Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-20
CHAPTER vr1I-continued.


ing and pow-wowing at she bottom of this
The devil is making his headquarters In
that old shanty since Al F'arthin' come
here. and he's going to rave and rare up
and down these valleys TIL we-uns Is all at
our wits end Yessuhl Amt that so.
squire?"
Begins to look that way" Things were
going in precisely the direction he wished
Say, you, now, darned II it don't seem
as II was in some niger shack down
south The disgust in Amos face and
voice were really ludicrous. II yum /
can't, If | die, believe I'm listening to
white folks taIkin.' Now. there hain't
nothing more the matter with that
OLD shanty up there than there is
WIFI the Squire's old smoke-house that's
ha nted with the ghosts of four hundred
hogs that's been hung in it. 1t makes me
mad clean through and through to hear
grcWn white men, that ought to be civil
lied, talkin' like pack of niger wenches.
PcW-Wowin'! Oh, my iordi' He got up
ana TOOK an angry turn around the store.
say, Amos, you talk big; how'd you
and walk acrost that dead line? Doin's
one thing and talkin's another. Now, L
reckon you'll be satisfied In takin' it out
in talkin." Ulie's voice fairly shook with
sarcasm.
The Squire hain't took back his offer
yetst. nots I've hearn tell Of" spoke up
Lem sneeringiy. It's ten dollars still, amt
It, Squire, to the man who puhts his hand
on the old cabin wunst after dark?
"Ye-es," said the Squire hesitatingiy. He
knew Amos. and he knew Tile and Lem and
Dan. 1t would not do. however, to back
down on his offer.
TN dare yeh and double dare yeh to
go up TO that house tonight" jeered Tile.
Now you've been talking big for a long
time already. You go up now or you shet
"Oh. he won't CO." sneered Lem in
tone that sent the hot blood to Amos
face Perhaps he'll take Dan along to
give him courage" The Squire was keep
Ing strangely silent Things were not go
ing just right. He knew Amos.
q thought he'd weaken" scoffed Ulie.
He hain't gut as much sand as Dan has"
Now, look here. folks. there hain't any
reasonable call for me to go up to that
old house tonight in this mush of snow,
but you and nobody else amt going to dare
me. 1 amt afraid, and you all know
and the sooner it's settled the better. Here,
Alb, get me a larntern. I'd jest exactly
lives go up there to go to the Squires
barn 1 want you to go with me. Dan.
for q witness"
"All right; I'll 60" He rose instantly and
buttoned up his coat.
Better strip good for racin'. Dan" jeered
Llie
"All right, suhp' Amos was getting an
CRY. I'm goin'up there and what's more
I'm going inside and I'm going to fire the
tarnal old shanty. I'm sick and tired OF
IT." Amos had not particle OF supersti-
ton in his makeup. Moreover, he was
man of courage, one who seldom backed
down when once he had taken position.
Don't you do it. Amos" Old Poppy
Miller had shakily risen to his feet and
was holding out palsied hand. Don't
you dast to do it, Amos" His voice was
a trenulous falsetto.
I'm going to kin two birds with one
stone: I'm going to earn ten dollars; and
Pm going to get red of the biggest nuts
ance in this valley. that's jest what m
E EG5aE to do GOT 'n'' iarn's'n most 'sa's'
mo. no." auavered the old man with
singular intensity. Fer Gods sake don't
you do It, Amos. You don't know what
you're a-dofn' Of" His excitement was in
creasing visibly. 80
'Huh!'' Amos was coolly helping himself
from the store matches.
"If it's the last word 1 ever have to say.
begged the old man, his voice cracking in
his excitement, don't yer dast ter do it.
knows what rs a-sayin'. It's DEATH Amos;
death. death. deathr' He had taken a step
forward, and with his palsed hands was
waving a shaky circle toward the busting
man.
"Come on. Dan. Ready? en-" They
Jest sixty minutes" he called back conf
IDENTIFY.
But there was to be no fire that night.
"All right. ten; all right, ten" mumbled
VI
making weird circles In the air with his
shaky hands Ulie and Lem Fisher stood
behind him as far as they could get In the
narrow store and watched his movements
with CHASTITY faces
They knew what 1t meant.
Those about the stove could hear the
dollar clock beating on the shelf over the
cloth counter 1t fairly beloved through
the room. The old man was staring with
vacant eyes out into the darkness and
rnumbling disjointedly. Then he began to
wind the long scarf about his neck.
''Too bad: too bad: too bad; he was say
ing. 81 warned him He brought it on
his own self" Then suddenly he started
for the door No one spoke or disturbed
the silence. nor was there sound in the
store until the ''clunk-clunk OF the old
wagon had died away In the distance.
Amos and Dan walked rapidly down the
pike. 1t was perfect spring night me
clouds had entirely disappeared, leaving
the sky brilliant with stars that scintillated
coldly Low In the west, over the ragged
scar in the range, the thin curve OF a new
moon lay pointing upward with sharp
horns Far off in the stiffness they could
hear the warning growl of Roaring ruin.
but il only made the silence more COM
plete They said nothing as they strobe
down the pike. and they turned into the
HeIler's Gan road without a word. The
awful warnings OF Poppy Miller were
echoed in Dams ears; he was walking IKE
a man in dream.
A dim light burned In the Farthing
n,
the rafting movements of some creature In
the barn. Then they struck into the old
lane to the cabin.
The world still wore the fantastic gar
ments of the morning. though much of the
snow had dropped from the trees during
tine day II was a weird, silent scene, and
both of the men were impressed by it. The
great shadow of the gap was over them;
the walls on either side doomed up like
ghostly columns as they saw them in the
uncertain light.
Darn creepy place." observed Dan at
length.
'Huh," shifted Amos. striding on stoutly
in the lead.
Then they came in sight of the cabin.
and stopped a moment to reconnoitre- The
old house doomed up black and sepuiehrai
amid the scrubs. A livid ring, unnaturally
distinct, surrounded 1t. Dan called his
companions attention to It, but Amos only
grunted
Come ahead, Dan." ne said gruffiy.
They strobe rapidly to the edge OF the
snow line then both stopped instantly as
II they had run into an invisible wire.
There was a light In the cabin but one so
d,ffused and indistinct that 1t was fmpos-
slble to see anything within. fl Dan Tress-
Ter turned In panic. and was on the
poin. OF fleeing, but Amos gripped him by
the arm.
brace up, DAN" he Kissed In his ear.
Were going to see this out IL 1t takes q
leg You stay right here: I'm going to And
out how many's In there" He started out