Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/331

Rh To'am shoutin' an' sweer'n' as tha bla'ack things cum clo'aser 'n clo'aser, so 's tha cud on'y gHmpse um now an' tha'an, an' then's 's arms wor thrown oop an' a 'pcar'd to be foightin' an' strooglin' wi tha things aboot um, an' bye an' bye tha cud hear nobbut th' skirHn', la'affin', 'n wa'ailin', an' moanin' o' th' horrors, an' tha cud see nobbut th' shiftin' bla'ackness o' tha crowdin' shapes, till a'al to wanst tha da'arkness open'd oot an' straight afore um they seed Long To'am sta'anin' by tha sna'ag, 's fa'ace 's whoite 's de-ath an' starin' eyne, holdin' on wi wan ha'an to tha willa an' wi th' other stretch'd oot an' cla'asp'd in a ha'an wi' oot a body, as pulled un an' pulled un wi' a dreadful strongness fords tha bla'ack bog beyont th' pa'ad. An' tha cud see 'at tha loight as flickered on Tom's fa'ace coom fro' tha Dead Han' itsel, wi th' rottin' flesh droppin' off tha mouldy bo'ans, an' its dreadful fingers grippin' tight hoi' o' Tom's han', 'zif tha wor growed together. Stronger 'n stronger it pulled, 'an to last tha lad gi'n oop 's hold, an' wor dragged fro' tha snag an' off tha pad, an' shriekin' wi' a great cry, loike mebbe a sowl in hell, a wor swallered oop i' tha da'arkness. Efter that th' lads cud sca'arce tell what hapt wi 'em. Th' horrors cum roond um, an' skirled an' flouted 'em; but tha niver ha'armed un 'case of their safe-keeps an' ther prayers; but tha howled at un, an' ploocked at un, till tha pore things wor cle'an mazed wi' froight, an' sick wi' tha a'afulness o' it. An' a can't ra'ly tell 'ee what'n a wa'ay tha wor got oot o' tha ter'ble bogs; a've heerd tell as wan crecpit oop th' pad on 's ban's an' kneebo'ans, an' another wor fun' layin' in a watter-ho'al, an' so, by 'n by, th' foak as'd coom doon fro' th' toon, got 'em ahl oot; but tha lads wor fair oot o' ther wits wi' fear, an' tha cudn't tell what 'd coom o' Long Tom. Wheniver tha fo'ak axed wheer a mowt be, tha 'gun to screech an' sob wi' terror, so tha cud get nuthin' oot o' th' critters that noight. But tha nex' da'ay, when they heerd ahl aboot 'un, th' fo'ak went, nat'rally i' th' good sun loight, into th' cars, an' tha sowt, an' sowt fur Long Tom, an' 's