The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-11
u-continued.


Il tell you AIS Kindness amt put
on" maintained Dan doggedly. nettled
at the squire's insinuations. III I amt
a nixy clean through and through, then
x never seen n klnder-hearted man in
my life. Nosuh. He Jest seen his
Jewty. and he done 1t. and I amt tho
only one 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 seein' some strange sights up to
the old cabin lately. hain't ych? There's
always been queer stories about that
place. but you didn't hcar of much go
ing on there till Farthing moved onto
that farm, did yeh2 Now stop to think
OF this latest cuttin' up: hain't every
bit of 1t been sincs he moved into
town."
Wal. you can't lay that onto AL"
,par squared about argumentatively.
There hain't been no track into that
cabin oil this winter yetst. and you-all
Nlows 1t still" He addressed his argu-
1nsnts to the crowd. as = 1t were they
u,e himself when 7 asked him that he
had other business nights than laying
awake watchin' for ghosts still, and
tia he hadn't saw a thing In the old
cabin already. He said he slept nights
and went at his sleepin' early"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS." The
squire again winked knowingly. Ever
notice what a sharp little black eye
hes got and 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.
Var! Now you're gcttin' at It,"
burst In Lem Fisher It's an eye that
can weave a branch round yeh. First
thing some OF you-uns III know you'll
he gettin' hacked; your kids'll be liver
srowed, and nave the rundown
ful. you-uns: that's my word to
you already. He had lowered
hts voice almost to a whisper. Ulie
o up the theme instantly.
&C yeh. The devil knows what's what
There's q reason for the doin's up in
that old sllanty, don't you forget that.
The devil don't have to walk when he
wants to get over snow and"-lower-
log his voice mysteriously and half
woWer don't nutter. You-all think Of
that wunst."
"Recollect how strange old, Poppy
lItller acted down to Dams butcherin'?
Haigh7"
How'd you last to stan agin him
In front of him? Won't he haex yeh?
Won't he send Rose into the oppneh-
taer? Amt yeh 'fratd something IL
happen to herr"
Nav! Not a bit. 1 carry words
ax'in him. Hescan.tr touch me or mine
I've saw to that"
But he's a deep one" Lem FISH
&c was on his own ground now. He's
,here."
Il don't believe IT." exploded Dan.
al amt no more Of a haexer than
you be. Lem: not n bit. And I don't
believe that none of you have really
ever saw anything up to that cabin
wunst. Nosuh. You're Jest like my
old mare when she goes acrost the rail-
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
Tor all h world as IL there was some
thing There"
"Humphl" retorted Ulie scornfully.
-Spose I don't know still what I see
with my own eyes? Humph!"
e"Oh, I amt questioning but what you
think you see It. My boy come In one
day and sayed that he seen a snake as
hain't the slightest doubt but what he
thought It really was. Where's Amos?
He'd knock the whole thing higher
n q kite"
Look here, Dan" the Squire spoke
Yp sudden n sharp. TN give you ten
~ lAA pey y ~ aStSliSS II JoA IL
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 1t. Nosuh. We've got
you now, Dan. It's go up or shet up"
Where's Amos2 I'll go II he'll go
with me wunst." The man was clearly
In distress. He had half arisen, and
was wavering perceptibly.
Amos don't count In this bargain.
Amos amt here. Now o go up there
or you quit your everlasting yammer-
ing abou his here Farthing. I'm sick
iot It."
All right, suh." He spoke with q
culver of excitement in his voice. 'Ill
go" Loyalty to his friend was strug-
Cling with Inmate superstition. and 10y
atty was for the moment the stronger.
.He arose like the leader of a forlorn
hope and took a tottering step.
Now said the Squire. briskly, 81
wan Ulie and Lem to follow behind
n 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 hesltated a moment, then
arose doggedly and buttoned up their
coats. It was always best to obey the
Squire even when he asked hard things,
Come back and tell us how you
make OUT" shouted h old man as they
were plungtng out into the night.
"All right. We won't be gone long,
Til tell you that called back Ulie, and
then they were lost in the darkness.
There was q swirl Of rafting snow in
the air. Thu wind came in pufrs and
eddies. whirllng h sharp grist into
the faces OF the men. A dismal roar,
suilen and steady. rolled from the dis
tant ridges. and from the near gaps
came q succession OF snarls and
shrieks. The snow modified the dark
ness into q ghostly light in which moth
ing was distinct.
The three men struggled on in silence.
At length they reached the place where
tho road turned of toward Heller's
Gap, and they struck into 1t without a
word. The buildings OF Allen Farthing
were In complete darkness; the family
had gone to bed. Then they turned into
the little lane that once had been
main o to h Heller cabin. BY
day a clear view of the hut could be
had from this point, but the ghostly
light revealed nothing as they peered
through the bushes.
Suddenly q thin. wavering shrek
rang through the air. far of like the
cry Of the Banshee. It stopped the
three dead in their tracks. Lem Fish
or turned and took several hasty steps.
"Oh. come on. boys" spoke UP Dan