The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31
CHAPTER VII.
The Torchlight Funeral.

4aC Q44Cla4.
It was 70 of the clock on the nigh
of the Sabbath, the day of the discov
cry of the murder, when, lying asleeI
in a little trundle bed in the house o.
Umphray Spurway, l awoke with {
great commotion without sounding in
my ear. Ny mother was in the great
bed near me. She had come from the
lodge Yeti in the company of Umphray
Spurway and his folk, for the English
man judged it unsafe to leave her in
that lonely and defenSeless house, al
the mercy of a wild beast run mad, like
her husband, Philip Stansfield. My
Mother would have stayed on at the
lodge being, though a little woman,
still brave enough in spirit, in spite OF
having been broken down in health
with her troubles. But both the min
lister and Mr.. Spurway fleeched and
prayed upon her to come away for my
sake, urging intently that there was no
saying of what iniquity her husband
might not be guilty in his present state
of anger and drunken fury.
So it was arranged that for a time
size should come to the mill house, Sit
. ting so pleasantly by the weir, whose
water drives the great water wheels.
Umphray Spurway slept in little box
like office in the mill itself, having Civ
en- up his own chamber to the minister.
NV mother and / lay, as / have said.
in the guest chamber. And l was never;
better pleased than to exchange the
solemn-smelling, emptily resounding
. great house and the lonely dank little
lodge Yeti, hidden among the trees, for
such an abiding place. 1t was cneer-
full beyond words. All day long the
hum and click of the shuttles never
ceased. The creaking noise of many
oil m
music in my ear$gladsome as the
sound of many larks singing above a
spring meadow
Then at night there was the song of
the river over the weir and the splash
of the water tumbling from the
wooden mill lade or trough into the
black pool beneath the great wheel. l
could never get enough of these things,
and shall always connect the first per
feet happiness of my life with the
humming weaving rooms and splashing
waters about the Min house of Um-
phray Spurway, the Englishman.
But at midnight a noise of stirring
about the house woke me in the place
which, though already a great fellow,
l lay very we'll content in the little
trundle, with my mother above me in
her own bed. ! know not very We'll
why ! awaked. if il were not that my
mother put her arm down to assure
herself of my presence. For a woman
outraged and despised by the husband
of her youth may lie and see the morn
ing come in with unShut eye, or nigh
mystic dixie Mr.. James Wellwood of
Tindergarth) may in like manner wan
der all night sleepless upon the banks
of Ulai, plucking an apple here ana
there. But a boys thoughts are not
thus absorbed in the hours of repose.
He will sleep through a canDonade or
se fe,-- 71o wv
But at all events my mother awoke
me, and a moment after l found my
self on my feet looking out of the win
dow. There was a dancing of lights
down in the valley beyond the Esk
water. and distant voices, which came |
irreguiarly up to US, being almost |
drowned by the piash and roar of the |
weir
But nearer. indeed under my very |
window, L saw that which made me |
pull on my breeches with haste and /
diligence. Umphray Spurway was or |
dering his little force of weavers once |
more into marching array, and the |
minister. Mr.. Bell, was standing ready |
as it were to accompany them.
1 had not all my clothes rightly on !
when l ran down stairs. crying TO my |
mother that l would not be long, and !
to my present sorrow diSobeying her
TO come quickly back to bed.
For indeed / was never used to mind
ing my mother much nor she to insist
ing upon strict obedience. But so soon
as Mr. Spurway saw me he ordered me
back, and even SO l must perforce
have gone. For it is different thing
to disobey Umphray Spurway, and one
that ! for one would not have ventured
upon. But recollecting himself. he
said. speaking as if in a kind of muse,
1T will DO him good. His eye may
vet long after the Soiom apple. Let
him come ard see how bitter it may
be in the BELLY"
And after that he took no more no.
ice of me. but divided his party into
TWO. One section he gave into the
hands of William Bowman. bidding
Keep watch at Min house and mount
guard to keep both my mother and
he property Of his master from harm
Turing his absence.
Ard William Bowman obeyed,
hough I dare say he desired as great
Y as l had done to accompany US.
Then Umphray Spurway waved a hand
oward the window where fay mother 4,
ay Fer he was always by ordinary
aiken up about her, and if ne had only
o conduct her across a muddy road, he
ook care of her as if she had been so
much breakable glass. that might fail
sunder ere he could bring her to the ,
urther side. But this at the time I :
ct down as an English custom and ,
esolved never to practice, observing :
hat it drew the eyes of men. making !
hem smile and wink to each other /
privately
So we marched two by two down the ,
title loaning, and 10, like the rubbing !
I q wet palm over a school bairn's ,
late. the kindly glow of the watch :
ghts at the Min house was blotted !
ut, and the singing noise of the weir {
eased as if a door had peen shut be- +
ween us and the downrush of the a
1ater.
Phil, lad" said Umphray Spurway.
I have brought you out this night Q
hat We may be witness of strange 5
ranSaction-One that We will never q
Orget; one that Brightly considered and ?
bought on) will be a boggert to fright 5
e from evil doing more than the devil y
nd the ten commandments" y
We went down the waterside to the +
1rds of Esk, marching silently And II
s We went. Mr.. James Bell would have a
improved the occasion with sundry re-
larks upon the fate of sinners and n
lie certainty with which their sins q
,und them out, but Umphray Spur a
ay Ga little roughly, as / thought) =
aGe him keep the wind in the bladder
sainst the Sabbath day. To which the Il
linister answered nothing Anon we :,
sme to the ford across Esk water and i,
ere ii was no pleasant road We had to d
avel- For the floods We're out, and n
hat with the melting of the snow and !.
lie great pieces of ice floating by in h
e swirl of the shadows il took the N
en- some of them above the knee and Il
deed to the waist as often as fney o.
tipped from the stepping stones. As Ia
+ Mr.. Bell, he was wet breast high W
7 falling from the great center one, fl