Part 8 (1/2)
”'Is the old gentleman with whom I came, to sleep in this part of the house?' I asked in as careless a tone as I could a.s.sume.”
”'No, he sleeps in the loft of the other part where the boys sleep;'
answered the old woman, and then looking at me with a grin which I thought gave her the appearance of an ugly old hag, she said, 'Why ye ain't afeard on us, be ye?'”
”'I told her I had had quite a fright that day, and felt a little nervous.'”
”'Well,' said she, 'ye can just go to sleep without any frights here. We shan't do ye no harm, I reckon,' and she left me and descended the ladder.”
”Before going to bed I took my light, and stepping out softly I went to reconnoitre the other room, the door of which we had pa.s.sed on the way to the room in which I was to spend the night: I was obliged to descend two steps to enter this room, where I found nothing frightful to be sure, there being only some old clothes hanging up, and the bins of grain of which I have spoken before. I returned to my room, and with great difficulty moved a rude chest of drawers, across the place where a door should be, on this I placed my little trunk, and the only chair in the room, an old shovel, and a broken pitcher, determined that if any one did enter the room, it should not be without noise enough to give me warning. Before this barricade I set my candle, hoping it might continue to burn all night.”
”I laid down without undressing, determined that I would only rest; I would not even close my eyes to sleep. I had laid thus as I supposed an hour, listening to the voices of the old people and their sons, as in subdued tones they talked together below. At the end of that time the door opened, and I heard stealthy steps ascending the ladder. My heart, as the saying is, was in my throat, and I could hear its every throb.
The steps came nearer and nearer, and as the first foot-fall sounded on the floor of the little pa.s.sage, which led to my room, I shrieked, 'Who is there? what do you want?'”
”'Bless your soul it's only me; you need not scream so,' said the old woman. 'I'm only going to the bin for some corn-meal to make mush for your breakfast.'”
”'I do believe the gal thinks we are going to murder her in her bed,' I heard her say with a loud laugh as she descended the ladder; 'you ought to see the _chist_, and the things she's got piled on top of it, all standing in the door-way.'”
”At this the men's voices joined in the laugh, and they sounded horribly to me. 'Yes,' I thought to myself, 'how easy it would be for them to murder us in our beds, and there would be no one to tell the tale.' Soon after this, in spite of my resolution to keep awake, sleep must have overpowered me, for I was awakened by a tremendous crash, as if the house was falling, and I opened my eyes to find myself in total darkness, and to hear soft footsteps in my room.”
”Oh, how I shrieked this time! I believe I cried 'help! help! murder!'
and I soon heard footsteps approaching, and saw a light gleaming up the ladder way, and soon the old woman's night-cap appeared over the chest.
'What _is_ the matter now?' she cried with some impatience, 'you certainly are the most _narvous_ lodger I've ever had yet.'”
”'Matter enough,' said I, 'there is some one in my room. Didn't you hear that awful crash?'”
”'Pshaw! it's only our old black cat!' said the old woman; 'he always comes up to this room to sleep, but we thought we had shut him out.'”
”'Can he climb the ladder?' I asked.”
”'Just like a _human_,' said the old woman; and, pus.h.i.+ng aside the chest, she seized the cat, and raising the only window in the room, threw him out.”
”Again weariness overpowered me, and I slept; only to awake to new horrors; for now I heard cautious footsteps and whispered voices, and outside the grindstone was at work making something very sharp. Then the door opened, and a smothered voice said, 'Mother, is the water hot?'”
”'Yes, bilin',' answered the old woman; 'are the knives sharp?'”
”'All ready,' answered the young man; 'where's father?'”
”'He's gone to the loft,' said the old woman; and then came some whispered words, which I could not catch. You will most probably laugh at me, but my mind was now so worked up by all the agitation I had experienced, that I had not the smallest doubt that we were now to be murdered, and that the dreadful work was already going on in the loft, my kind old friend being the first victim. Still I thought I might be in time to save him yet, and there might be a bare possibility of our escape. Springing from my bed in great haste and agitation, I hurried on my shawl, and cautiously descended the ladder; but my blood froze with horror, as just then I heard a piercing shriek. In the pa.s.sage below I encountered the old woman; she had just come into the house, and had an old shawl over her head, and a lantern in her hand, I thought she gave a guilty start when she saw me, as she exclaimed:”
”'Why, bless me, gal! what are you down at this time in the morning for?'”
”'What are _you_ all up so early in the morning for?' I asked, in a voice which I meant should strike terror to her heart.”
”'Why, my old man and the boys had determined to kill hogs this morning,' she answered; 'but we tried to keep so quiet as not to disturb ye. I was afeared, though, that the squealing of the hogs would wake ye.'”
”The relief was so sudden, that I could hardly refrain from putting my arms round the old woman's neck, and confessing all my unjust suspicions, but the fear of hurting her feelings prevented. With a tranquil mind I again climbed the ladder, and sought my humble bed, and was soon in such a sound slumber, that even the squealing of the hogs, in their dying agonies, failed to rouse me.”