The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-06-12
It he c.
in the Swamp
BY DALLAS LORE SHARP



only when she smells a barrel Of resiy
bale OF cotton. or sights some lionel
dweller waving his hat Oh a pine kne
from a stump in The edge OF til
swamp.
one autumn day about ten year
ago, was put ashore nearly 150 mile
below Augusta. ana struck in throuel
the swamp to the higher levels TO
Wild turkeys 1t had been beautiful
Z October weather. but the game wa
scarce AL the end Of two days wan
derings ! had not heard gobble. anJ
when night of the second day came
down with dreary drizzle, | was bach
along the river awaiting for the re
I turning boat
just where / was | did not know
ala not relish the prospect of an
other night in the swamp. not in thi
neiehborhood, anyhow. alone, in tn,
rain and reeds, and among the snakes
malaria ana other beasts lodging ther
about dared wait no longer, and
/ shouldering my rifle, made my way
back to find q higher, dryer bed
| had not gone far wheu / found
was following an old path hog tral
probably and. with Just hope tina
Il woHid lead to a clearing. | Kept on
VITA The extra sense ot wooGsman, 7
felt ! was nearing something or q@o2a
where, and turning a bend over ths
rising ground, l saw through the tree.
what seemed like a number Of pine
blazed By he pirch gatherers. But. 81
approaching, The pitch pines proved Il
be, nor pines. but grayestanee. 1 had
stumbled upon am ancient graveyard
only a few OF the names could be
made Out They We're all in French
and l guessed it mast be an old HUI
sueuot harying ground
Peering in among the cedars thai
had rooted ont many of the stones, J
caught glimpse of white house
and hlrrying forward as though I hao
not done one of my 40 miles that day
wondering if 1t was a white-wasbe
cabin, turpentine still orr suddenly
stood before meeting house, Older
and a thousand lines more spectr
than the graveyard II WAS ON "a knot.
and had been in sigh ol Tie river be
low once, bar now the brush and trees
completely hid ii, except when on
might happen to run upon it, and it |
looked in the gloom as ii | might b
the only one 20 have done that In hllt |
. century The door was locked. | /
tried the windows. They We're fasten. /
ed too, but on the river side the enc I
window was partly torn away, leayine I
IN opening large enough TO admit me.
climbed inside and CROPPED my way
about with the last Of the light. a 1
dozen or more plain benches wer5
irawn up parallel with the platform
and close together There was an
antique swallow-nest pulpit hanging
high up on the wall with a kind o.
tunnel stairway leading down from if
20 the platform II was hollow
musty place. and from The 0dor
Judged the bats must have recently
assembled i'm large and frequent con
sresatiOns here. 1t was sp0oky. too:
but il was q shelter, ana any kind of
-heIter-a house at that, was the /
widest kind Of luxury in such a place
laid my rifle on the platform and
prepared my bed: whistliug a tune nt /
10 wake every old ghost about tn
place The back bench was ont Of the
iraft OF the broken window. ana
spreading my rubber blanket on this
with my game-bag for a pillow, las
lown TO sleep.
The wind freshened In the trees and
he pines broke out aloud in theI
,tenal dirge The rain began to pat
er i'm drops against the loose panes. !
vas pitch dark. What fl place 10 be
lead in--the graveyard outside,
ioughing pines. moss-hung Expresses
hight and storm and everlasting soli-
udel Rather how unfit
] fell asleep and dreamed I was one
# a large and happy congregation
listening 10 "a good old father pleading
rom the pulpit overhead. Then the
Gene changed. tine congregation van.
she'd the morning sunlight and the
preacher disappeared. and
was alone. ia the dark with Satan
making ready from the pulpit to swoou
own upon me woke with "a start
nd shiyer For momen the dream
vas so real could still see the CLEAN
ng eyes of satan staring down 40 me-
The wind Was high outside. the rain
lad ceased. The clouds were brokeD
nd driving across the moou. and now
nd then q faint food of yellow light
all through the curtainless windows
was wide awake now ana still gazing
10 at the fiendish face in the pulpit r.
,8s no longer p dream \ heavy closd .
oycred the moon. and two burning
ais Of green glared down ar me. The =
loud passed. and q great cats head
bowed against the wall. IL rose Il lit
IL. then disappeared inside the pulpit
There could be no mistake about fbe b
reature Never in my life IN IN.
FOODS had I seen panther bat thl. I
Guild De nothing else. There w-s
reak on tile narrow stair along the
au. and The p8nthef's head auae5re
Gain over the hainsirade Oa. down /.
came. softly and slowly winding ONT =