"All these tales told in that dreamy undertone with which men
talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now
and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe,
sunk deep in the mind of Ichabod."
Legend of Sleepy Hollow
It was on the village wharf that the coadjutors met. Basset, as he
contemplated the martial bearing of the General and the burly form
of Gladding, felt comforted. The clouds that all day long had lowered
above his mental horizon parted, and patches of blue sky began
to appear. It was a cause of special gratulation to him, which he
realized more sensibly in the darkness than by day, that assistance so
important as Gladding's had been secured, and that without additional
expense. He was confident now of an easy victory. The associates
jumped into the boat, the painter was cast off, the constable, as
principal, took the steersman's seat, and Tom and Primus disposed
themselves to row.
The night was neither clear nor dark, or rather was both by fits and
starts. Light fleecy clouds were constantly passing over the heavens,
now gathering densely together and completely hiding the stars, and
now breaking up and revealing between the rifts then shining points. A
low wind softly moaned through the leafless trees on the banks of the
Severn, sadly chiming in with the murmur of the tide, which rose quite
up to the Falls of the Yaupáae. In the indistinct light, just enough
to stimulate and keep in active play the imagination, softening away
all those harshnesses which the garish brilliancy of day discloses,
and inviting the mind to supply with its own creations what is vague
and deficient, the village presented an appearance more attractive,
if possible, than by day. Along the margin of the river, and up
the hill-sides, the lights scattered in every direction, and rising
irregularly one above another, contended successfully with the
struggling stars to light the way of the adventurers; while a low
sound, the faint indication of life, hardly distinguishable from other
noises, rose from the village, for it was yet early in the night,
and imparted a sense of security by the consciousness of human
propinquity. But gradually, under the skillful strokes of the oars,
the sounds became fainter and fainter, and one light after another
disappeared till, at a turn in the stream, the bold promontory of
Okommakemisit hid the town from view.
A feeling of loneliness now, in spite of the presence of his two
friends, began to creep over the constable. So long as the lights
had been visible, he felt a strength derived from the vicinity of the
habitations of his fellow-beings, as if, were anything untoward to
happen, assistance was close at hand and ready to be proffered, but
now he might die a thousand deaths, and none be the wiser for his
wretched end. As these and other thoughts equally dismal chased each
other through his mind, the silence became more and more oppressive
(for it was only now and then, hitherto, a word had been uttered), and
it was with an emotion of thankfulness and relief he heard it broken
by the voice of Gladding.
"I say, Primus," he said, "do you know where you are?"
"I guess I does," answered the black, speaking from between his shut
teeth, which the necessity of retaining the stump of a pipe he was
smoking compelled him to keep tight together, "I is on de river
'joying a row wid two white genlmn."
"Any fool knows that," said Tom, "though for the matter of the
enjoyment, there might be two words about that. Some jugs has two
handles."
"Well, if dat doesn't please you, I all in a shiver wid de cold. My
wood toe is almost freeze."
"That's a plaguy curus thing," said Tom. "You know Jim Hardy. Well I
hearn him say he can feel the fingers in his hand that was ground off
in the mill, just an much as in tother. I expect your experience is
pretty much the same."
"Dat's a fact," said Primus. "I can feel de foot and de toes just as
much as ebber, only de leg is a sort o' kind o' shorter. Now, Missa
Gladding, you is a man ob gumption, can you splain dat?"
"Sartin," said Tom, who didn't wish to appear ignorant to the presence
of the negro; "there's no great difficulty about that, though I rather
think it takes more larning than you've got to onderstand the thing.
You see," he added, recollecting as well as he could some Latin words
he had heard used by the doctor, "the narves of the rigdum flagdum in
circumnavigating through the humorous rusticus, deflastigated by the
horrentibus oribus sort o' twist the aures arrectos into asinos, and
that you see, to a man of larning makes the whole thing as clear as
one of elder Sillyway's sarmons."
