The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-06
A STRANGE AND STRONG
CHRONICLE OF DARTMOOR

river roared. the witch owl hooted.
After this for some time the expert
enoes Of Father Jack continued to be
remarkable.
A strange enough figure IL Bobby
Billacott, who could not read or write,
but who set up for q scholar. Hi.
Stop my GOVT" cried Bobby to Father
Jack. 1nasmuch as the so-called COW
was pony, Father Jack was moved to
expostulate with Bobby, who had been
attending the ceremony observed since
ancient times on the second Saturday
in December and known as the day Of
Tasting the Cider" Bobby put up his
side OF the case clearly and forcibly.
Don't be peevish," he said zone
word leads to another when scholars
get to telling. II one says, 'Youm a
vule,' tother answers, The like to you
tbs the proper law OF argument. II
you SEES to me, 'You'm vull o. learning.
| ses the like to you, and II 1 don't
you spit at me. That's how It's be-
tween scholars" We are sorry to say
that Father Jack was moved to belabor
Bobby with his cane: still this injury
brought out an interesting protest and
reproach from the little farmer. Said
Bobby: "Schulemaster ha' bruised my
bones Where be I? Master, find nv
old bullock and let me go home. I be
a commoner, / be a free man. I he
owner OF Quoditch, and he ha' beat
me, he ha' bruised my buttocks, he ha'
torn me all abroad" II is pleasant to
bear witness that Father Jack felt
some self-reproaCh and that he for
bore from pursuing his stronger argu-
ments with mis- small adversary, who
was certainly eloquent, whether he
was a scholar or not.
Tho dwarf lawyer Curgenven wa.
astonishing as Father Jack saw him
after the night in the mist and after
the drinking OF the magic waters OF
the unnamed nymph. This dwarf was
a poet as well as a lawyer: he was
the high priest of the moor attending
upon all its frosts and dews and mists
and sunrises. He was a man Of in
finite wickedness with a beautiful head
and shoulders OF enormous power He
invented dreadful schemes for the ruin
OF a large immediate section OF man.
kind. II Petronel. the beautiful maiden,
was TO be believed, Curgenven was the
father OF Whipperty, the demented
boy. and Petronels violent and
drunken mother was also the mother
Of Whipperty. Petronel had the Sc
rious and sweet bearing OF an angel
when she commanded Father Jack to
accomplish the death OF her mother
JudAh Nigor, by striking that mon
strously evil woman three times on
the head with a hammer; and Petro-
nel's angelic expression suffered no
alteration when Father Jack came
upon her as she was digging her
mothers grave in the cellar OF the
house called Stiniel, the dark home
OF the Vigors
A strange story may have its rea-
sons, and the explanation OF the re-
markable matters In this story is that
Father Jack. drinking in a new life In
Dartmoor, left his bed OF recuperatiou
too early. The mists OF the moor. the
fables OF that wild free place, over
came him When he recovered Cur
genven assumed quite another form
and nature, and the variously suavt
and terrible Petronel faded away. She
| was the spirit OF the moor. under nc
| obligations to disguise her moods
Bobby Billacott, we are glad to say
was never really cudgelled by Father
Jack. He was part OF tho mist. The
story is admirably told. 1t will x
with the Phillpotts stories as a chron
icle OF power.