The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-19
The Devils House.

Dream knows the Red House at Cantley.
on the Yare. The present building is mod
ern, but there was Red House on the
same spot many years before the existing
| licensing laws were heard of; when the
landlord used to brew his own beer, and a
cask or two of spirits that had never paid
duty could be struggled up the river.
One of the best swims for Dream is off
the left bank Of the river, two reaches
below the Red House. opposite a square
brick cottage. A planting of willows sur
rounded the building, forming three sides
of a square, the river forming a fourth.
Within the western side of the planting
runs a broad, shallow inlet or dyke This
house and holding is called by the wherry-
men THE DEVILS House." Few know the
origin of its title. There is vague legend
that 1t was round one 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 to come at. This is it:
At the beginning of the century Billy
Daniel earned a precarious livelihood by
eel fishing. His home was an old Var
mouth yawl tarred over, with a shed-like
edifice over the stern, that made a sufficient
cabin for the old man when he was sober
enough o. nights to sculI down to it in his
punt from the Red House. This elemental
ry houseboat always lay in the dyke
against the DEVILS House that now is but
then was not, and Billy had fashioned
large eel tank beneath it, and kept his
Shiny riches therein. He sent up a load
to Norwich, when he had one, by an up
bound wherry. and disposed of his small
catcnes at the Red House, or at the vii
lage inland.
BiH.y ' as getting old, and began to be
dissatisfied With his houseboat as e DWELL
ing on the misty autumn nights, end
in tie biting east winds and frUst and
snow of winter. His desire was toward
brick cottage. and he grumbled to himself
about it. He was lonely man, and did
mucL aeh-communing aloud He did not
live in the SAVIOR of sanctity; he drank,
he swore. he snuggled and he poached
and was a thorough paced 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 were
good friends. each looking on the other as
fishing did they have together. and many
three pound eel did Billy take up to
the parsonage to be stewed in sound port.
Before the nets went down for the au-
tumn run Billy got most of his cells by
babbing. at which he was an expert. Bah
bing is art. but the preparations for
exercising it are unpleasant. The requi-
sites for one babber are half pailfuI of
well secured lob worms. a skein OF coarse
worsted. long darning needle, two stiff
sticks four feet long, two leads and two
lengths of strong pike line long enough to
reach the bottom Of the spot to be fshed
The skillful babber threads sufficient lobs
with worsted to make two punches each
as big as a fist (and dirty work it isl. He
fastens lead and a length Of line to
each bunch 1.-THE lead in the middle Of
the worms), and ties the other end of each
line to one OF the two sticks. He is then
equipped. On warm. quiet summer
night. the darker the better, not earlier
than 10 o'clock. he proceeds in a punt,
very low in the water. to some favorite |
haunt and makes fast. The punches are
lowered over. and with a stick in each !
hand the babbing begins. sundry tugs
are soon felt. and when the cells have had |
sufficient time to get their teeth entan- |
gled in the worsted stufing they should |
be softly raised to the top. and with |
quick wrist motion thrown over the low |
gunwale into the boat. That is where the |
at comes in. My cells always drop of /
before l can get them in, but the few |
adopts in good places think nothing of /
four or five stone as a nights work.
One summer Billy had not been doing |
so well as usual. Whether it was that his
hand was getting shaky or his luck bad 1
does not appear. But it is certain that his
prospects OF getting a cottage seemed to
him poorer than ever.
On a hot night in June he was out bah
bing half a mile below his houseboat. The
night was dark. There was no moon, and
the stars were clouded over. There was
scarce a breath of air. 1t was near mid
night and the silence was only broken by
I white owl and the ceaseless whisper OF
the reeds on the rond. A perfect night
Tor babbing. But Billy farmed badly, and
cursed as he sat with pole in each
hand, waiting for the tugs that were few
and far between.
Dang my souIi' he said. 1.-The DEVILS
n tn cells. / wish l had tn old warmth
lere along O. me. Perhaps he'd give Us
bit o. luck: house an all
As he spoke he heard a muffied sound of
'culls coming up the river. Now. 1 wun-
ler.'' he continued. ''whew the devil that
De a-comin up hare this time o. night.
Disturbing tn cells blarm HIM"
A punt came quickly and very quietly
Up. gaunt figure clad in dark fenInans
.Iothes was scuIIing backward. He e1sed
Igainst BiIly's punt and held" up Kill the
way was stopped.
.'Wheer the h be yew a-comin'
ew?' said the old man. "Yew sling your
look"
whats the matter. William said the
stranger i've come to do you good
urn IL you'll help me- r
III help yew out o. this sharp enow IL
ou doan't sheer of" growIed Billy.
Don't be a fool William" sail the
tranger. Listen, and see"
Pointing to the four quarters in turn
he stranger spoke again
''By the murmur-of the roud
BY the whisper OF the reed,
Hail! from river, broad and pand
Hail! We goodly tribe Of cells
ETC the dawn upon We steals
Here is that on which TO feed
Billy declared to Parson Sparrow after
lard that the poles were almost chueked :
ut of his hands, and he worn't sartain as
ow he v.orn't to be the fewd." He hauled !
D and landed what he called a 'skep !
lll." The whole water around was alive
nth eels.
There you are. William said the :
tranger. Don't be frightened /
1T 'ud taake an uglier faace than yourn /
, brighten me-" said Billy, who knew not h
EAR. But whew be yew. maester?' he c
smitten suddenly civil. a
Never mind that. Would you like to al
-ays get as many cells as you want? a
nough tn build yo-your cottage. and set e
on up for Iife?'' I
VIVA nateralligh." said Billy. And all l.
ne time his punt rocked with the motion n
the cells. t
''Win you swear any oath I may dictate t
, d.. what | command ?" said the stranger