New-York tribune., 1900-08-12
THE DEVILS HOUSE.
From Black and White.


the Red House at Cantley. the Yare. The
present building IS modern. but there was a
Red House" the same spot many years be-
fore the existing licensing laws were heard Of
when the landlord used to brew his own beer
and cask or two Of spirits that had never paid
duty could be smuggled up the river.
one Of the best s~ins for Dream is off the left
oank OF the river, TWO reaches below the Red
f1ouse, opposite square brick cottage. A plant
ING OF willows surrounded the building, form
lI1s three sides OF q square, the river forming a
fourth Within the western side Of the planting
runs a broad shallow inlet OF dyke This house
and holding Is called by the wherrynen The
Devils House" Few know the origin of its
title There is a vague legend that il was round
che night and square the next morning. But the
story of the change and the manner in which old
Billy Daniel and Parson Sparrow cheated the
devil Is hard 10 come at. This IS it:
At the beginning Of the century Billy Daniel
earned precari0us livelihood by eel fishing
his nome vas an old Yarmouth yawl taFred
over. with 2 shedlke edifice over the stern that
made a sufficient cabin for the old when he
w. seo@T thoI7A o nights 10 scuu down 70 II
II his punt from the Red House This eIeTnen-
tary hOusebOat always lay in the dyke against
-t lew rouse mat now Is, but then was not,
and Billy had fashioned a large eel tank beneath
IL and kept his Shiny riches therein. He sent up
loac 10 Norwich, when he had one. by an up-
bound wherry, and disposed of his small catches
81 the Red House. at the village inland.
Billy was getting old and began to be dissa It's
fed with his houseboat as a dwelling on the
misty autumn nights ana in the biting east
winds and frost and snow Of winter. His desire
was toward a brick cottage and he grumbled to
himself about it He was lonely man and did
much self-cOmmuning aloud. He did not live in
suluggIed and he pOached, and was a thorough
paced Old rascal This did not influence Parson
Sparrow against him. The worthy divine was
one Of the hard drinking Norfolk parsons Of the
old school, and could drink and swear with Billy
himself Indeed, the TWO We're good friends, each
looking on the other as q sportsman. Many
good days pike fishing did they have together
and many a three pound eel did Billy take up to
the parsonage 10 be stewed in sound port
Before The nets went down for the autumn
run" Billy got most Of his eelS by babbug al
which ne was an expert Babbing is an art but
TD ar \ <
ant The requisites for one babber are half
paLfuI Of well secured lob worms a skein Of
coarse worsred. long darning needle. TWO stiff
sticks four feet long, Two leads and two lengths
q strong pike line long enough to reach the
babber threads sufficient Iobs with wOrsted to
make tDo Bunches each as big q fist (and
dirty work II Isl He tastens q lead and a length
u line 10 each bunch tthe lead n the middle OF
The worms. and ties the other end Of each line
70 one Of the Two STICKS de Is then equipped
On warm quleI summer night, the darker the
better. not earlier than 10, he proceeds in punt
very sSw il the water, to some faTorite haunt
and makes fast The bunches are lowered over,
and with q stick in each hand the babbing be-
gins SundTy tugs are soon felt and when the
eeIs have had sufficient time 10 get their teeth
ar-angled in the VoTsted srufing they should be
softly raised TO the top, and with a quick wrist
motion thrown over the low gunwale into the
boat That is where the art comes in. My eels
always drop of before I can get them in, but the
few adopts in good places think nothing Of four
OF five stone nights work
One summer Billy had not been doing so well
IS usual Whether it was that his hand get
il IS certain that his prospects Of getting cot
tage seemed 10 him poorer than ever
On q hot night in June he was out babbing
half a mile below his hOusebCat- The night was
dark. There moon, and the stars were
clOuded over. There was scarce a breath Of air.
II was near midnight, and the silence was only
broken by the sQueaking bats the rare hOOt
OF a white owl and the ceaseless whisper Of the
reeds on the rond- A perfect night for babbing.
But Billy Jared badly. and cursed as he sat with
q pole IN each hand waiting for the tugs that
were few and far between
s'Dang my soul" ne said "the devils in tn
eeIs 7 wish I had tn Old warmint here along o
ne Perhaps he'd give US bit o luck; house
an all"
As he spoke he heard a muffled sound Of sculls
coming I'D the river. Now. wunner," he
continued "whew the devil that be a-comin' up
rare this time o night Disturbing tn eels,
a punt came quickly and very quietly up.
Sc1Ilfrz backward, He easied against Billy E
ut.ut and held" up till the way was stopped
-~Ebcer the h-- be yeW a-comln, teW!' SAID
the old man -YeE sling your hook
whats the matter. William sald the stran- a.
rer. i've come 10 do you z good turn if you'll
-.TI help yew out O. this sharp enow il you
doar't sheer off," groWied Billy
Don't be fool, William" said the stranger
"IzSten. and see -.
gerEpOke again
ssF3v the murrnur Of the rOnd,
By the whisper Of the reed,
Han! from river. broad, and pond
F4afIl ye gUodiy tribe OF eels
Ere the dawn upon ye steals
tafrh n