The herald., 1895-01-01
SAILS WARNING.
MAC
by II. stafford Smith.

ing st tho town hall. Among others, q
crowd Of male boarders and loafera
nom the botel attended in body.
Several members Of this party. topers
se'd and topers new, signed the roll of
tsesatzi ebstinence for eternity. A few
d tie converts kept the pledge till they
ieached the drug store around the COR
nsr Others. with more fortitude or
lsa5 thirst. fell not from grace until the
ofeAking sign over Barney Gilligsn's
saloon ioomed up before them,
three blocks further down the
street. while High Mao Sail,
commercial drummer, actually
refrain9A from partaking OF the ardent
NATL he reached his room in the hotel.
Here. however. even the iron will OF
this individual was overpowered by
mighty temptation and he, too, sank by
the wayside, 80 it were, smaoking his
lips irreverently 40 ha drained the lant
precioun drop from half filled flask.
It was not yet bedtime, but Mac Sail
knew it Was his duty to join his fellow
bypocTikes in the Office barroom to
smoke and lie for an hour or two, after
the manner OF ell faithful drummera
n who would roli6ify themselves in q
southern country town. With this
knowledge and ,Eistiul glance at she
empty flask, he chewed Glove for an
imaginary toothache and went down
ntnirs.
s'What's tho matter of Mac Sail to-
night, wonder ?" said the landlord, as
the backsliding Prohibitiouist entered
and snt down.
Il was just congratulsting myself on
having finally been able to shake off
4 the fory demon-strong drink-and
thinking what fool was not to have
ceived two years ago, and quit
drinking then,n said the drummer, look.
ing as meek as man ct confession.
"How WAS that. Mac? ?" asked the sta-
X ti0n agent, who came in just then with
dingy lantern on hie arm and the odor
Z Of . moonshine distillery on his breath.
"Oh, hate like thunder TO mention
It," was the answer, ''for some smart
guy in the crowd is apt to insinuate
that am romancing, and if there is
anything on earth that hurts my feel
inRs it iB-"
'Spit 'er out. young feller." chimed
IN tha livery stable man, live drnv you
'crost from Fishers Junction MORN
wunst and never knowed ye to bulge
from the truth when you wasn't doin' it
Iof 00uRQ.
'sWell, me and q batch of the boys
went on toot down in St. Louis, Mo-,
one night" commenced the drummer,
@uddled thafI etrayed away, from the
gang. After wandering, around for a
while found myself ai-the west end of
the big bridge. I made this discovery
BY striking the only match | had and
hearing the sleepy swish Of the old Mis-
sissippi q few yards away.
Then ii dawned ON me that l was in
the most dangerous part of the town
on the levy, whore riggers and white
thugs robbed and murdered man every
night or two and threw his body into
4 the river. / was about as badly scared
as I ever want TO be again, being un-
armed and carrying load of liquor that
was too big for ma twice my size, even
ia the DAYTIME. and when there was no
danger. didn't dare to yell, so com
menced fumbling and stumbling till
Rot clear OF the bridge, when, all at
once. fetched up with a smash against
door. In reaching out my hands to
protect myself opened it in some way,
and before knew it was ON the other
side and heard a slam behind me.
II was as dark az pitch and as still as
the grave, for o few seconds, but in q
little while 1 heard something that
Szounded like mans laugh, and then q
blush. green light began to appear from
somewhere, which aoon filed the space
<on all sides and above me. 1t soor
grew light enough to enable mo to see
that / was in large chamber, with
B bigh ceiling and, judging from the
atif]ing smell. / concluded it vas entire
" without ventilation.
Neither window or door was in sight
and when turned to make my escape
~ the way had entered / was para
lyxed to find that the door had either
been covered with falae section of the
wall or that it fitted 80 snugly into the
end OF the room that could not find
trace Of it. About this time the strange
\ u coiored lights changed to clear
brightness and L saw hundreds of
candles placed on rows of mouldy and
hall decayed coffins arranged in tiers
along the side walls.
On looking toward the further end OF
che room discovered man walking
slowly from me. but he turned in about
\ half minute and began coming slowly
coward me. BY this time he had ap.
( proached within 10 feet of the spot
where stood. / recognized, in spite of
his h;deous expression ON his face, an
old hunch' back customer of mine-dcad
several months. having blown out his
brains when our houEe closed him for
& mot paying his notes. | was about to
speak, or try TO at least. when the old
Z felloW bumped up his back higher than
(. ever and began to gnash his teeth in q
way that made my flesh creep. Then
IN was over, his whole appearance
ohanged.
His eyes, which had grown to more
Z than twice their natural size were fam
Ing red and set 30 far back in the dark
recesses OF bis overgrown and misshapen
head couid scarcely see them except
when the owner wes looking straight at
mo. although their piercing CLEANS
penetrated the darkest corners of the
room like the rays of locomotive head
light.
His whiskers had become one living,
euuirming mess of long. wiry snakes
which hung clear to the floor, while bis
body was as large as that OF giant. He
wore no clothing to speak of, but Was
covered with thick coat of reddish
looking scales about as big as an oak
leaf.
From the top of his head grew two
black horns, each bending down on the
side till are lower points reached his
shouldV6. On the end of each horn
khung Is little skeleton, grinning and
1900 ~I