Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-04-26
,CHOPTER MI.
Witches Cave.

ly mars:on Of the Gives, ran a dark
ravine. so wild and lonesome in its
wooded depths as to defy the most
venturesome speaker of the pictur-
esque from exploring it's recesses.
A little stream brawling through Il
rocky channel, made the spot musical
with it's clamor; but beside the gursle
and splash of the waters, the MARBLE
OF. the wild bird that could trill unbrok>
en- melodies from it's sequestered nest,
and the hum of Il thousand lower crea-
| lures of the wood. no sound was heard
! in the darksome hollow. that seemed Il
| bit of Natures rebellion against the
| tanning hand of man.
l.. And vet the hand Of man had thrust
| itself even there. In the darkest CEN
ter of the ravine, where the tangled
vines and sturdy underground made
approach almost impossible-at a spot
where the little streamlet widening
into a tiny crystal lake. seemed to
sleep for moment ere it hurried on to
meet the sweeping river-was a
strange structure, half-natural. half
artificial, known by the ominous title
of the Witches Cave"
The cave itself was deep but mar
row assure. the bed, perhaps, of some
long-dIy streamlet, and was popularity
supposed to stretch, by its many rami-
ticatons. for miles beneath the surface
of the surrounding hills.
Just at its opening was built rude
hut, of rough-hewn logs, so overgrown
with vines and MOSES as to be scarce
ly distingrishable from the work OF
nature around it.
1t was twilight of the second even
S,-1>; ali
woman sat beside the few embers on
which she was preparing her evening
meal-so old, and dry and withered a
creature that it was impossible to de-
fine her race or color.
| Her skin was of q sort Of aShen-gray,
and scanned and wrinkled almost out
Of human likeness; her cheeks and lips
had long ago fallen in around her
tootbless gums; her grizzled eyebrows
met above the two sunken sockets.
within which there burned, with a
strange. unnatural fire. pair Of fierce
black eyes.
She wore coarse, though clean, cot
ton dress of blush color, and the few
gray locks that escaped from the
snowy turban on her head were stiff
and straight.
AS she sat stirring the mixture on
her fire with forked stick, and Groom
ing to herself some queer old rhyme,
she might have easily passed for one
Of those 'sweird women" who, cursed
with unnatural power, live and die
outcasts from their kind.
All around seemed to carry out the
| ideas suggested by her appearance.
The only furniture in the hut were 4
couple Of rude stools, q huge, fiat
stone. that might have either for altar
4 or table. and the mats that were doubt
| less intended for the old woman's bed.
Strange skins of all descriptions
hung from the rafters-snakes' and liz
ards as we'll as squirrels and deer S;
| bundles of herbs We're drying in every
corner; while. most remarkable Of all.
from the center Of the rough ceiling
hung a huge stalactite, that caught the
red glimmer of the fire and flung it
back over the room in a sort Of luril
| glow.
Suddenly the old woman lifted her
head, with the quick. startled move
ment Of wild creature Of the wood.
She had heard step, though the light
! football. that scarce ruStled the fallen
leaf. could be distinguished by no 9TH
er ears.
For moment she listened, then. nod
ding her head several times, began
stirring the porridge again.
st is her-ha, halt is her. NUT
tered the ill-omened old being, with a
disccrdant laugh. "She'd like to keep
away from old Rizr all if she coulu,
but she can't. The spell is on her, in
her blood, and in her bones and in her
heart. 1t was born in her. and it was
bred in her. and she can't get away
from it with all her book-learning and
her knowledge. She has to come back
to old Rizpah at last"
Even as she spoke. slight form
shaGowed the thresholds young girl
with a soft white mantle flung over
~her muslin dress, and the CaDuchln
hood drawn over head and shoulders
=, entered the hut, and, finging away the
temporary disguise. displayed the pale
4 exquisite features and floating hair OF
! Sybil Wraye.
). .!"Rizrah. is father here?' she asked
breatElessly.
There was no answer. The old wo
man continued her low grooming, as
though she could not hear.
..Ripah,' repeated Sybil. in louder
ycice-'Rizpah! can you not heal
me?'
'.'s.I hear you" was the quiet rejoin
der. Look around you. Can you SCI
him here? Rizpah has no parlor OF
drawing room, wherein bonored guests
can watt
"Ah, you are cross this EVENING"
said Sybil. in gentle :oice. care yOl
suffering. Rizpah?'
sat eighty one is always suffering,
was the reply; ''but no more than com
mon-no more than common"
Il have been sick myself-a little,
said Sybil. sinking down on the deer
skin mat before the fire. ''They gave
me medicine that made me forget my
self and it frightened me. 1 wa
afraid that I might have said some
> thing that-that-But papa is safe
, You are sure he is safe. Rizpah"
"Safe enough was the old woman
answer. "Why do you fear for him
, child? Have 1 not read his fate
!, thousand tipes in the silent stars. il
thH. running waters, in the whispering