO do so
wuald take him several miles out Of his
way. NeaIe begged him most earnestly
70 go with him, Is he said he must pass
the Foul Fords that night, and then
used the strong expression that he would
rather go through hellfre than TO do
what was before him hlickie asked him
why he said he must pass the Foul
FOrds, when by going little TO the east
or TO the west he might easily avoid
the place altogether, but Neale persisted,
and the other left him at last, . good
deal surprised, for the circumstances Of
old Neale's death and the promise he
had extracted from his family were well
known throughout the country. Henry
Neale was never seen alive again Next
morning a laboring man named Adam
Redpath, who was on his way from Cat
tleshiels, the nearest farm. TO his daily
vUrk-digging sheep drains on the
uoor-found him lying stone dead at
the Foul Fords. There was no marx OF
violence On the body. He appeared 70
have run for his life, for his hat, coat
and waistcuat were lying about 100
yards distance on the Greeulav side OF
the fUris. His death made q great stir
IN the neishborhood- and Mr.. On, the
minister Of Longformacus, feeling that
since the sons death his pledge OF Sc
Gecy was removed, told what the father
had related to him, which was as fol
lows
Neale said that Just as he had reached
the Foul Forts on his return from Green
law after attending his sisters funeral
his attention was suddenly reused by
hearing the tranpins Of horses behind
him Looking around, ne saw q large
company OF riders coming down the
uoorland track two By two. As they
approached. what was his horror to per
ceivs that one OF the two foremost was
the sister whom he had seen that d1y
laid in her gravel
Among other riders he recognized
many friends and relations long since
dead When the last two horses came
Up, he saw that one horse was ridden
By 4 dark nan whose face he had never .
before seer- He vas leading the other .
horse, which though saddled and hi
died, was riderless, and On this horse
the whole company tried 20 compel him .
10 mount Neale struggled violently, he
said, for some time, and at last only
purchased his freedom By promising
that the first Of his family who should
cross the Foul Fords should 20 instead
Of him
Years have passed away, and nothing
remains, says the writer, to tell Of this
ghastly struggle but 4 tall gray stone
set up By ny -grandfather, NJ.
SPottiswoode, 10 mark the place.-''A
Volume Of Family History" BY Miss
WECeuder
Piquet A. 4 Preliminary to Prayer.