LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 933, 21 June 1877, Page 3

LITERATURE.

THE DEVIL'S HOLE.

[from chamber's journal.] ( Continued.) The dream disturbed me so greatly, that for a long time I could not again compose myself; but at length I was just upon the point of relapsing into uncoDSciousness, when a sound, too confused to be at once explicable, but which appeared to come from the neighborhood of Mr Morgan's room, struck upon my ear, rousing me in an instant to renewed wakefulness. Wondering what it could be, I strained my attention to listen; but it was not repeated. Presently, however, I became conscious of other sounds, faint in themselves, and partially drowned beneath the wail of the wind, but which, nevertheless, my hearing, rendered acute by anxiety, distinctly reported. They Avere an intermittent creaking of the distant staircase, accompanied by a shuffling kind of tread upon it, such as might be occasioned by the cautious descent of several persons bearing a heavy weight. That at least was the interpretation which, with a sickening conjecture as to what that weight might be, I put upon these mysterious midnight noises. Slipping from bed, I crossed the room on tiptoe, applied my ear to the crevice of the door, and bent all my faculties to harken. lam not, I think, a coward; but I must own to experiencing a strong sensation of alarm when, ofter standing there for a few moments, during which I not only heard the wind whistling through the passage below, but actually felt a powerful draught, I knew from the cessation of both that the entrance door, which must have been opened, had been agaiu closed. Noiselessly but swiftly I passed over to the window, and pressed my face against it, in the hope of discovering who and what it was that had left the house at so strange an hour. But the night was pitchy dark; I could see nothing beyond a foot from the pane; and shivering, less from exposure to the cold than from a horrible idea which had taken possession of me, I crept back to bed.

Several hours appeared to have elapsed, though I have no doubt it was in reality less than half a one, before, by an intuitive perception, I became aware that the individuals who had quitted the farm had returned to it. Trembling with dread, none the less overwhelming from its being in a measure vague, I once more concentrated all my powers upon the act of listening, and Avas soon informed by my terror-quickened senses that the stairs Avere again creaking —this time beueath a lighter tread. Then—yes ! I was sure of it—a stealthy step Avas coming down the passage, slowly approaching my room ! It paused before the door, and in another instant a wary hand was at work upon the fastener. Some kind of instrument had been inserted between the door and its frame, by means of which the bolt was being gradually pushed backwards in the socket.

With a rapidity not unusual in moments of excitement or danger, my mind Hew in an inconceivably short space of time through a course of reasoning, which shaped all my previous surmises and brought me to the following conclusions. Firstly, that my friend and I had fallen into bad hands, and that by some means or other the villainous inmates of the farm had found out about the money in Mr Morgan's custody. Secondly, that the poor gentleman had been robbed and perhaps murdered upon its account. And lastly, that those who had done the deed, having returned, were now meditating the commission of a similar offence upon myself. Scarcely, however, had I arrived at this terrible judgment ere there darted upon me a hope of escape from the apprehended danger. It was brought about by the reflection that in my case there was no booty —save the very insignificant one of a few sovereigns and a clumsy silver watch—to tempt to the commission of so great and dangerous a crime. If, therefore, I sanguinely endeavoured to persuade myself, I could but manage to deceive the amiable individual who was so considerately striving to force a way into my room without disturbing my slumbers, into the belief that he had made it unobserved, an examination of my effects might end, possibly, in both them and myself being left untouched. The experiment, at all events, I resolved should be tried, the more especially as upon further consideration I felt sure it offered my only chance of safety; for, as I recollected with an access of consternation, it had been arranged that Jonathan should sleep in a hayloft apart from the house, and consequently, should my solution of those ominous sounds be correct, I was alone amongst these wretches, and entirely in their power. Kesistance, whatever might be their design, would, I saw, be woi-se than useless ; and accordingly, though my heart throbbed violently when I knew that the door had at last yielded and that the intruder was in the chamber, I lay perfectly still, breathing loudly and regularly.

