The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-07-15
The House Of the Black
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smash the door" There was nc move
ment within.
Come on. boys. Get a log and stave
her down" Some half a dozen OF the
Sugar Valley men seized an old tree
trunk from the ~woodpile and ran with
1t full tilt against the barricaded en-
trance. 1t crashed down like a rotten
single.
Come on, you six fellers: the rest
OF you stay out md surround the
! house. Watch sharp now"
, They sprang forward, bur at that
moment an unexpected figure appeared
at the doorway-an old woman, un-
speakably old, bowed ove her stan,
her face shrivelled and brown as a
baked apple, her hair In strange con-
trast, almost coal-black, and her eyes
small and piercing as a rats.
What o van here 2" she called in
a shrill falsetto. II warn you; don't
you come in here"
You're hiding the Farthings, Gran
maw," spoke up the sheriff, a trace of
awe in his voice. "Tm the sheriff;
you're resisting the law. We must
Have you got a search warrant? p
she asked shrilly.
why, moo" The demand paused
him.
Then, If you come In here, you
break the law" The sheriff hesitated
a moment and then turned back.
DANCED IL / know whether it's nee
essary or not" he muttered. where's
Squire Hartswick1 He's a Justice; he
can make one right here. Where are
yeh, Squire" The old man, who had
been left hopelessly behind in the race,
came puffing up, his face like a plum
pudding. A sheet OF paper was JIM
Nro,rteoI f~0~. N -, nld .anrvalana anA Efha
squire proceeded to execute the war
rant In due form.
"Here-look ahere wunst, you-uns
take my advice chartered Lem Fish
er. You get out of here Jest as quick's
you can. The DEVILS In this business.
See her? See there! My God, men,
she's weavin' a branch over us already.
God Almighty, look, at hat wunst. I'm
goin' home. Come on, Ulie. ! amt
called OF to fight the devil" He turned
square about and crept away down the
pike. Ulie and several others followed
him. The old woman, still standing In
the door, was swinging slowly from
side TO side, her ayes fixed on the far
distance, and muttering incoherently
under her breath:
All ready, come on, fellers.'' The
sheriff and the young men from Sugar
Valley advanced hesitatingly towards
the house. 1t vas plain that they did
not relish their job, but noblisse oblige
Were they not the sheriff and his
sworn deputies? The eyes of the coun-
ty were upon them.
We've got the warrant, GRAMMAR
he said In velvet tones. She turned
~squarely about and hobbled out OF
sight.
Come on, Squire. 7 want o to &c
In with us"
Mono. I'm too hot and tired
i vnx,bllf t,aoLnN a. oil rfoht o1anh - . ..@.#
He took a seat on a stone at the
rear Of the group. The seven turned
and went into the house without an
other word. A sort OF sigh, like the
drawing in Of the breath by the crowd
before the fall Of the fatal drop, went
up. Every atom of the mob spirit had
oozed out. Not q man but felt like
Last wen aver SEQ OF them" shud-
1 dered q voice,
Gee! I wouldn't go In there for II
farms"
TITS DEVILS business; I'm goin
home" said another. 81.
Than for what seemed like hours and
days there was silence-awful and
complete save for the ~gibbering of the
water in the gut almost at their feet
The gloom OF the uncanny hole was
falling heavier and heavier on theil
spirits. Most Of them were looking
about furtlVely at tue Dlack q
that were beginning to creep under thu
cedars. at the hideous ~caricature faces
leerlng from the limestone jags, and a.
the black barrier OF the ridge behind
which the sun had already disappeared
Few there had ever before seen tn,
place by day. They breathed a rea
sigh Of relief when the form OF TIN,
sheriff appeared at the door.
They cant be found" he said in {
queer tone
A murmur of superstitious horroi
broke from the crowd. Many, looking
neither to the right nor the left
sneaked out to the pike and crept HON,
in twos and threes, scarcely speaking
all the way, but each thinking hard tn,
same thought. The sheriff and tn,
Sugar Valley men went again into tn,
Run, and searched for an hour amid
the gathering darkness. Then they
too, went down the pike without {
word. There was nothing to say.
The Farthings had disappeared as 1
the earth had swallowed them up, an
Of all places in the world, in the blaci
mouth Of Roaring Run.