Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-11-15
CHAPTER XII-(Continued. }

CHAPTER NIL Continued.)
The room was filed with the scum of
sea-going humanity: foul smoke from foul
pipes foated in choking clouds to the dirt
begrimed ceiling Now and again, be-
twixt the shouting and the singing, a
young girl, whose presence in such a com
pany turned my heart sick, played upon
a harp, and there was a mahogany-faced
bag whom the men addressed as Mother
Catch" She seemed to have the eye OF
hawk nor did l escape her glance. She
shuffled up to me and stood glazing with
her shining eyes for moment or two, the
very presentment of an old-time witch.
The glass door again swung open; three
men entered through it, and l recognized
the three Of them in a moment. The first
was the Irishman "Four-Eyes :" the sec
ond was the lantern-jawed Scotsman, who
had been addressed in Paris as Dick the
Ranter;" the third was Roaring John,
into whose face Dan had emptied the con-
tents of his duck gun three days before.
The rufian had his mouth all bound in
bloody rag, but he was in nowise depress-
ed; and, although the gun had stopped
his speech, he smacked Paolo on the back
when he greeted him.
One of the men started a wild dance. It
was an extraordinary exhibition, and it
pleased the men about so that they roared
with delight. / was watching it, but my
attention was suddenly diverted by the
sense that something under a near table
was pulling at my leg. | looked down
quickly, and saw a strange sight; it was
the black face of the lad Splinters, who
had been treated so brutality in Paris. He,
crouching under the table, was making
signs to me, earnest, meaning signs, so
that without any betrayal | leaned my
head down as though upon my hands, and
spoke to him:
What is it, lad?" l asked in a whis-
per What do you want to say"
Don't stop here, sir" he answered in
a state of great agitation. They know
you, AID are going to kill you "
He said no more, crawling away at
once; but he left me hot with fear. l
left my seat, and pushed amongst the
men, passing nearer and nearer to the
street until at last | was at the very por-
tai itself. Then | saw that change
had been made while | had been sitting.
The doors of glass were wide open, but
the way to the street without was no
longer clear-an iron curtain had been
drawn across the entrance.
This was a terrible discovery. 1t seem
ea to me that the iron door had been clos
ed for an especial purpose. l knew, how
ever, that when the dance was over some
of the audience would wish TO go out, and
so | waited by the curtain. The men were
then about to push their tables to the CEN
ter again, but the bag raised her voice
and cried
"As you are, my pretty gentlemen: it's
only the first party we've been treated to.
No. no; We don't have the door drawn yet
awhile. Good boys, all of We, there's work
to 10: no no work to do"
Somehow, all the men Immediately
around me skunk away, and l found my
self standing quite alone, with many star
ing at me. The four men whom most l
feared had turned their backs, but the
rest of the assembly had eyes only for the
terrible woman and for myself. Presently
the discordant music began again. The
hag moved with hobble and jig to the
far end of the room, and began to come
straight down to the door whereby l
stood. / know not what presentiment
forewarned me to beware as the creature
drew near. | had my revolver in my
pocket, but had | shown it twenty barrels
would have answered the folly. There
was nothing to do but to face the screech-
ing woman: and this | did.
At the last, the old witch, who had
danced for some moments at distance of
ten PAGES from the spot where I stood
became as one possessed. She uttered a
piercing shiek, and hurled herself almost
on me. In that instant | remember see
ing the three men with Paolo suddenly
rise to their feet, while the other in the
room called out in their excitement. But
the bag herself drew from her breast
something that she had concealed there /:
and. as she stood within a yard Of me,
she brought it crash upon my head, and
all my senses left me.