The adoption of this line of conduct in all probability saved my life, for as the issue of the event proved, it was not to rob me, but to discover whether or no I were asleep, that my surreptitious visitor had entered my apartment. This fact became sufficiently patent when, after leaning over my bed for what, measured by my mental suffering was an eternity, during which, with a difficult exorcise of self-control, I continued to respire like one in heavy slumber, ho stole away again, without having meddled wibh my clothes or gone near the rude dressing-table upon which lay my watch. But my trial was not yet over. For I should think fully an hour after he had quitted the bedchamber and carefully replaced the bolt, my unknown watcher remained listening outside the door ; and throughout that time I neither dared stir a limb nor remit any sonorous breathing. Eventually, however, an exchange of whispers with some person or persons, who had evidently been awaiting, not far off, the result of this protracted test, was followed to my intense relief, by the sound of retreating footsteps.

Upon how I passed the remainder of that dreadful night, with the_ long-drawn-out hours of early morning Avhich succeeded, I am not about to dwell. But that no sleep visited my eyelids, and that, tortured by suspense and enforced inaction, my hard couch was by no means a bed of roses, it will readily be believed. Upon that couch nevertheless I forced myself to remaui until considerably after seven o'clock; then, rising and dressing, I bathed my face in cold water, aitd studying it in the tiny mirror, strove carefully to remove all traces of solicitude or want of rest.

But when ready at length to go forth from that chamber of horrors and satisfy myself, as I had been so feverishly longing to do, as to the truth or falsity of the theory (for after all it was little else) which I had based upon the events of the night, 1 shrank from doing so. After another earnest prayer, however, for strength to meet whatsoever might be in store for me, and to act the part upon whi b I had determined, I summoned up courage, drew the bolt, and passed out. On reaching the room allotted to Mr Morgan upon the previous evening, I found the door standing wide open, and with mingled feel ings of awe and curiosity, I entered. It was, as a single glance showed me, in perfect order. The bed, of which the coveri were turned down, was ruffled no further than it would have been by a peaceful slumberer, and the coarse sheets were unstained by the slightest mark of blood. Nowhere could the faintest indication of disturbance be discovered ; and as the welcome thought suggested itself, that had any deed of viole ce really taken place, its evidences could scarcely have been so cleverly effaced, I turned with a heart lightened by hope, which wa3 well-nigh assurance, and went downstairs. A clatter of cockery greeted my ears as I n ared the kitcheD ; and upon arriving there, I found the farmer with his family and Jonathan the driver seated at breakfast-, by a large centre table. A smaller one, laid with cups and plates for two, stood nearer the fireplace ; but the little minister, a rapid survey of the apartment satisfied me, was not present. Instantly my strong hope perished, giving place to a pang of keen disappointment. But commanding my features to an expression of unconcern, I returned the good-morrows which were showered upon me, snd replied to a question from my host as to how I had slept, with the assurance that I had passed an excellent night, and that indeed I was at all times a remarkably sound sleeper. Whilst making this statement, however, I was fully conscious that in each of the several pairs of eyes which I saw directed towards me there was a hard, scutinising look. But instead of disconcerting, that inquiring gaze rather emboldened me. Convinced thereby of the absolute necessity for enactment of the role upon wlrch I had decided, I felt my spirit rising to meet the occasion. Crossing the floor, I seated myself by the smaller table, and inquired in a firm voice, and with a smile upon my face, where Mr Morgan was, remarking, that in passing his room, I had noticed that it had been vacated. 'Well, intee , yes sir; it is more as an hour I should think since the goot gentleman will be come down stair, and that he is gone out for a walk,' composedly returned the farmer, ibo whom I had addressed myself. 'ltis to see the Spike Ilocks that he will be gone, it was no doubt. But I 'oold be glad he came now to breakfast, for he is a long while away, whatever.' 1 The Spike Rocks !' I exclaimed, feeling that I wa3 turning pale, and almost losing my self-possession. 'Surely, we are not near the Spike Rocks ?' 'But yes inteet sir,' rejoined the old woman, who was standing up, cutting bread for the rest, and in whom I detected a large amount of suppressed excitement. 'lt wass but very little way off the Rocks, this farm. And it is name, sir, the Spike Rock Farm. In the summer time there wass a many ladies and gentlemen will call here to ' ' Spike Rocks !' I cried, interrupting her rudely, and turning to Jonathan in a violent rage, which for the moment swallowed up all thought of caution —'how dared you, sirrah, bring us again to this horrible spot ? You must have known where you were driving. You—you ; or,' I added, stammering, as a highly discomposing suspicion dashed across my mind, and finishing the sentence differently from what I had intended—'or you must have been more drunk that I had imagined.' ' But sir, I wass not drunk no more than you wass yourself,' rejoined the hunchback in a threatening tone, glaring at me fiercely. ' And it is of no use that you will scold me sir, not of any at all; for, sir, I did not know that we wass come here myself—not till this morning whatever. And by' ' Silence, man !' I interposed, with an assumption of dignity and a strenuous effort to appear collected; ' swearing and passionate language will not convince me that you are speaking the truth any better than quiet words would do. But I will go and meet Mr Morgan,' I concluded, rising as though to put an end to the incipient quarrel; and taking up my hat, I prepared to leave the house.

