Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-19

store stun come from that he'll trying 10
sell you feilers? Mighty little freight comes
for him down to Spruce Creek. Then why
do these store robberies begin Jest the min
ute he gets here, and why does the trouble
up at the old cabin take up at jest the same
time? Heigh?"
New, that's pretty thin evidence, call
1t, squire, retorted Dan. Fore tried to
take mans reputation away I'd get some
thing better than that"
oh. no; you don't believe nothing about
Strengthened up on his nan-keg. You don't
believe there's something strange about
that old house? Never seen a thing there,
did yeh? Oh, nor
"Say. Dan" Uttered another, II heard
they measured your jumps next morning.
and some Of EN- was twenty-three feet
a'ready."
Punt yeh hand right onto the house.
didn't yeh wunst?.' A burst of good-na-
tured laughter echoed about the stove
wal, did see somesing. admitted Dan
hesitatingiy: but as | have tod yen a
dozent times, haint saying as to how It's
a~ghost still. I run fore knowed it. One
don't have to be ghost to swear yetst
The tone was that-of the man defending his
last ditch
.Huniph. You can't get out Of it that
way" broke in Lem in high key. You
know there haint been no track IN there
all winter. You know 1t, and-snudoering-
you know about that awful black ring.
"Fiddlesticks Cats and fddle" bursl
! In Amos ''Of all the old grannies! I'm go
| ing up there some day and tear thar OLD
| shanty down, hide and hinges Darn q II
! amt I'm good and sick of ali this tarnal
| nonsense I've been hearin here night ana
| day. Haunted housei-Oh, lord.
You so slow. Amos Hardin, you 60
| mighty slow. We-uns knows what ives
| atalkin' about Yessuh Against the time
| you've been up there some dark night ana
| been into that house, then you can TAX.
| But you keep still against that time, for
weuns have saw this with our eyes wunst'
| and heard 1t with our ears. fessuh!
HUH snorted Amos.
Now the whole matter is jest here" con-
| tinued Lem impressingly. I'VE might as
well speak it right out as to be all thinking
about it. AL Farthins a hacker" He low
| cred his voice and looked about the room
furtively, as if some fearful creature might
be lurking in dark corner. Hes hacker
| and pow-wower; know 1t. You can tell
| that jest by lookin' at his eyes-kinder
/ sharp and beady, like a weasels. and they
never keep still a minute, but they're all
| the time shiftin' quicks lightning this way
| and that way. I tell you-uns that amt an
| honest eye STILL And you needn't tell me
I ne don't know what's going on In that ole
shanty. If he amt noticed it and hatn.t
! tried to find out what's up, then he 1901,
and whatever else Al Farthin' Is he amt
| no fool OF course he knows it. and OF
! course he's at the bottom OF It. ana ne
! DOW -wower and haexer-you mind what
saves, and you watch out sharp how you
run agin him" He wagged his head IN
solemn warning. It was evident that the
! man was III IeaTlui Gel hSSt iiif ehA>fe
| believed all that he had said. 1t was pialu'
| too, that the little circle also believed IT.
| To Amos, however, the matter was req
| rag
"Pow-wowerr he exploded. Strengthening
| upon and elowering about him. II some
| body'd pow-wow a few brains into your
! old Dutch skulls 1t would be the greatest
! thing that ever happened In this valley.
| can pow-wow Jest as well as Al farthln
can If he's a pow-wower you git MIN
| down here some day, and I'll pow-wow the
| pow-wow out of him in three minutes.
| 81 wouldn't make a speech like that, SUM-
| for no amount OF money. Nosuh! Ulle
| lowered his voice solemnly. I've saw pow
wowing and hacking, have fore now, ana
| you've saw 1t, Poppy"
| The old man mumbled a decided MIMI
| huh" and nodded impressively.
81 tell you." went on Ule, pow-wowing
amt to be spoke of in that way. It's
| mighty serious thing, pow-wowing Is. L
could tell enough cases to fill a book as big
as ten awmnicks, and Poppy here could
| tell yeh twict as many more Already.
! tell YOU It's an awful thing to go against
| a hacker wunst an awful thing" He rolled
| out the words in sepulchral tones
| "Yessuh he's right" chimed IN Lem
| Fisher, who was the valley archives on
| things occult. What was 1t that give the
| oppnehrner to Katie Barndoiiar. What was
1t that drawed the lightning on Andy Bow
| ersocks barn? What was 1t that killed
Luke Snyder''-he spoke in shudderins
whisper-"down in Turkey Bottom and left
| the great black ring round his neck
| What was it2 You-uns all knows what II