The Lancashire Witches: A Romance of Pendle Forest

is thoughts could be at all allayed, and he had only just regained something like composure when he was disturbed by hearing a slight sound in the adjoining chamber. A mortal chill came over him,

his shoulder, and a friendly voice whispered in his ea

a rustic figure standing beside him, divested of his

ind Wiswall, yeawr own birthplace, abbut? Dunna be feert, ey sey. Ey'n getten a steigh clapt to y

abbot st

boh that accursed wizard, Nick Demdike, turned my hont agen him, an' drove t' poike head intended for himself into poor Cuthbert's side. They clapt meh i' a dungeon, boh Ebil monaged to get me out, an' ey then swore to do w

e temptation of life and liberty which you hold out to me, I cannot yield to it. I have pledged my word to the Earl o

red. By th' Mess, boh yo shan. Ey'st nah go back to Ebil empty-handed. If yo'n sworn to stay here

only regret that you and Abel Croft have exposed yourselves to so much peril on my account. Poor Cuth

tempt to arrest him. Boh, be aw t' devils!" he added, brandishing his knife fiercely, "t' war

gn. Leave the wretched man to the chastisement of Heaven. And now

ied Hal o'Nabs, sc

" replied

" pursued Hal, "and tell Ebil so

," replied

he other across the chamber. The window wa

ps," said Hal o' Nabs, "o

d, and partly des

o one,"

who was close behind him. "Ebil canna

h he knew to be connected with the mill by a covered passage running along the south bank of the Calder. Scarcely had he set foot th

ulting laugh, "yo hanna brok'n yor word, an

your mistaken zeal," cried

ey'n saved yo' fro' destruction

ore described. Half an hour before it had been bright moonlight, but, as if to favour th

Hal o' Nabs, leani

oice below. "Is aw

" repli

un wi' t' stei

eturned Hal, "boh h

and further aided by some irregularities in the wall, he was soon safely landed near the

be praised, yo ar

y this time had reached the ground, and who was fearful of some

. One o' owr chaps has just tuk em up a big black jack fu' o' stout ele; an ey war

ch it was as quickly shut, and secured. In answer to a call from the miller, a light appeared at the top of a steep, ladder-like flight of wooden steps, and up these Paslew, at the entreaty of Abel, m

fore a turf fire, with an infant on her knees, was the miller's wife. The latter instantly arose on beholding the abbot, and, placing the child on a corn bin, ad

me, that I may bless it,"

"it wur brought to me this varry neet by Ebil. Ey wish it wur far enough, ey'm sure, for it's a deformed

ange and unnatural disposition of the eyes, one of which was set much lower in the head than the ot

poor little creature, rather than reproac

n fine feelings wi' your larning fro t' good feythers, D

no mother," suggest

't," returned the miller's wife.

ike's child?" crie

ded, triumphantly, to her daughter, "Ey towd te, wench, ot t' lort abbut would be of my w

her not, but mur

in to struggle with my fate. I will go back

wine t' cheer yo, and then we'n set out to Pendle Forest, where ey'st find yo a safe hiding-place. An t' ony reward ey'n ever ask for t' sarvice shan

and a grimace to her daughter, went in search of some viands and a flask of wine, which she set before Paslew. The miller then filled

On the first alarm Abel had flown to a small window whence he could reconnoitre those below, and he now returned with a face white with terr

e abbot rising, but without betraying any anxiety. "Do not concern yourselve

n yet, feyther abbut, an' ey knoa a way to baffle 'em. If y'on

"theawst nah been mey mon seven year f

lied Hal o' Nabs. "Go down to t' grind

d hastily descended the steps with Pa

safely; an whon they're gone, tak it to't church, and place it near t'

ened out of her wits, promised compliance, he hurried down the step

hoarse. Yo winnaw get in y

nnected with the huge water-wheel outside, proved to be by no means inconsiderable. Strong shafts of timber supported the flooring above, and were crossed by other boards placed horizontally, from which various implements in use at the mill depended, giving the cha

t down, and laying hold of a small ring, raised up a trapdoor. The fresh air which blew up through the aperture, combined with the rushing sou

d one of the miller's men cried out that

' Nabs, who had some difficulty in maintaining his fo

out his arms to receive the burden. The light fell upon the huge black circle of the watershed now stopped, and upon the dripping arches supporting the mill. In another moment the abbot plunged into the water, the trapdoor was replaced,

outs were soon heard at the door of the mill, and the glare of torches was cast on the stream. Then it was that Hal dragged his companion into a deep hole, formed by some decay in the masonry, behind the wheel, where the water rose nearly to their chins, and where they were completely concealed. Scarcely were they thus ensconced, than two or three armed men, holding torches aloft, were seen wading under the archway; but after looking carefully

ompletely sheltered from observation by the mist that enveloped them; and after proceeding in this way for some distance, Hal stopped to listen, and while debating with himself whether he should now quit the river, he fancied he beheld a black object swimming towards him. Taking it for an otter, with which voracious animal the Calder, a stream swarming with trout, abounded, and knowing the creature would not meddle with them unless first attacked, he paid little

bbut," he cried, "wi' which ey con

o weapon will prevail against it, for I recognise

, an mey t' best o' your way to t' Wiswall. Ey'n join ye os soon os ey con scrush this varment's h

of the tree, when a man suddenly came from behind it, seized his hand, and dragged him up forcibly. At the same moment his captor placed a bugle to his lips, and winding a few notes, he was instantly answered by shouts, and soon afterwards

oath!-false to all men!" cried the

he some satisfaction, to you to learn, that I have endured f

augh; "but you have destroyed others beside yourself

rom one of the arquebussiers and held it to the ri

. Uriel is more than a match for any man. Se

ing floating within it, but nothing met his view until he came within a short distance of the mill, when he beheld

ast let him go," cri

s efforts, crept ashore, and fell at his

hound was quite dead. There was a deep gash in its side

d I had. And thou art gone! The villain has kill

anied by the two others he conveyed Paslew back to the abbey, where he was placed in a

prisoner, whose demeanour was sullen and resolved, Demdike proceeded to the great hall, where the Earl of Derby, who had returned thither after the midnight mass, was still sitting with his retainers. An audience was readily obtained by the wizard, and, apparently well pleased with the result, he returned to the guard-room. The prisoner was seated by himself in one corner of the chamber,

?" cried Hal o' Nabs, kicking his he

; "if for nothing else,

"Yo'n alter your moind. Do, mon. E

cried Demdike, "I will not

when it's too l

will be that Uriel's slaughter is paid

Hal. "'Specially whon yo'n

Demdike, surprised.

your chilt dees too. Whon ey ondertook this job ey calkilated mey chanc

I will not be outwitted by a hind like thee. I will

s a breathless corpse, 'bowt

rushing forth, and bidding the

nance, and again approaching the prisoner said, "Thou hast spoken the truth.

oind os ey be, ey'm a match fo' thee,-ha! ha! Nea

e deli

hatching treason ey'n dun. T' sartunty

e child to me unharmed, if I

o' Nabs; "ey swear. Boh yo mun set me f

u behold this warrant, guard. The prisoner is committed to my custody. I will

nt, upon which Demdike motioned the prisoner to follow him, and quitted the chamber. No interruption was offered to Hal's egress,

the child to me,

noas better nor that. Be at t' church porch i' half an ho

or a reply, he ran of

female, who hastily placing the child, wrapped in a mantle, in his arms, tarried for no speech from hi