Following me to the door, the farmer politely proposed that he, or one of his sons, should walk with me for company. But upon my declining the attention, it was not pressed; and contrary to my fears, I was allowed to pass out alone. Owing to the storm, I had on the previous evening been able to pay no attention to the farm's surroundings, and my bedroom window, as I had this morning found, looked out merely upon an orchard by its side. But now, scarcely had I opened the wicket of the little garden, than, with a start of surprise, I distinctly recognised the locality in which I stood There, to my right, at not many yards distant, appeared the identical white gate by which our conveyance had waited yesterday whilst the little minister and I paid our visit to the Spike Rocks It was down this very road we had driven ; and upon looking back thereat, I even recollected the farm itself. I recollected something else too, which made me involuntarily quicken my steps, and which confirmed beyond doubt the suspicion which I had just conceived—that Jonathan might be in collusion with the people at the farm. I had thought nothing of it at the time; but I now well remembered, upon our return to the dog-cart, observing a man, who, it struck mo, was our obliging host himself, walking away from it in the direction of the house.

The longer I ruminated upon the aspect of affairs, the uglier they now became, and the more clearly did I begin to perceive that the whole thing had been a preconcerted plot. It was by no mistake, I presently told myself, that Jonathan had turned up that lane, and by no accident that the horse had lost its shoe. We had been expected last night at that farm-house, and we had been taken there deliberately, in order that Mr Morgan might be robbed of his money. Jonathan had either discovered the existence of the three hundred pounds, or he had been informed of it. But how or by whom ? The answer to this question was not far to seek, and being snpplied, it furnished the completing link in the chain of evidence I was mentally working out. The landlord of the Ship and Anchor was the dwarf's cousin; he

had seen the minister's money. I recalled his covetous glance, his suspicious presence in the closet, the fact that he had proposed our taking the dog-cart; and everything grew transparent as daylight. But had the little Welshman really been murdered ? And was my method of accounting for the noises of last night accurate ? I could not doubt it; nor could I dismiss a hideous idea as to how his body had been disposed of, which, directly upon learning that I was in this vicinity, had taken possession of me. It was in fact with an implicit belief that my late companion was lying at the bottom of it, that I now approached that Hole wlrch on the previous day had effected me so disagreeably. Leaning over the brink upon gaining it, I experienced that peculiar kind of fascination which attends the horrible, as gazing into its depths, I watched the water foaming and whirling, and occasionally rising in great sheets to cast itself with angry impatience against the confining barrier. Noting its fury, which appeared to have increased since my former visit, I saw to a certainty that, even were it possible to reach the bottom without being dashed to pieces upon the rocks, no life could be retained for an instant in that boiling pool. To fall or to be thrown down here would be certain and instantaneous death. There would be no chance of being exhumed f r interment in a lU'ire hallowed stot, for what diver could be found daring enough to descend below these gyrating waters ! No ! had my friend been cast into this "Devil's Hole, ' here he mnst remain. There could be no tales told by Lis body as to how he had met with his death, for that body would be seen no more by mortal eye.

(To he continued.)