“I strayed off a piece, pretending to get cool, but this hoss began to get scared, and that’s a fact; for the devils carried Cormon until they got tired of him, and, said I to myself, ’Ain’t they been doing me the same way?  I’ll cache, I will.’

“Well, now, I felt sort of queer, so I saunters along kind o’ slowly, until I saw an open place in the rock, not minding the imps who was drinking away like trappers on a bust.  It was so dark there, I felt my way mighty still, for I was afraid they’d be after me.  I got almost to a streak of light when there was such a rumpus in the cave that gave me the trembles.  Doors was slamming, dogs growling and rattling their chains, and all the devils a-screaming.  They come a-charging; the snakes was hissing sharp and wiry; the beasts howled long and mournful, and thunder rolled up overhead, and the imps was yelling and screeching like they was mad.

“It was time to break for timber, sure, and I run as if a wounded buffalo was raising my shirt with his horns.  The place was damp, and in the narrow rock, lizards and vipers and copperheads jumped out at me, and climbed on my legs, but I stamped and shook them off.  Owls, too, flopped their wings in my face and hooted at me, and fire blazed out and lit the place up, and brimstone smoke came nigh choking me.  Looking back, the whole cavayard of hell was coming; nothing but devils on devils filled the hole!

“I threw down my hat to run faster, and then jerked off my old blanket, but still they was gaining on me.  I made one jump clean out of my moccasins.  The big snake in front was getting closer and closer, with his head drawed back to strike; then a hell-dog run up nearly alongside, panting and blowing with the slobber running out of his mouth, and a lot of devils hanging on to him, who was a-cussing me and screeching.  I strained every joint, but it was no use, they still gained—­not fast—­ but gaining.  I jumped and swore, and leaned down, and flung out my hands, but the dogs was nearer every time, and the horrid yelling and hissing way back grew louder and louder.  At last, a prayer mother used to make me say, I hadn’t thought of for twenty years, came right before me as clear as a powder-horn.  I kept running and saying it, and the darned devils held back a little.  I gained some on them.  I stopped repeating it, to get my breath, when the foremost dog made a lunge at me—­I had forgot it.  Turning up my eyes, there was the old gentleman looking at me, and keeping alongside without walking.  His face wasn’t more than two feet off, and his eyes was fixed steady, and calm and devilish.  I screamed right out.  I shut my eyes, but he was there still.  I howled and spit, and hit at it, but couldn’t get his darned face away.  A dog caught hold of my shirt with his fangs, and two devils, jumping on me, caught me by the throat, a-trying to choke me.  While I was pulling them off, I fell down, with about thirty-five of the infernal