Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-25

fTGNTn. Delaney GlSmoUlteG ana. ie2O-
ing Harrigan. scrambled up an incline,
deep in sEale. Cameron followed.
Horses and men were winded and dis
heveled when they gained the crest,
under the harshly r1Stling oaks They
nausea TO gulp the cold. invigorating
air and Delaney nodded down the
further slope.
See a chimney Just to the right OF
that dead chestnut? Certainly, its a
chimney: the best in Woodpecker town.
Well. that's where we're going. KID.
We can ride down. The slopes pretty
EASY"
they struck a path. deep worn by
the passage of many feet. Beside a
stream. flowing with dark rettcence
oyer shoals Of sodden leaves. an aged
and blasted apple tree stood. and I'M
rneoiately thereafter Delaney Grew
rein.
Here We are" he said grimiy.
Before him, Cameron saw an open
glade. patterned with a hall dozen
mains and at its further side. a house
20 storm-stained and gray that It was
ssYnos. invisible against the tree boleS.
Beyond this was another and further
along q third while few rotting up
rights rising above a mass OF collapsed
tsmbe-g nearer at hand marked where
q fourth had stood.
Beside the nearest dwelling, few
wan cornstalks stood at all angles and
rustled in the wind A hound. his head
Low. tail clamped against his belly.
crept around corner Of the house,
shifted at the intruders and skunk away
without giving tongue.
He vas the sole living thing 70 be
Gen He and the rustling cornstalks
alene moved In the silence. 1t seemed
70 Cameron that the sway-backed
houses ~itn shaggy, moss-covered
shingles and erunbl!ng ehimneys,
watched him furtively. affrightedly.
Nobody homer" he asked Delaney
with attempted Iightness.
Everybody nome" the sergeant cor
rected. dismounting. They heard us
coming and ducked into cover. They're
scared stiff Of strangers. This isn't all
the town There's more houses down
yonder in the hollow. but you could
sand here for an hour and not see a
soul I've tried L. Wei try TO get into
Popling's house. That's the one right
IN front Of US. with panes IN the win
cows"
NAILS protruded from the shrunken
boards CT the Poplings' doorstep. an
cent. sQuare-keaded nails. Delaney
10 repIy. So crusted with CRIME were
the WINDOW panes that it was impOs-
Kible TO peer IN through them.
Les the sergeant called. rs Les
tnere?"
No answer came. but he continued
well, If ne isn't ! want to see Pap.
Hurry I'D. It's the state troopers
The door screecfed on rust-scaled
hinges and opened a crack. A wizened
face peered ont in terror and would
have slammed Is again If the sergeant
hsd not thrust a boot into the sper-
tire
Tel Pap I want TO see him" he
ordered. and when no reply came.
thrust his shoulder against the door.
Cameron followed him IN and gasped
st the not lifelessness Of the air. filled
with the punaent odor Of dust and un-
washed bodies, the smell Of abject
poverty.
There YES stove rsisted and minus
sn oven door beside which a little girl
Ecusfted on q heap of oeadWood, her
mouth open. her saliow face vacuous.
IN the far corner Of the room young
woman stood against the wall, with two
children. pressed against her soiied and
tattereo skirt. Although It was Deem
Der, the youngsters dlrt-caked calves
aEd horny callousec feet were bare.
They glanced ~ the intruders and
buyToged their faces deeper into their
Ya0thers skirts She held a third child
b. an ample breast and with the other
hand pushed Intellectually and mechan-
scal7y al the iank strands Of dark hail
that gtreaneo across her fat. colorless
checks and clouoea the stupid terror Of
her eyes.
Another woman. yithersd and brown
rs a dead tree. cro1ched at The foot Of
g5ckety wooden bed. peering up at
the troopers, rgonkeylike. from beneath
J0were6 bYoWs One skinny hand vas
Ia:d upon the dirty blankets that coy
cred a half-grown girl The child's
hair was snow white SO were the
Iaebe9 Of the puckered eyellds. fiinchjng
before the sudden light through the
opened door.
liable and two stools completed the
furnishings 81 the house, One seat
f4ood empty near the door. On the
ether. drawn up by the stove, was Pap,
eatraareE1 Of the Woodpeckers, his peak
90 skull bald. his w1thered long ~nosed
face bearing the expression OF an aged
ard sorrowfu bab0Qn On HIS over
slled knees rested a half~compieted
basket lis lpflghts faring out like the
petals OF a sunnower. and st his feet
vas a tangie OF oak Withes. In his
brown soiled face with It's gtubble Of
.sylafte beard. faded blue eyes stirred and
flrkered. He was frightened. yet
steadily. as though directed by some
exterior force. his hands continued their
AaaEketNoFk with sure skill
where's Les2' Delaney asked tbs
BID man.