The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24


ms oack ana with the women going one before
dn4 one behind he staggered out OF the room and
but stumbling rather heavily like a man sn WIZ
carries ON his back a sack Of corn
IL was found altcrward that he and his accom-
pihvSs mad locked and barred all in the house
Milmn their sleeping chambers being as IL were
~, risyL ana a,iespcra. running hecdlessly, great
tho fear Of the folk within doors ''''
A. when The murderer had gone half way down
hne sieps he rested his burden at landing, and
neaId him say, Janet take the knife and 20
see u that dciis brat is asleep in the blue room
And II not cut his throat
stood petrihed for q moment as II felt al
ready the edge Of the blade touch my flesh. Then
with sharp access Of terror turned and fed back
anu, nn% 'h S blue ROM shutting the panel after me
under the bed clothes and drew them about ME
o., The next moment could hear the woman
lumblng at the door. Then finding IL locked.
s st went into the APARTMENT where ! had seen
Of ew Sc and Set .hemp found Me
lcet steal toward me behind the banging. I
ooIl va mot ,sB Pray only Lay and shut my eyes
nns kc an Illumination lying yellow upon the lids
Of my eyes. She crep, 10 the bedside, and could
6 SfGt raw hs Spirits sSop SnS dc It her hs ,%
across my face and ticklcd il. 80 that pcrforce
had 70 raise my hand and rub my face. At
x Either she considered me to be asleep or was
be- she retreated step by step 10 ,Ss apt n. and
disappeared behind il, a white CLEAN Of candle.
,ght lingering AT the end by the door, I
heard The panel click back and was again alone.
CHAPTER v.
THE BODY On THE ICE FLoH.
] lay on my bed and ch,tcrcd a. with deadly
steps come and go dow the hall and then the clang
Of shut door. With that terror. doubled and
treble o Of ;hs, house Of fear ar, came over me
return and kill me My grandfather dead my
father the murderer minded how he had called
out Of his heritage. Surely Il ihuughO he will
come back and make an end Of me also ross,
and threw my clothes about me. my fingers scarce
able Ia grasp the buttons, being numb and without
power The window opened upward. and setting
toitsliinit Hooked out and To- on the thin sprink
shapes dragging heavy burden downward to-
ward the river.
over me, and lay all abroad on the cold floor be
meath the window till, when came to myself.
was almost frozen 10 death, by reason Of the
raj To my tender age.
All this while, even in the depths Of my swound.
like women laughing folisnly and without wit.
Nnd all over that house of New Milns there must
have been those that heard yet none yenturcd
abroad to zee the things which Satan wrought
by means of his followers
But my heart beginning to beat fast in my
side. and sending las supposed the blood to
my feet and head determined that would see
what they did with my grandfather. I laid hold
and scrambled down. II was a matter of eigh,
or nine feet and easy climbing
the % p 9pSS Se c SSff mt sns S
t!yer down in NE valley bssan to i9s- fear
thing Ut matters not whnO are fine solvents Of
terror ! went stumbling and tripping now
headlong. now crnbwisc. on hands and knees.
along between It's dark banks, an edging 81 foot
icc clinGing 70 the banks gray white, and the
black Mater between dotted with little islands
thaw up among the hills and. according 10 It's
wont the ice came down in floating shrcds and
patches.
And as / went came nearer TO the fcndish
Laughter III y seemed u come from the farther
from my view. The I'D bridge of New Milns
one arched. high backed. narrow stone
causeway thrown over the Esk century or two
that part 6f the country When saw IL loom
MP through the trunks Of the trees the thought
came " me that II could gain the centre 81 the
aIchway before ,hos- who were carrying OIL my
grandfather should b. safe from all the powers
Of evil For II is we'll known that even the hrnds
OF hell cannot pass over running water IL Is
So. running a, full speed I circumnavigated
the noise. and, as I went, keeping pretty high
up in the woods upon tho carpci II pine needless
could srs as 9 !, ~S'e with ,ae tail OF my sys
on the edge Of the dark water
T., ! had no, Ne prrscnee Of mind t. think wha,
one shaped like man bat one In woman y form,
who struggled and laughed and kicked while
yet third held her by the arm. On the snow
poor corpse Of my grandfather. thus harricd ana
tossed about by tho~r verltnblc fcnds OF the pit
nSa s Sh the rorinE q, 1hr srdss whilst
I crossed to the further side keeping in shelter
81 the little parapcL Aud then felt more safe, Tor
Their was nov running water between us "
the further side OF the bridge were certain dark
arches which had h'en half walled across when
the bridge was built and furnished with a Are
place and chimney for wandering folk
lodge in q kindly provision 81 a former age
when the Hws took Gosni,nnee q the indigcp'
So keeping in the dark ~ the shadow. slipped
into one Of ihcs" and there, sheltered from the
what the murdcrous wrctches did on the further
side.
wailing 81 soul lost Ia the mercy 81 God.
The weeping was that 81 woman in deadly
gripping pain. and II had ~ great AN effect on me
that out u sympathy, as II were whimpered like
dog Help III could not Yet, keep, The sound
low Tor fear that they should hear me.
Then. leaving the woman the man shape came
TO the edge ~ the water and with dark wand
SHAPED like, a Shepherds crook in his hand he
grippcd and drew inward toward him a cake of
floating ice greater than the others Al hrs'
feared that this Was some can,rip by which
como at me in my hiding place But presently
lsaw that they regarded me not nor indeed knew
they were watched by mortal eye.
Then from my hiding place heaui the leader
rate the others who we're in the shape OF women,
ssyng that no S,,sS he lob w n,.i done and
BE- gone $" at his word Si'' he Two
aided him to lit the dark heap from the ground
and carry !, painfully 70 thc cake, Of ice which
he had anchored with his shepherds crook in n
little sheltered bay at the lower side Of the bridge.
Upon this, with infinite care they laid the body
and then the SHAPE that had chdden
the others set the shank 81 his crook to the edge Of
the cake Of ice and "stelled" against ~ with all
his might. saw it turn slowly like wheel upon
its axle, then with the black burden still upon it,
pass swiftly out Of my sight down the rush OF
Esk water.
Then the company Of demons las in my pban-
tasy had come TO think them) stood as IL had been
watching their strange ship and stranger cargo
depart Tor another world, Thereafter / heard
them Chamber, crying and quarrelling as before,
up the bank and 50 disappear out Of my sight.
How reached the blue chamber where had
been left to sleep know not remember nothing
whatever OF the journey back, Yet must have
found my way through the pine Tees out Of the
dark plantation and clambered again up the frost
bittn ivy. For the poor slut who made IN. morn
ing fires found me stiff and cold, lying within my
chamber the window open, my face all scratched
and bleeding, and the Coverlets lying hither and
ththcr as had thrown them when leaped up
in my haste. ~
The morning had come richly up from the cast.
The horizon was trimmed red and orange, while