Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/330

274 th' horrors, an' mebbe a dozen o' um follered un down th' pa'ad 's led to th' Cars; but tha wor no so sure o' thersels, an' wor skeery cnuff whe'en tha fa'and th' squishy yarth unner foot, an' saw tha glint o' tha lanthorn fa'allin' on tha bla'ack watter hoals, gainha'and to th' pa'ad; but on tha went. Long To'am mebbe thu'ty ya'ards ahead, singin' an' whistlin' 's bould 's cud be, an' behoind, tha la'ads, keepin' clo'ase t'gither, but gettin' less feared as tha got furder 'n furder into th' Cars, wi'oot seein' owt o' tha bogles 'n tha horrors. Hawiver, as tha coom nigh tha willa'-snag, th' win' coom oop tha valley, wi' a la'ang soughin' moa-an—chill 'n da'amp a coom'd fro' th' sea—wa'ailin' 's if a carried wi't a'ahl th' evil thin's as dool i' th' da'arkness an' tha shadows. Oot we'ent To'am's la'anthorn, an' sich'n a skeery so'ort o' chill cum wi' th' soughin' win', 'at th' la'ad stop't 's singin' 'n sto'od stock still by tha willa-sna'ag. Tha boys ahoind wor wuss nor him, tha dars'nt goa ba'ack an' tha dars'nt goa forra'd, tha cud on'y stan' trem'lin' an' prayin' 'n holdin' on to thcr sa'afe-keeps i' th' da'arkness, an' waitin' fur suthin' ta 'appen.

An' than, tha things 'at To'am wor so onbeleevin' about, tha'ay coomed, tha'ay did—th' horrors o' th' air, an' th' horrors o' th' watters, an' tha slimy, creepin' things, an' th' cryin' wa'ailin' things—till tha noight, as 'd bin so quiet 'n still, wor full o' movin' shadows an' dim girnin' fa'aces wi' bla'azin' eyne 'n wa'ailin' voices.

An' closer 'n closer tha coom roond La'ang To'am as a stood wi 's ba'ack agen tha sna'ag an 's ha'ands in 's pockets, tryin' to keep 's heart oop. Tha very da'arkness seemed aloive wi' un, an' th' air wor thick wi' ther wa'ailin'. Tha la'ads ahoind un, wor on ther knce-boanes by ne'ow, prayin' for dear loife,an' ca'allin' on tha sa'aints an' th' Vargin an' tha wise wimmen to sa'ave um; but tha cud see as To'am wor sta'an'in' wi 's ba'ack agen the sna'ag, an' seed 's whoite fa'ace an' angry eyne thruff tha throngin' shadows atween um. An' presently, tha sa'aid efter'rds, tha heerd