The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-03-11
II--continued.

q nlxy cream through and through, then
never seen q kinder-hearted man in
my life. Nosuh. He Jest seen his
jewty, and re done It, and I amt the
only n nuther. He don't go cacklin'
all over town every time his old Bun
Cochin lays an aig."
Say, boys, ever think OF one thing?'
continued the squire placidly. you've
been seem some strange sights up to
the old cabin lately, hain't yeh? There's
always been queer stories about that
place, but you didn't hear OF much go
ing on there till Farthing moved onto
that farm, did yeh? Now stop to think
of this latest cuttin' up; hain't every
town?'
wal, you can't lay that onto AL"
Dan squared about argumentatively.
There hain't been no track into that
cabin ell this winter yetst, n you-all
knows IT STILL" He addressed his argu-
ments to the crowd, as if 1t were they
who were combating him. He told
me himself when / asked him that he
had other business nights than laying
awake watchin' for ghosts still, and
that he hadn't saw a thing in the old
cabin already. He said he slept nights
and went at his sleepin' early"
"Wal-now-I-don't--know." The
squire again winked knowingly. Ever
notice what q sharp little black eye
he's got n how 1t looks right through
yeh? You don't see eyes as sharp as
that very often" The old man under
stood perfectly those to whom he was
talking. K,
var! Now you're gettin' at t."
burst in Lem Fisher. It's an eye that
can weave a branch round yeh. First
thing some Of you-uns III know youII
be gettin' hacked: your kids'll be liver
growed, and have the down
NJ oppnehmer. You be care
full, you-uns; that's my word to
you already. He had lowered
his voice almost to a whisper. Ulie
took up the theme instantly.
That's Jest what I've been a-telIin'
Of yeh. The devil knows what's what.
There's a reason for the doin's up In
that old shanty. don't you forget that.
The devil don't a to walk when he
wants to get over snow ~and"-iower-
ing his voice m~ysteriously and half
closing one eye-"a hacker and a DOW
wower don't nuther. You-all think OF
that wunst," .. M :.
"Recollect how strange old Poppy
Miller acted down to Dams butcherin'?
Heigh?" . T..
How'd you dast to stan ag'in him
So. squire, n say what you Gid right
in front of him? Won't he hack yeh?
Won't he send Rose into the oppneh-
mer? Amt tyeh 'fraid something IL
happen to her?" VI
\ ANON q IN Il SdIEy [. "OIu6
ag'in him. He can't touch me or mine
I've saw to that"
But he's a deep one" Lem FISH
er was on his own ground now. He's
tast the worst one we-uns ever know'd
here" . ..
Il don't believe IT," exploded Dan.
"Al amt no more of a hacker than
you be, Lem; not bit. And I don't
believe that none OF you have really
ever saw anything up to that cabin
unst Nosuh. You're Jest like my
old mare when she goes acrost the rail-
road track. You're so blamed scairt
and you expect to see such an awful
thing that you don't know what you
do see, and you shy and kick and snort
for all the world as IL there was some
thing there" -st
"Humph!" retorted Ulie scornfully.
"'Spose / don't know still what / see
with my own eyes? Humph!"
"Oh, / amt questioning but what you
think you see 1t. My boy come in one
day and sayed that he seen q snake as
long Al h hay ladder still, and II
hain't the slightest doubt but what he
thought IL really was. Where's Amos?
He'd knock the whole thing higher
n a kite" |
Look here, Dan," the Squire spoke
up sudden AID sharp, "Ill give you ten
dollars and pay 1t in money IL you'll
go up TO that cabin right off now and
touch 1t with your hand. Now. that's
business" The Squire knew his man.
"Yessuh; now, that's business, and
I'll dare yeh to do It," added Ulie i'm
portantly. You talk big still. but you
don't dast to do it. Nosuh. We've got
you now, Dan. It's go up or shet up"
where's Amos2 I'll go If he'll go
with me wunst." The man was clearly
in distress. He had half arisen, and
was wavering perceptibly.
ga rnno .1nnpf CnfInf In fhto ha rfratw. |
Amos amt here. Now you go UP there
or o quit your everlasting yammer-
ing about this here Farthing. I'm sick
of it." #
All right, sun He spoke with a
culver Of excitement In his voice. "IIl
60" Loyalty to his friend was strug-
Cling with innate superstition, and 10y
atty was for the m the stronger.
He arose like the leader of a forlorn
hope and took a lettering step.
Now" said the Squire, briskly. 1T
want Ulie and Lem to follow behind
and see that he does It." The crafty
old man knew with whom he was deal
ing. Fear is as contagious as disease.
The two men hesitated a moment, then
arose doggedly n buttoned UP their
coats. 1t was always best to obey the
Squire even when he asked hard things.
Come back and tell us how Won
make out" shouted the old man as they
'NAS wv AAN" NAAO IlIkIlI.
"All right. We won't be gone long
I'll tell o that" called back Ulie, and
then they were lost In the darkness.
There was a swirl Of rafting snow IN
the air. The wind came In puffs and
eddies, whirling the sharp grist into
the faces OF the men. A dismal roar
sullen and steady, rolled from the dis /
tant ridges, and from the near gaps
came a succession OF snarls and
shrieks. The snow modified the dark
ness into a ghostly light in which moth
ing raj distinct. 1
The three men struggled on In silence.
At length they reached the place where I
the road turned off toward HeIler's /
Gap, n they struck into II without a 8
word. The buildings OF Allen Farthing :
were In complete darkness: the family j
had gone to bed. Then they turned into !
the little lane that once had beer
the main road to the Heller cabin. BY !
day a clear view OF the hut could be I
had from this point, but the ghostly ;
light revealed nothing as they peered 7
through the bushes. ;
Suddenly a thin, wavering shrek :
"a nR hrOlUh fha dir Coz. - IfI.. a.