Primus fairly caught his breath at Tom's display of learning, who
rose considerably higher also in Basset's estimation. After somewhat
recovering from his astonishment, and as if he had been reflecting on
the subject, the General said--
"Larning is a great ting, and perhaps you is right and perhaps you
isn't, but I hear anoder way to 'count for it."
"Out with it then," cried Tom.
"White folks," said Primus, "hab one way to 'count for tings, and
colored pussons hab anoder way. Now I hear a colored pussun, who come
all de way from Africa, where dey onderstands dese tings, say it was
de jumbee."
"The jumbee! What in natur's that!" inquired Basset, who had not
before mingled in the conversation.
"Now, none of your tricks, Prime," cried Tom, suspecting the negro
of an intention to mystify them with a jargon like that he had palmed
off; "jumbee ain't Latin."
"Nobody say it was," returned Primus, "I guess de old fellow nebber
hab much chance to study Latin. He better 'quainted wid de shovel and
de hoe. Dat mean in de Congo language, sperit."
"Colored people are curus folks," ejaculated Basset
"I don't see fairly what you're driving at yet," said Gladding.
"Suppose jumbee does mean sperit, what then?"
"I mean dat de hand turn into a sperit. Don't you see, Missa Basset,"
exclaimed Primus, suddenly poking his wooden leg at the constable, "de
sperit ob my leg?"
"Don't, don't, Prime," cried the startled constable, drawing back
and nearly falling in his fright into the water. "What's the use of
talking about sperits now? Come let us talk about something else."
"Well," grinned Primus, "if you don't see de sperit, I feel him."
"Don't talk so; you're spoiling all the pleasure of the sail by such
kind o' nonsense," urged Basset.
"Don't you believe in sperits?" inquired the persevering General.
"I tell ye I don't like to talk about such things now," responded
Basset.
"Why I can give you chapter and varse for 'em," said Tom. "You
remember, Basset, all about Samuel and the witch o' Endor, and that's
authority, I guess."
"Well, if I do I don't care to be chattering all the time about 'em,
though there's some says, they don't appear now as they used to in old
times."
This was an unfortunate remark for the badgered Basset. His two
friends, as if it were of the extremest consequence to convert him
from an opinion so heretical, opened for his benefit a whole budget of
ghost stories In spite of most unwilling ears he was obliged to listen
with a fascinated reluctance to tales of supernatural wonders, in most
of which the narrators had themselves been actors, or derived their
information from persons, whose veracity it would be a sin to doubt.
Among them was a legend told by Gladding, of a murdered fisherman,
whose ghost he had seen himself, and which was said still to haunt the
banks of the Severn, and never was seen without bringing ill-luck. It
is the only one with which we will trouble our renders, and we relate
it as a sort of specimen of the others:
"You see," said Tom, "it was the spring o' the year, and the shad
begun to swim up stream, when I joined Sam Olmstead's company, and
took a share in his fishing. Well, things went on pretty well for a
while, it was fisherman's luck, fish one day, and none the next, and
we was, on the whole, tolerable satisfied, seeing there was no use to
be anything else, though towards the end, it's a fact, there wasn't
many schools come along. We had built a sort o' hut of boards by the
side of the river where we kept the nets, and where some on us slept
to look after the property. Well, my turn came to stay at the shanty,
and I recollect the night just as well! It was coolish, not so cool
as this, though something like it, for there was some clouds floating
around, but it was a good deal lighter, 'cause the moon was in her
third quarter. I felt sort o' lonesome there, all alone with the nets
and the fish, and I don't know what I should have done but for some
of the 'O be joyful' I had in a jug. I tried my best to fortify my
stomach, and keep up my sperits agin the damp, but I didn't seem to
succeed. Finally, thinks I to myself, I'll go and take a snuff of
the night air, perhaps it will set me up So I sort o' strolled down
towards the shore, and then I walked up a piece, and then I walked
back agin, and once in a while I'd step into the shanty and take a
pull at old Rye. Well, seeing as how it agreed with me, and I begun to
