LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 932, 20 June 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THU DEVIL’S HOLE,

[from chamber’s journal,] (font hi nr if )

Fur a fcwmoments tlic lit*le minister and I sat in silence interchanging glances of dismay, which it was becoming almost to dark to read. Then simultaneously, we 'inquired of Jonathan what was to lie done. The driver’s answer was prompt and decisive. We must, he said, stop at the first house we came to and beg a night’s lodging, since upon no account dared he proceed towards home at the risk of laming the horse. His cousin, he added, would he furious should any harm come to it, as it was very valuable, and he was, besides, much attached to it. Recognising the news ity, we acquiesced in this plan without demur, and in fact without unwillingness, the idea of a speedy shelter from the still violent storm being by moans no ungrateful. But where, the question remained, could that shelter be found ? We rose in the dog-cart, looked eagerly to right and left, but could discern no habitation. Jona than, however, after applying himself to a similar scrutiny, declared that he perceived, just beyond a small plantation or orchard, about a hundred yards distant, what he felt Mire was the corner of a building ; and taking the horse by the 1 ridle, he 1 d it in that direction. His keener sight, as we shortly found, had not deceived him. When upon stopping again, we displaced the rug in which we had once more enveloped ourselves from head to foot, we saw in front of ns, through the battering rain and gathering gloom, a low straggling farmhouse.

A small garden, entered by a wicket gate, led to the door ; and begging us to sit still, Jonathan ran towards it, returning almost immediately with the information that we could be accommodated here for the night. Blessing our good fortune, we accordingly alighted, and were met, as we passed into the house, by a hard-featured elderly man in a smock-frock and leathern gaiters, who after bestowing upon us a gruff welcome, shewed us into a large sanded kitchen. An unplea sant odour of bad beer and stale tobacco greeted our entrance, and my ii>st impres sion, in the uncertain light which filled it, was that the apartment contained a numerous company. Upon candles being produced, however, as they speedily were by the farmer’s direction, its occupants resolved themselves into seven. These were, a stout red-visaged woman, the wife of our host ; and six tall strongly built young men, varying in ages from sixteen to thirty-five- his sons. With much courtesy the whole family proceeded at once to busy themselves for our comfort—one of the sons placing chairs for us in front of the peat-fire, another assisting to remove our damp coats and hang them to dry, whilst a couple more accompanied Jonathan to an out-building, where our horse and carriage were to be disposed for the night. The woman, upon her part, hastened to prepare us something to eat; and grateful for all this attention, Mr Morgan (whom I began by this time to look up)on as epuite an old friend) chatted away to onr retainers in his usually plea'ant manner. I too for a while exerted myself towards their amusement, giving them an account of our day’s excursion, and speaking of o.her matters which I thought calculated to interest. But with the exception of the woman, who had a harsh disagreeable yoke, and was sufficiently loquacious, none of the party possessed much conversational power, and the talk gradually flagged. Upon lapsing into silence, the men’s faces naturally fell into their ordinary expressions, and as my gaze now wandered from one to another, a feeling of dislike and mistrust of the entire group) seized upon me. The feeling was one that I could not well account for, and for which I blamed myself severely. Nevertheless, far from diminishing as the evening wore on, increased to an almost painful degree ; and upon my mind suddenly reverting to the large sum of money carried by my companion, 1 took an opportunity of anxiously whispering him to beware of any allusion to it. The suggestion implied in this warning appeared to startle the little minister; but his nature was eminently trustful, and as I could see, a short cogita tion ended in his mentally condemning my suspicion as uncalled for. Shortly after it had been uttered, however, he proposed, to my satisfaction, that we should go to bed ; whereupon the farmer (whose face and figure, though I knew I had never seen him bc r ore this evening, seemed somehow familar) slipped from the room, and returning directly with a black bottle in his hand, pressed ns before retiring to rest to take a glass of spirit o . Being a teetotaler, 1 declined for myself the proffered hospitality. But thinking, as he remarked, that it might prevent his taking cold from the wetting he had sustained, Mr Morgan accepted a somewhat stiff tumbler of whisky-punch. This, in order not to keep me waiting, he drained almost at a draught; and our host then preceding us to an upp)er story, pointed out the rooms in which we were to sleep) They were situated at each end of a long passage ; the first, which opened at the head of a rather steep flight of stairs, being assigned to my companion, and the farther one to myself. Upon following Mr Morgan into his chamber for the purpose of bidding him good night, I noticed with astonishment that he staggered slightly in crossing the lioor. Ho complained too, as we shook hands, of feeling ‘tnribly sleepy;” ;a;;l smiling to mysel 1 ' at the rapidity with which the vvhisky-pnmch was taking effect apron the little Welshman, I recommended him in an under tone to lock his door ; and leaving him to his slumber, betook myself, under the faigper'-s guidance, to the apartment app>ol\pted per my own occupation. Chapter 111. When le r t alone by the farmer at whose house I had so unexpectedly become a guest, I looked aratnd the room in which I was to pass the night. It was small, ill furnished, and carpetless, but not uncleanly ; and as I listened to the gusty wMd,. and heard the rain pelting against the casement, I felt thankful to 4»e under cover of a roof, however jowly. Securing the door by the only means it possessed, a rough wooden bolt, I said my prayers, got into bed, and Avas soon fast asleep. Hoav long I had slepd I have no means of judging, before I awoke Avith a start from a dream in Avhich one of the farmer’s six sons —magnified into a giant —had been poising me by the hair over the ‘"Devil’s Hole ’ at the Spike Bocks. [To he cofitinucd.)