Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-10
squire knew his man.

squire knew his man.
fessuh; now. that's business. and III
dare yeh to do IT," added Ulie Importantly.
You talk big stlll. but you don't dast to
do it. Nosuh We've got you now Dan.
It's go up or shet up"
Where's Amos? III go If he'll go with
me Wunst The man was clearly in dis
tress. He had half arisen, and was wav-
ering perceptibly.
Amos don't count in this bargain Amos
amt here Now you go up there or you
quit your everlasting yammering about this
here Farthing- I'm sick of itF'
"All right, sun He spoke with CULVER
OF excitement in his voice, I'm GO" I.oy-
atty to his friend was struggling with In
nate superstition, and loyalty was for the
moment the stronger. He arose like the
leader of forlorn hope and took totter-
ing step
uiie and Lem to follow behind and see that
he does it,. The crafty old man knew with
whom he was dealing Fear is as contagious
| as disease. The two men hesitated moment,
then arose doggedly and buttoned up their
coats. 1t was always best to obey the
squire even when he asked hard things.
Come back and tell us how you ma 70
out shouted the old man, as they were
plunging out into the night.
'All right We won't be gone long. I'll
tell you that called back UlIe, and then
they were lost in the darkness
There was swirl of rafting snow in the
air. The wind came in puffs and eddies,
whirling the sharp grist into the faces of
the men. dismal roar. suilen and steady,
rolled from the distant ridges, and from the
near gaps came a succession of snarls and
shrieks. The snow modified the darkness
into ghostly light in which nothing was
distinct.
The three men struggled on in silence.
At length they reached the place where the
road turned off toward Heller's Gap, and
they struck into II without a word. The
buildings of Allen Farthing were in COM
plete darkness; the family had gone to bed.
Then they turned into the little lane that
once had been the main road to the Heller
cabin. BY day clear view of the hut could
be had from this point, but the ghostly
light revealed nothing as they peered
through the bushes.
Suddenly thin, wavering shrek rang
through the air. far off Ike the cry Of the
Banshee 1t stopped the three dead in their
tracks. Lem Fisher turned and took sew
eral hasty steps
"Oh come on, boys" spoke up Dan stout
ly IT'S only the wind in the gap. I've
heard it blow that way before. Come on
They paused a fearful moment, then crept
tremblingiy after him. The outlines OF the
cabin were now dim ahead, and few steps
further left It clearly defined. At the sight
of IL Lem and Ulie stopped as IL arrested
by an invisible hand.
Now go ahead. Dan. If you're goin', but
/ advise you not TO. / wouldn't go another
step for all the money the 'squires got.
This is all the farther we're goin', II tell
yeh that The three huddled together like
children at night after ghost story. Then
Dan gripped his fists hard and crept ahead
as If stalking some fearful wild beast Ten
steps and he stopped short with sudden
drawing In of the breath
Arr Before him stood the cabin with n
black ring around II Ike the rope mark
about the neck of hanged man. His knees
snote together, but he started on Again
he stopped in utter terror Was that
spark that had hoated up from the old
roof? And oh. horrori The windows
seemed to have a light In then-a CHASTITY
red that seemed to him to flicker balefully.
like phosphorus marks on a wall.
Pshaw, Ii was his imagination He
forced himself to take another step for
ward. He would make a run for Il and
have II done with But his heart gave a
mighty leap into his throat and stuck there,
beating furiously until he could scarcely
breathe. The light fiickered suddenly
brighter. a dark shadow seemed to gido
before the window. there was something
black and sinewy writhing al the corner OF
the cabin as II for spring. Then suddenly
there rang out a gsbbering laugh the like
of which ne had never even dreamed OF,
then a string OF curses that bubbled and
cracked Ike boiling birthstone.
(To be continued tomorrow)