Argosy, Vol. 123, No. 1 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

THE PROGRESS “Aye!” said Bunyan fervently. “Thy consent is half the battle,’ said Giles. “I go to seek the exorciser.” And he came toward the cell door, where the sentry and I stared in wide-eyed awe of the proceeding. For, mark you, while I have other ideas now on exorcism and such matter, at this time I fully believed, as did Bombard, Hobgoblin and the pop-eyed sentry, in the reality of evil possession. CHAPTER V. THE EXORCISM THAT FAILED. Yet I was not so sure that Jack Bun- yan was really possessed of a devil. But that he believed this to be his plight was almost as bad. If the lad could only be convinced, as I was, that he was not > half so black as he painted himself, his devil might: lose some of its ill hue. This I ventured to express to Captain Bombard as‘he came from the cell. I told him all I knew about Jack Bunyan, of his bravery, his honesty, his queer self-convic- tion of wickedness. “Lad,” said Giles, who between times was a most amiable and approachable worthy, “I am half of thy mind in this matter. He is a brave soldier, but if it be as ye think, then indeed is his plight more grievous, for he harbors a devil of his own willing; which is a double sin. Wherefore this devil must be taken from him. He must be saved from the burning.” “ Know either of ye,” he added, includ- ing the sentry in his address; ‘‘ know either of ye any who hath power to exorcise devils?” i “That I do, sir,” quickly. ‘“‘ There be one of whom I ha heard, in this same village of Naseby, who is not only a godly man and an exhorter in the Gospel, but one having craft in drugs and against witchcraft and the like.” ‘“Go fetch him!” said the captain. “Get thee gone. And you, lad,” (to me) ‘“‘ stand guard until he returns.” As soon as we were alone together I peered through the bars at Hobgoblin. He was how immersed in the study of his little put in the sentry 2 OF J. BUNYAN. 13 book, seeking mayhap some pathway out of his dilemma. ‘‘ Jack,” I whispered, ‘ha’ done with this folly. Thou’rt no more possessed than ye do imagine, and a much less.” ‘“Get thee behind me, satan!” said he in a sepulchral voice, and fell again to read- ing ‘The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven.” I gave him up, and contented myself with finding interest in my temporary duty. It was a queer place, was Naseby lock- up that day; part infirmary, part alehouse, and part casual lodging. Some of the royalist prisoners were drunk and singing; others were drunk and snoring; still others nursed and cursed minor wounds, while a few of finer sensibilities sat behind the bars with their heads in their hands, in despair of the lost cause. But I had little time in which to observe | these. The sentry presently came back in company with Captain Giles, who had met him outside the prison as he returned from — his errand. -Behind. them walked a sleek, soft-footed person in the garb of a dissi- dent preacher, whose face gave me a mo- mentary start. It was Master Jonas Sly- they, whom I had last seen in the duck- pond! “The exorcist,” said Bombard briefly. ‘“A godly man, besides versed in surgery, medicines, and counter-crafts.” It was on my tongue to say that if Jonas Slythey was to be the exorciser, I feared he would not tame Jack Bunyan’s devil; but curiosity stayed me when, Slythey’s gaze encountering my face, he seemed not to know me again. This glow of curiosity became a flame when I saw Slythey take a swift step back from the bars through which he had peered at the person whose devil he was to exorcise. He had recognized the red-haired fury of the village green, the same who had pitched him into the duck-pond! : What would he do? Retire? Not he! A slow smile played for a moment about his flabby, sallow face, and he turned his back ‘upon the cell door: ‘T shall not enter until all is prepared,” he said softly. ‘‘ Tis needful that, first, all should be in readiness.” comiclboool C@