The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-04-13
WHEN RETRIBUTlON CAME
TO CAIN
BY Walker Kennedy

NAIN brooded oil the afternoon in
u the secluded hollow among the
hills. Beside him lay his brother, SC
fair, so beautiful, so still that wintry
coldness crept through his own body
at the thought Of him. Sometimes an
awe fell upon him at Abel's failure to
answer his angry questions, and he
grew wild at his obstinacy. But Abel
would awake. He must awake. Cain
would wait until speech came back TO
the blush lips. And so he fingered, al
ternately thrilled with horror at the
change he had wrought in his brother;
then nervous with rage at the tender
life he had so cruelty marred.
The sun sank toward the sky line.
Its heat beat seethingly upon the rocks
which walled the lonely glen. The sky
above was lovingly blue. His broth
er's flockS grazed in peace upon the
hillside. suspecting nothing. Back Of
the hills the mountains lifted high their
aerial diadems. The sun sank lower,
and evening was coming on. How sad
the motionless palm trees leoked!
Something was gone. He must awake
his brother. Now that the madness
had died out Of him. his heart grew
warm toward Abel. They would go
home laughing together.
"Awake. my brother, awake" he said.
"Why dost thou trouble me thus? l will
never deal with thee so again. Come,
will help thee drive thy flock home.
he not so STILL Abel. but let me hear
thy laugh"
But the dead spake not. The blue
eyes continued to look beyond him at
the vacancy Of the blue sky; and no
tremor Of life ran through the white
limbs Of the stricken man. Cainshook
him gently, and then with passionate
vigor, but the pallid body lay limp in
his arms, and he knew that his brother
had gone before him, leaving but this
silent semblance behind. But whittier
had he gone. and what was 1t that had
gone?
Fear entered his heart like knife.
The sun had sunk low, burning its
fires to lambent blue the other side
OF the hills. The birds sang plaintive-
~ in the twilight; and then another
sound fell upon his ears. filing him
with speschless dread.
The sheep upon the hillside were
bleating for their shepherd.
What should we do? He went to the
mouth Of the glen and looked out upon
the plain. Yonder in the distance was
the habitation Of his father and moth
er. He shuddered at the sight Of it.
AS one who walks in his sleep he left
the glen and was making his way
down the hillside. when question was
whispered TO him:
"Where Is Abel, thy brother?"
And before he thought, he answered
aloud
II know not; am l my brothers
keeper?"
Then he glanced about to see to
whom he had made reply. Had he an
sweNd the evening wind. or yon-
der golden-dyed cloud, or some spirit
Of the mysterious hills?
He could not tell, for 10 one was there,
no shadow even OF presence. But that
question stirred the depths Of his be-
ing. and he knew that when he re eturned
to his father and mother they, too,
would ask him what of his brother. A
etorm Of madness came upon him.
Ahead Of him lay the Land Of Rest,
through which ran the river that
Sings. Never more could he go that
way. Never more could he meet his
mothers eyes; never more lay down in
his fathers tent.
And so, forsaking the beaten track,
he fed around the hills, scrambling
from rock TO rock. from brake to brake,
striving ut every step to place behind
him the Land OF Rest He came to .
pass that ran along the brow of
precipiee, and he fed into a grewsome
defile which rounded into the haggard
and stony recesses Of the hills until
IL seemed lost, and he vas cut from
sight Of that hated Land of Peace.
The stars fickered in the silvery veil
of the twilight, and he few as one ac-
cursed. Thorny shrubs, priclly vines
and bristling cacti lacerated his bare
limbs, and with blood trickling from
a hundred smarting wounds and fury
of escape in his brain, he fled like some
frenzied animal pursued by fearful foes.
Angry mountain streams tried to
thwart his progress, but he plunged
recklessly through their cold waters.
Kissing cataracts impeded his way, but
he dashed blindly into their seething
spume. and climbed over their slip
perry, moss-covered basins. Nothing
held him. nothing frightened him,
nothing daunted him. Itwas what was
left behind that caused that terror in
his heart; the dangers and darknesses
ahead were q Joy TO him.
Deeper and deeper he went into the
unknown ways Of the hills. faring