The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-10-12

| buckwheat cakes in summer.
sYou must have teased SOW some
time" | said
"Yep," he answered. ''Teased big
SOW wunst, holding up one of her pigs by
the hind leg. leased her too long. Fell
in the pen and got bit up some. Wisht [
hadn't a teased her. Have that night
mare three times week sometimes.
Worse being burnt out. Worse n ghosts
Say, sorter feel ghosts around now"
He was not trying to frighten me. He
was,as simply stating an opinion as if he
had spoken of bats or mosquitoes. Imade
no reply, and found myself listening
involuntarily. My pipe went out. did
not really want another, but felt disinclined
for bed as yet, and was comfortable where
| was, while the smell of the ailantus bios
SONS was very disagreeable. I filed my
pipe again, lit it, and then, as | pulled,
somehow dozed off for moment.
I awoke with sensation of some light
fabric trailed across my face. The boy s
position was unchanged.
"Did you do that?'' asked sharply.
''Ain't done nary thing he rejoined.
"What was it.
''It was like piece of mosquito netting
brushed over my face"
"That amt netting" he asserted !;
'sthat's veil. That one of the ghosts.
Some blow on you; some touch you with
their long, cold fingers. That one with
the veil she drags acrosst your face-well,
mostly I think it s ma y
He spoke with the unassailable convic-
ton of the child in "We Are Seven. |
found no words to reply, and arose to go
to bed
"Good night" said.
"Good night he echoed. "I'll set
out here spell yet
I lit the match, found the candle [ had
stuck on the corner of the shabby little
bureau, and undressed The bed had a
comfortable husk mattress, and | was soon
asleep.
had the sensation of having slept
some time when I had nightmare-the
very nightmare the boy had described.
A huge SOW, big as dray horse, was
reared up on her forelegs over the foot
board of the bed trying to scramble over
to me. She grunted and puffed, and l
felt | was the food she craved. knew
in the dream that it was only dream, and
strove to wake up.
Then the gigantic dream beast foundered
over the foot board, fell across my shins,
and | awoke.
[ was in darkness as absolute as if [ were
sealed in a jet vault, yet the shudder of
the nightmare instantly subsided, my
nerves quieted; l realized where l was,
and felt not the least panic. I turned
over and was asleep almost at once. Then
| had real nightmare, not recognizable
as dream, but appallingly real-an un-
utterabe agony of reasonless horror.
There was a Thing in the room; not a
SOW, nor any other namable creature, but
Thing 1t was as big as an elephant,
filled the room to the ceiling, was shaped
like a wild boar, seated on its launches,
with its forelegs braced stifly in front Of
it. It had a hot, slobbering, red mouth,
full of big tusks, and its jaws worked
hungrily. 1t shuf1ed and hunched itseli
forward, inch by inch, till its vast forelegs
straddled the bed.
The bed crushed up like wet blotting-
paper, and 1 felt the weight of the thing
on my feet, on my legs, on my body, or
my chest. 1t was hungry, and | was what
it was hungry for, and it meant to begin
on my face. It's dripping mouth was nearer
and nearer.
Then the dream-hel lplessnes that made
me unable to call or move suddenly gave
way, and l yelled and awoke. This time
nv terror was positive and not to beshaker
off.
1t was near dawn; 1 could descry dimly
the cracked, dirty window panes. | got
up, lip the stump of my candle and two
fresh ones, dressed hastily, strapped my
ruined valise, and put it on the porch
against the wall near the door. Then
called the boy. I realized quite suddenly
that I had not told him my name no.
asked his
I shouted "Hello r. few times, bu
won no answer | had had enough of tina
house. I was still permeated with thu
panic of the nightmare. | desisted from
shouting, made no search, but with tive
candles went out to the kitchen. L tool
swallow of cold coffee and munced I
biscuit as l hustled my belongings into m.
hampers. Then, leaving a silver dollar OF
the table, 1 carried the hampers out on th'
porch and dumped them by my valise.
1t was now light enough to see to walk
and went out to the road. Already th'
night-dew had rusted much Of the wreck
making it look more hopeless than before
1t was, however, entirely undisturbed
There was not so much as a wheel tracl
or hoof- print on the road. The tall
white stone, uncertainty about which hat
caused my disaster, stood like sentine
opposite where had upset.
[ set out to find that blacksmith shop
Before I bad gone far the sun rose clea
from the horizon, and almost at onc'
scortching. AS I footed it along grew
very much heated, and it seemed more
like ten miles than six before reaches
the first house. Itwas new frame house
neatly painted and close to the road, will
whitewashed fence along its garder
front
| was about to open the gate when
big black dog with curly tail bounde'
out of the bushes He did not bark, bu
stood inside of the gate wagglng his tai
and regarding me with friendly eye; ye
1 hesitated with my hand on the latch
and considered. The dog might not b
as friendly as he looked, and the sight o
him made me realize that except for th
boy I had seen no creature about the hous
where I had spent the night; no dog Q
cat; not even a toad or bird. While wa
ruminating upon this man came from be
hind the house.
"Will your dog bite ?" I asked.
"Naw," he answered; she don't bite
|