Evening star., 1908-01-12

and the shrieks of the captive girl. could
not have failed to attract attention.
But every one was busy laughing and
enjoying the last hours of this happy
| day. No one came to interfere in this
cevilish work which was about to be
| consummated.
4 tered but brought further vituperation
| upon her.
She shouted Help
/ "Hark. my mastersr' sneered Matthew
loftily. ''she calls to satan for help"
What will you do with me-" she
pleaded. i've done you no wrong"
i "Thou hast brought the devil in our
midst"
NO. no.''
Il saw thee riding on broomstick-
going to thy Sabbath revels.'
"'Tis false"
''Tie her to the pole!-Quick.
The so-called witch, the friend Of satan
and of all the powers of darkness. fell
I upon her nees In an agony of the widest
despair. Realizing her position, the ter
rible doom which was awaiting her. her
| whole figure seemed to writhe with the
agony of her horror. She dragged herself
to Matthew's knees-he seemed to be
leading the others-she wrenched her
arms free from those who held her and
threw them round him. She forced her
voice to gentleness and pleading. tried to
appeal to what was a stone wall of un-
cOnquerable prejudice.
''Sirs, kind sirs!" she entreated. you
would not harm a poor girl who had done
you no wrong-you won't harm me-you
| won't-oh Cod" she shrieked In her fren-
| zy. you wouldn't-you wouldn't-Holy
| Virgin protect me-
i A rough hand was placed over her
mouth. and her last yells were smothe-ed
as she was ruthlessly dragged away.
/ Then with two or three leather belts
she was securely tied to the Flagstaff.
1 while thick woolen scarf was wound
i round her face and neck, leaving only
the eyes free to roam wildly on the awful
scene around.
Awful. indeed Man turned to savage
/ beast in the frenzy Of his own fear.
Swift and silent. like many rodents
in the night, the men began collecting
bits OF wood. broke up their sticks into
small pieces. tore branches down from
the old elm trees.
Matthew the while, still the ringleader
of this dastardly crew. was directing
hthese gruesome operations
Hist he admonished incessantly.
mot so much noise. We don't want the
guard to come this way, do We? Now,
John the smith. quick. where's thy resin ?
James the wheelwright, the tinder, friend
Here! these fagots are not close enough
Some more on the left there"
And the men. as alert as their clumsy
bodies would allow. as quick as the dark
ness would permit, groaning, sweating
/ falling up against one another. worked
with will to accomplish the end which
| liley Hdu III view.
| To burn the witch!
And she. the woman, her poor wits
| almost gone at sight of this fast ap-
preaching, inevitable doom. did not at
tempt to struggle; had the gag been re-
moved from he- mouth, she would not
| have uttered sound
| Nature, more merciful than her own
children, had paralyZed the brain of the
| wretched girl. and left her semi-imbecile.
crazed. watching now with uncompre
1 ho rafi fny~ 1,nr
own appalling death.
! Watch how the witch will burn!' said
Matthew In hoa-se whisper. her soul
will fly out of her mouth and it'll be
| shaped like a black cat"
They had all descended the steps and
| were standing in semi-circle on the
| turf below looking up at the miserable
| holocaust which they were about to offer
up to their own cowardly superstition.
James the wheelwright was busy with
his tinder. with John the smith. bending
| over him. ready with a resin torch, which
would start the conf1agration.
| And Mirrab looking down on them with
| lack-luster, idiotic eyes Her body had
fallen in strange. shapeless heap across
| the leather bonds, which held her; her
feet were buried In the pile of fagots.
while her fingers worked convulsively
behind the fagstaff to which they were
tied.
Ye gods. what a spectacle!
The Duke of Wesssx. having taken
leave of his friend had been idly stroIling
toward the wftchs booth, always closely
followed by faithful Harry Plantagenet:
at f1-st sight of group Of men dimIy
outlined in the darkness he scarcely real
lied what was happening
The f1tful flicker of the torch, as the
| resin became ignited. threw the more dis
tant figure of the woman into complete
gloom.
Then there was a sudden shout of tri-
umph The torch was blazing at last
The holy fire. Burn the witcn.
John the smith. holding the torch
aloft. inspired by the enthusiasm of his
friends, had turned toward the steps
For the space of ono second the red
glow illumined that helpless bundle of
gaudy tinsel only dimly suggesting a
womans form beneath it. which hung
| Imply from the Flagstaff.
Then Wessex understood.
He had already drawn nigh. attracted
by idle curiosity. but now with one
bound he reached the steps: striking
out with his fists at two or three men
who barred the way. he suddenly stood
confronting these miscreants. the light
of the torch glowing on the rich silk of
dis doublet. the jeweled agraffe of his
hat. his proud, serious face almost dis
torted by overwhelming wrath
What damnable piece of mischief is
this?" he said, peremptorily.
He had scarcely raised his voice, for
they were all silent, having retreated
barred the way.
The instinct of submission and defer
ence to the lord was Unborn in the
country lout of these days Their first
movement was one of respectful awe.
But this was only momentary. The ex-
citement was too great, too real, to give
way to this gallant alone. with only an
elegant sword to stand between him
| and the mad desire for the witch's
DEATH
Out of the way. stranger" shouted
Matthew. Justify. from the rear of the
group: this is no place for fine gentle.
men, Up with thy torch. John the smith!
No one interfrres here!'
mo- No! forward, John the emithw
exclaimed the others. a$with one voice.
But John the smith. torch in hand,
could not very we'll advance The fine
gentleman was standing on the steps
above him with long. pointed sword
in his hand
THE first one of you who sets foot on
these steps is dead man." he had said
as soon as the shouts had subsided.
John the smith did not altogether care
to be that notable first.
Here! Harry. old friend" added the
see those miscreants there. When 1 say
Go" you have my permission to spring
at the throat Of the man who happens
to be on the steps at the time
Harry Plantagenet no doubt UNDER
stood what was expected Of him. His
great jaws were slightly open. showing
a powerful set Of very unpleasant-look-
ing teeth. Otherwise, for the moment,
he looked placid enough. He stood at
the very top of the steps, his mead on
level with his masters shoulder, and
was wagging his tail in a pleasant
friendly spirit.
Matthew. however, had. not unjustly
hn