White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1928-06-01
CHAPTER II-Continued

CHAF LEX ll-Nontlnueo
"Why didn't these two strangers
stop your bloody work? At least the
white man, if he be white. If George
Croghan had been here, he'd a.
stopped you quick enough"
"Mebbe so, mebbe not, Mother Cox.
But Croghan's in Great cove. So it's
no good talking his name, Mother
Cox" bantered Cromit.
GLOW do you know he's in Great
cove?" l demanded.
The widow eyed me with stern dis
approval, but was quick to take the
words from Cromit's mouth and told
me:
"He was here three days ago and
bound for there. Some of his drat-
ted Indians are straying round the
country, and he's looking 'em up. And
when he amt hunting up his Injuns
he's trying to hire our men to work
on Braddock's road. Let the red
coats make their own road, say.
When our men-folks 60 to the Ohio
they don't have no road laid down
for 'em to walk on. They just git up
and git"
"Where is Mcdowell and his men?
Where are the Craigs?" asked.
"McDowell's folks is in Great cove,
l told you," huskily reminded the
drover.
"And the Craig brothers are on the
road to Shippensburg," said the
widow. "McDowell's gone to help
drive out some witches.''
'But he and his men haven't time
to hep drive out the French" said.
| She eyed me blankly,. and then be-
rated me:
"Of all the numbskulls! There
amt no French near'n Fort Duquesne.
They can't hurt us with Braddock's
army going ag'in' 'em. But witches
right among us can spell our cattle
and send sore pains to our children
Merciful land! What good to drive
the French from the Allegheny II
witches can work their evil spells tr
our homes?"N
IF it want for these beeves, I'd &c
back and help clean out the devils
nest," muttered the droyer.
"There'll be no tormenting of poor
people on the charge of witchcraft If
George Croghan Is in the cove"
told them.
I walked up the horse-path toward
Parnal's Knob with Round Paw at
my heels. We covered a quarter OF
a mile when yell behind caused US
to look back. Cromit was coming or
the run and his legs carried him rap
idly. expected trouble and handed
my rifle to Round Paw. Cromit halt
ed and informed me:
81 amt no call to sell my soul t.
the devil. don't banker to see NJ
witches, but I'll go with you. Jus
stopped to git my knife. Old Brad
dock will give me new gun, but hi
might be stingy with his knives.
And he patted large butcher knit
worn without sheath. Did he tril
and fall 1t would be miracle If HI
escaped inflicting severe injury OF
himself.
The belief in witches and wizard
in western Pennsylvania and Virgini,
was widespread. The Old world i'm
migrants had brought along their su
perstitions as we'll as their Bibles
Once they had ventured into the IN
broken forests and made clearin
and felt the solitude closing abou
them like wall they worked oev
fancies into the old tales. If there wer
werwolves in Europe, why shout
there not be as bad, or worse, ds
bolic agencies in this new land G
gloomy ancient forests, weird water
falls and wild mountains?
What with the Palatine German
and their grewsome beliefs, the Iris
with their fairies, the Scotch wit
their gnomes and other strange hi
creatures, and the English with the
devotion to ghosts. 1t was small wol
der that almost any community alon
the frontiers should possess those wi
implicitly believed in witchcraft. NJ
was this delusion lacking in New En-
lang and other colonies.
, AS we drew clear of the hills "
beheld two-score men and wome
y grouped at the foot of low hill {
I which stood a log cabin.
/, The door of the cabin was open b.
+ l saw none of the occupants. M
4 we're the people at the foot of the, b
s giving much heed to the cabin as '
came up. Their interest was contin'
n to woman groveling on the gra
n and making a great cutlery.
b pushed my way through the GROW
and looked down on the young wOna
. She was having fit of some kind.
i, "What's the matter here" | aske
"This ycSng woman Is witched, sill
cried grayhared woman.