The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-09-12

indeed, which might OF might not have
been blood from the mule, but of these
we took no account, and presently we went
away, leaving the place alone with its mys-
terry
But all that day, as l went about my
work, | pondered the question, and when
nightfall came again, the darkness op-
pressed so that when | would have slept
| could not. Then, as the moon rose
again from out of the east, a great impulse
came upon me. and | went out and looked.
Gods. 1t was there again My heart
leaped to my mouth, but | forced myself
to stand and behold. 1t was no illusion.
Diaphanous, but distinct and white, it
stood out boldly in its former place. But
it was man, told myself sternly y and
with an effort | started towards the swamp,
The thing leaned toward me- "Come
come = its long arms waved its message
| stopped and again it signaled. \ stick
snapped behind me. | almost screamed,
but | turned All, how good thing is
human companionship 1t was Amos.
Hits dar, Mars Dick r he painted.
Hit dar, jes' lax | knowed twould be =
His great form shook with dread, and we
stood speaking in nervous whispers. And
even as we stood there something black
moved among the trees by the swamp,
and ran shrieking toward the cover of the
huts. As it passed US, We saw it to be
man.
Hits Ab Wilyums = said Amos,
fearfully, Les We all 20 back, Mars
Dick.
And before we slept that night we
double barred the doors and the windows,
aud for two nights thereafter we did not
venture out once the sunset had come.
But in spite of our silence, the negroes
knew as well as we, and in the dark
watches Of the night they sang songs and
PRAYED whenever Ab went forth.
But on the third day Laura came, and
what man dare be coward in the face Of
his wife? Besides, she had brought my
mail and | read in a paper, that was two
weeks out Of date, how one Warren Bar
tow had robbed the express ear of the
southern mail how, failing to open the
safe. he had forced negro to harness a
mule to a wagon and thus haul it bodily
away. and how neither mule, nor negro,
nor Barlow had ever been seen again.
True had found but wagon and the
scattered bones Of mule, yet the story
that had read impressed me, for | felt
that possibly had stumbled upon another
link in the same chain of events. There
remained, certainly. the phenomenon
the ,hing-but how it braces a man to
have a woman or little child depending
upon him and trusting him \ night
before had been afraid Of shadows, now
il was different
said nothing to Laura about the ap-
partition, for | half hoped that after all it
was but the disordered product Of my lone
Is fancy, aided, Of course, by the childish
supersiitions Of parcel of foolish negroes.
Nevertheless loaded my rifle and placed
it at my door. That | would hide my
head no more, | was fully determined. II
the evening passed without incident 1t was
weiI. If not-if Laura, too. saw and re-
marked that shape-then, be 1t man or
degil or shee,ed ghost, | would cross that
swamp aud resolve the matter once for all.
Slowly the afternoon dragged away and
Sundown came, and presently the bats were
fitting through the twilight and the whip
roorwills were cirelins above the motion
les pines
The night is pleasant Let Us sit here
awhile. | said, drawing chairs out upon
the open veranda- Then Amos came from
the still and seated himself on the steps,
boxing anziously at me and at my wife.
You & ewine in tereckly, Mars Dick?
Yer shorely Is gwine in p he asked, al
most pleadiugly.
liz cigar
I'm going in, Amos, | said, ''aiter
moonrise.
The troubled look in his face grew gray
er. and he arose and went away, but IN 4
little while be came again, bearing his dou-
be bisted ak
What now, Amos Z? asked Laura,
wondering.
The negro sat down.
Il IN lest n restia he replied. "Seems
lax | rests better when | has my AK in my
han
For time we watched the trehys and
listened To the hoarse throated frogs then
the mists began to rise, and form and trail,
aud float, and flying clouds, grotesque In
shape and coloring, scudded across the face
Of the starlit sky, and the wind in the pines
moaned sadly and quivered and walled.
Down at the negro huts fires were burning
fires marking out circles and squares
and the flames leaping up like tongues lap
ping the darkness were blue and yellow and
green. for those were witch fires lit by 4
-.cunjerman" to keep the ''sperrits back.
And while we watched the many color
ed lights, the air grew chill and the moon
came slowly up, half hidden by drifting
and broken clouds. Then, as if by some
broad and mighty hand, the cloud-curtain
was rent in twain, aud the clear full light
burst out. and the thing was there!
Dick, Oh, Dick My wife had
clutched me by the arm and was pointing.
1T is nothing. | said. 81 will see
what it Is. | will 20 to it, but my tongue
was thick and my words came falteringly,
She was treasured, and | reached for
my rife.
Stay with your mistress, Amos, |
commanded. As | stepped out | could
hear the alarmed and wondering erys of
the negroes. for they, too, had seen the
thing. and before me one went running,
his hands stretched out in supphcation and
his eyes big with horror.
Abr | called, sternly, ''Ab Viii
liamsr' but he did not hear me and ran
stumblingly on.
|, too, went rapidly, and | did not dare
to look until was safe under the shelter
inc bushes Of the swamp There all OBJ
iects were hidden from sight, and | stOpp-
ed for moment to breathe. Moving on
again and breaking my way through the
tansle, | could hear the skurry of living
things Fastening out of my path, and was
thankful for the eompanionship of even the
foxes and hares.
When | emerged the white thing was
facing me- Panic stricken, I raised my
"A, ,nJ 6rad onoa tUica thrjcai The