Evening star., 1920-11-21

might be. But it was CHARACTERISTIC
! of Andy that he had no thought OF
turning back, giving up his errand
altogether. He was on duty; he must
Motley's dog came running out to
| bark at him when he reached the
| farm. Andy knew the dog and spoke
to him. and the beast leaped 1oyfully
wagon-after Andy had climbed to
| the seat-as far as the brow of the
hill. Andy stopped there to send the
dog home. and the dog went reluc-
tantly. Andy was reluctant to see
| him go. The creature would have
been good company through the
swamp. But Motley wanted his dog
to stay at home.
When the dog was gone Andy felt
utterly alone. He got out and stood
beside the wagon. where the road
dipped down the hill. and looked 10
the north and west across the wide
valley where the swamp lay. There
was beauty in the scene. The sun had
dipped out OF sight q quarter OF an
hour before.
Above the hills where 1t had dis
appeared a rosy fan Of color was
spread. everything the blue of the sky
with pink to the very zenith. The blue
shadows of dusk were creeping across
the world. The hills across the valley,
against the dying glory of the sun.
We're deep purple. splendid color ike
a chord of music. That color seemed
to sing in the air; and Andy trembled
before it. All the distant western
hills were purple: those nearer were
blue. Yet through this blue the dark
green of the pines and the lighter
hues Of birch tops appeared distinctly.
To the north, above the swamp. Seba-
cook pond was a lake OF blue silver.
The world was unutterably still. NO
air stirred. From the chimney of a
farm to the south light smoke rose
straight up in a feathery column A
COW lowed in Motley's barn. Four
crows came winging down the valley
above the swamp. silent and furtlFe
as they sped toward their roosting
place. They saw Andy on the hill. and
veered away from him and hurried
on A bird in q bush beside the road
sang a broken little song drowslly.
and at last was still.
Andy paid no great heed to all this
beauty. He looked long at the swamp,
it's pine tops black below him. FOR
minutes he delayed there, staring
down into the valley. but in the END
he climbed to his seat with sudden.
remembering haste, and clucked to
the horse.
Cit on" he said huskily.
The horse started down the hill,
picking a careful way; for the road
was steep and rocks Uttered IT ana
lodges broke its surface. Andy kept
the reins in hand. but he gave little
heed to the horse. His eyes were on
the swamp, which seemed to rise to
engulf him. He had the power OF
boy to conjure up imaginative ter
rors, and he was very thoroughly
afraid.
The road led at first through Mot
ley's steep meadow. They We're bare
and stubbly now; their hay was stor-
ed in Motley's barn. Below them
Andy came into a region of scrub
alder growth. where woodcock drop
ped in the fall flights. The native
birds nested there. and in the grow
ing dusk one flushed from the road
Just under the horses feet, where
it had been probing beside puddle
for worms. The whistle of its wings
startled Andy; his hair crawled under
his hat
!. Then he saw, only a little ahead.
rthe sentinel pine that marked the en-
trance to the swamp. and when he
came to it he clucked more sharply
to the horse and plunged down a short
dip to the level of the swamp road
The trees closed about him: their
branches seemed to reach toward
each other above his head. as though
to shut away the light Of day. 1t was
as though he drove through a deep
crevice in the solid earth. the sky
shining high above; and Andy felt
the swamp pressing in on him from