feel better, I kept making my walks longer and longer till I strolled
to a considerable distance. It was in one of them turns I see the
ghost. I supposed afore that ghosts always appeared in white, but this
one didn't. He was dressed just like any other fisherman, in a dark
grey jacket and trowsers and a tarpaulin. It seemed to me at first he
wanted to git out of the way, but I made tracks for him, for I didn't
then a bit mistrust about its being a sperit, and halloed out, 'Who's
that?' The sperit, as soon as he heard me, came straight up, and then
I noticed he had two fish dangling down by a string, and says he, in
a sort o' hoarse voice, as if he'd caught cold lying in the ground,
'It's me; it's the ghost of Jimmy Lanfear.' Well, when I heard him
speak so, my flesh began to kind o' crawl, though I didn't know but it
might be some fellow who had stole the shad out of the shanty, for I
never heard of ghosts carrying fish afore. So says I, 'What are you
doing with them fish?' Then, says he, 'Them ain't any real fish; see
if you can touch 'em.' And then he swung 'em round and round in the
moonlight, and I did my best to catch 'em, but I might just as well
have snatched at the moonshine, for my hands went right through 'em
agin and agin, till I stubbed my toe, and fell somehow, and when I got
up, the sperit was gone. Then I knew it was Jim Lanfear's sperit,
who was murdered years ago right opposite the spot where I asked you,
Prime, if you knew where you was; and I was sartin the luck was all up
for that season, and sure enough it was, for we didn't make more'n two
or three hauls more of any consequence."
"I am sure dere was one sperit dere," said Primus, in a musing way,
and shaking his head.
"Now, Prime, what do you mean by bobbing up and down your wool? Do
you intend to signify, you unbelieving old scamp, you doubt my word? I
tell you I was no more corned than I am now. Why, if you want to, you
can see Jim almost any dark night. Perhaps he's walking along shore
now."
"What dat?" cried Primus, pretending to see something on the land.
Basset started, and strained his eyes through the darkness in the
direction indicated, but could discover nothing. The vision of Primus
and Gladding was better.
"Don't ye see someting," said the former, lowering his voice, "right
under de bank. I can't just see de shape, but it seem as if it swim in
de air widout legs. You eyes is younger, Missa Gladding; guess dey see
furder dan mine."
"I can make him out now," whispered Gladding. "It's a man, sure as
rates Golly!" he exclaimed, suddenly, "if it ain't Jim--look, Basset,
look."
The constable had listened in an agony of terror to the colloquy,
and at the exclamation of Primus, availing himself of his post as
steersman, turned the bow of the boat towards the opposite shore,
to place as great an interval as possible between himself and the
spectre. The action had not passed unnoticed, though neither of his
companions made any remark upon it. Repeatedly his head had flown
round over his shoulder, to catch a glimpse of what he dredded to
see, but, notwithstanding the excitement of his imagination, he could
behold nothing.
"O, Tom! O, Prime!" exclaimed the poor fellow, "let us go home. I wish
we was fairly out of this scrape."
"Why," said Tom, "we're 'most there now. We should be laughed at if
we was to give it up so. Who's afraid o' sperits? They're nothing but
moonshine. I vow," he cried, pointing over the opposite side of the
boat, "if he ain't there agin! Look, Basset."
But Basset was too busy with his paddle to look. With a twist of his
wrist he had whirled the bow of the boat in the direction of the bank
they had just left, and was paddling away for dear life. This time
he appeared to arrive at the condition that the middle of the stream
would be the safest position, and having attained that, he kept, as
nearly as he could judge, at equal distances from the banks. A short
space only now remained to be passed over, and in a few moments they
were abreast of the island. Here the two men rested on their oars, and
a whispered consultation was held, at the conclusion of which the
boat was quietly pulled towards the goal. This was not done, however,
without another attempt on the part of the constable to postpone
the capture for that night, but the proposal was overruled by his
associates, who scouted at his fears, and declared there was no
danger.
