Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 130: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

600 the village they say you are a witch, and I believe you are. You make my blood cold with your curses, but it’s all lies. You haven’t told me a thing except—”’ -Angrily the crone broke in. ' “ Fool! Because you are a young up- Start with red blood in you, you think— here, I'll tell you, if you want to know— death! That’s what! Listen outside! Hear the wind rage! If you were there now it would blow you off! Down below somewhere, out beyond the rocks, your man is. They are after him! I hear the call. I have heard it before, and I know. It never fails. In the morning they will bring him Fee ; “You lie!’ screamed the wife. “ He has the light! He is strong! He knows the way. At dawn he will be here, as always—”’ A slug of wind like a solid wall smashed against the house, making. it shudder, and driving the women, staggering, together. “There!” cried the crone. ‘“ Did ever wind strike like that before? Did—” Following the blast had come a pocket of calm. For ten seconds possibly the air was as motionless as at sun-set. During that moment the scream rang out. Both heard it—faint and far-borne, but unmistakable. It was quavering and long-drawn with fear and agony—the cry of a man facing sudden and terrible death. ' As the hurricane of wind and rain crashed down again, the old woman McGann lifted the limp form of her son’s wife from the floor and laid it on the bed. Falling back a step, she crossed herself and then sank in a chair at the girl’s side. Throughout the ‘six hours to dawn, with the worst storm that West Cove had ever known rocking the house, she sat there. For the most part the girl seemed sunk in lethargy. Occasionally she stirred and moaned, mouthing over her husband’s name. Finally, just as the dark was breaking in the east, she sat bolt up, eyes wide. ‘¢ What time is it?”’ ‘“ Six o’elock.”’ “ Larry?” “Not come. Hearken!”’ Outside the wind was humming in a note like the vibration of a gigantic violin. The roar of the rain on the low roof made talk- THE ARGOSY. ing difficult. Through the window you could not see ten feet into the driving wall. Stella got up. “I’m going down.” “* Where?” “To the village.” “Well said!” shrilled the old woman, making herself heard over the uproar. ‘‘ Spoken like a true seaman’s wife. The time we get there, with the tide setting in, and the light coming, they’ll be finding him—” ‘“ Quiet, you devil!” screamed the girl, whirling on her. ‘‘ My man’s not dead! It was the storm kept him away. there, laughing at them!” Holding to each other for safety, they made the steep descent. By the time they ‘arrived in the village it had become quite light, and the rain had more than half stopped. The roar of the surf on the cliffs outside the cove was deafening, and even on the rocks behind the houses the great rollers coming in through the narrow entrance burst thunderously. Nevertheless there was a great crowd gathered there. Not one was missing from the whole village. They stood in a wide circle back from the spray, mostly silent on account of the noise, but with some shouts going back and forth among the men. A few of the deep sea fishermen, not afraid to get wet, stood on the tops of high rocks with their long spy-glasses. Neysa McGann elbowed her way through till she stood in front. “On the rocks, outside he’d be,” she shrilled into the ears of Starling, her next neighbor. “ They’d ought to be sending out leokers—”’ “We have,” he bawled. ~ “A dozen, up and down, since dawn.” Down ai the far right a cry rang out. By those next to it it was taken up and passed along the line, clear round the circle. Just inside the boulders marking the entrance of the cove a black knot of men appeared, hud- dled, stooped, and walking slowly. In their midst they carried a heavy object, almost dropping it as they stumbled over the rough- going. They were a long time approaching, some-. times out of sight behind the rocks, again hidden by the crowd. As Stella Eastrup (Cl Q) im DOOK He’ll be