There came a low knocking at the door; then silence and footsteps wandering furtively about. The night seemed all footsteps and whispers. There came a louder knocking, and a voice:
“ Elspeth! Elspeth! Open the door; it’s me. ”
Then muttering and wandering noises, and silence again.
The child on the bed turned itself, murmuring uneasily in its dreams. And then they came. Zora froze, watching the door, wide-eyed, while the fire flamed redder. A loud quick knock at the door‚ÅÝ‚Äîa pause‚ÅÝ‚Äîan oath and a cry.
“ Elspeth! Open this door, damn you! ”
A moment of waiting and then the knocking came again, furious and long continued. Outside there was much trampling and swearing. Zora did not move; the child slept on. A tugging and dragging, a dull blow that set the cabin quivering; then‚ÅÝ‚Äî
Bang! Crack! Crash! ‚ÅÝ‚Äîthe door wavered, splintered, and dropped upon the floor.
With a snarl, a crowd of some half-dozen white faces rushed forward, wavered and stopped.
The awakened child sat up and stared with wide blue eyes. Slowly, with no word, the intruders turned and went silently away, leaving but one late comer who pressed forward.
‚ÄúWhat damned mummery is this?‚Äù he cried, and snatching at the sheet, dragged it from the black distorted countenance of the corpse. He shuddered but for a moment he could not stir. He felt the midnight eyes of the girl‚ÅÝ‚Äîhe saw the twisted, oozing mouth of the hag, blue-black and hideous.