Basset's nerves were in a shocking condition. The doleful stories
croaked into his ears the whole passage down; the darkness of the
hour; Holden's terrible character; and the remoteness from any
assistance other than that of Gladding and Primus, in whom his
confidence diminished every moment, conspired to throw him into the
abjectest trepidation. But there was no retreat; Gladding was as
obstinate as a mule, and as for the General, true to his military
reputation, he insisted on advancing, and the unfortunate officer of
the law, who was as much afflicted, with spiritual as with material
fears, found himself in a dilemma, the solution of which was taken
away from him. No alternative remained. He must, be the consequences
what they might, see the adventure through. Borrowing, therefore,
courage from despair, with a timid step and palpitating heart, he left
the boat and closely followed his companions.
No light was visible, and the constable began to hope that Holden
was away from home, and made the suggestion that since such was
undoubtedly the fact, they had better return and come another time.
But Gladding, pointing to a canoe not before observed, convinced
Basset of the contrary, and it was then agreed that they should first
according to the plan arranged approach the cabin and reconnoitre
through the window. This being the post of danger was offered to
Basset who however could be prevailed on by no entreaties to accept
it which finally forced Gladding to volunteer. They all stood now on
a side of the hut where there was neither door nor window, being,
indeed, the side they had been careful to approach in the boat.
Gladding was to steal to one of the windows and after examining the
interior (if possible) to return and apprise them of his discoveries.
Accordingly he started off.
He had been gone but a few minutes when Primus began to be uneasy and
proposed to change their position to one nearer the hut their figures
being too much exposed where they were, in consequence of standing
in relief against the sky and water. The constable would gladly have
stuck by the boat, as furnishing a means of retreat, but dared not
remain alone. Reluctantly therefore, and cursing the obstinacy of the
provoking black he crouched his body towards the ground, and followed
in the rear of the General, that brave officer seeming disposed to
talk louder and make more noise generally than pleased his companion
who, from time to time, earnestly remonstrated with him on the
imprudence.
"What dat!" suddenly exclaimed Primus recoiling on the other and
pointing with his hand directly in front.
"Where? where?" whispered Basset, with his heart in his mouth raising
himself, and catching bold of Primus' arm.
"Hush!" said the General, "is dat a groan?"
At that instant a tremendous blow was applied to the shoulders of the
constable which sent him flat upon his face, dragging the General who
caught a part of the application after him. As Basset fell his
hat dropped off and a paper flew out which Primus picked up and
immediately pocketed, hastening then as fast as his wooden leg would
permit towards the boat which lay only four or five rods distant.
There he found Gladding preparing to push off, and scrambling in, they
had just succeeded in getting her afloat, when Basset, without his hat
flung himself, in the extremity of his terror, headlong in, pitching
Primus down upon the bottom, breaking his wooden leg, and capsizing
Tom into the water. It was so shoal that he found no difficulty in
getting in again, escaping with only a thorough ducking. It was now
_sauve que peut_, and the three addressed themselves, so far as their
bewildered faculties would permit, to the business of escape.
Thus closed the adventures of that disastrous night. All the way home,
Primus kept groaning over the loss of his leg, the only consolation
he could extract out of the calamity, being that it was easier to mend
than one of flesh, and cheaper, and upbraiding Basset with his haste
and carelessness. Gladding insisted on being landed in order to
prevent, by exercise, taking cold, threatening in his turn the
constable, that if his clothes were spoiled he should come upon him
for the damage. Poor Basset, quite confounded by these harrowing
events, had not a word to answer, and replied only by shrugging
and twisting his shoulders with pain. The departure of Tom made it
necessary for him to assist the negro in rowing back the boat, which
he did with a handkerchief tied about his head, which Primus lent him
and wincing with the soreness of his bones, the negro interspersed
his moans with expressions of sorrow over their ill luck and of wonder
whether it was Holden or the ghost of the fisherman that assaulted the
constable vowing he would "hab satisfacshum for de loss ob de leg."