Grace Harlowes Overland Riders Among the Kentucky Mountaineers | Page 6

to apologize for him," laughed Grace.
"Folks, don't you think this conversation is growing rather personal? I
would suggest that we all put on the brakes and start something less
personal."
The brakes were instantly put on in one direction, but wholly released
in another. The music from Washington's harmonica ceased suddenly
in the midst of a lofty flight, ending in a gurgle and a gasp. The
Overlanders heard it and laughed.
"He's swallowed the music box!" cried Emma.
Wash, finding his voice, uttered a shrill scream of fright that brought
the Overland Riders to their feet in alarm. They were amazed to see the
colored boy charging across the camp, his feet barely touching the
ground, his eyes wide and staring. In his flight he bowled over Grace
Harlowe who measured her length on the ground on her back.
"Stop!" shouted Tom Gray, making a grab for the boy, and missing him
by an inch or so.

Emma Dean stuck out a foot and succeeded better than she had hoped,
for Washington tripped and plunged floundering into the campfire.
Uttering a piercing yell, he bounded up like a rubber ball and made a
mad dash for the bushes with Hippy Wingate in full pursuit.
CHAPTER II
THE MYSTERY MAN
"I've got him," cried Hippy, appearing with a firm grip on the
frightened Washington's arm, and fairly dragging him along. "Can't
afford to let any fellow get away who can bake potatoes like Wash
can."
"Bring him to me, please," demanded Grace. "Now, Washington, what
happened to frighten you so?" she asked in a soothing tone, at the same
time patting the colored boy on his kinky head.
Wash rolled his eyes from side to side and twisted his head as if to
smooth out the wrinkles in his neck muscles.
"Speak up. Don't be afraid. Nothing can harm you. What was it?" urged
Grace.
"De--de debbil him--him speak--him heyeh. Him speak to Wash right
outer de air," gasped the boy.
"There! I knew something terrible would happen from your awful work
on that harmonica," declared Emma Dean. "I'm not at all surprised,
Wash."
Grace shook her head at Emma.
"You imagined all of that, Wash," she said. "What did you think you
heard him say?"
"Him say--right outer de air, 'Wash! Remembah, dis am de sebbenth

yeah.' Den Ah tuk a frenzy spell."
"What do you mean by the seventh year?" questioned Miss Briggs.
"Ah doan know. It's de hoodoo, Miss. Somet'n sure gwine happen to dis
niggah."
"Nonsense!" retorted Nora sharply.
"If you don't brace up and behave yourself, something surely will
happen to you," warned Lieutenant Wingate.
"I believe the boy really did hear something," declared Grace as she
gazed at the trembling lad before her. "Tom, please look there where he
was sitting, will you?"
Tom Gray rose and started to obey her request. At this juncture the
bushes parted, and a man, faintly outlined in the light from the campfire,
stepped into view.
Wash saw him and, uttering another yell, made a break, but Hippy, on
the watch for this very thing, caught and held him.
"Behave yourself or I'll let the fellow have you," he warned.
Tom hesitated, then stepped forward to meet the stranger. He saw a
man apparently of early middle age, smooth-shaven, wearing long
iron-gray hair that hung below his sombrero, the locks curling slightly
at the bottom. The eyes that regarded Tom were keen and twinkling,
full of good nature and humor.
"Well, sir, who are you?" demanded Grace's husband.
"Who am I? You will be surprised when I tell you. I'm the original
Mystery Man. Spectacles, notions and trinkets are my specialty. I make
the near blind see and dull the glare of the sun for those who do see."
"Glad to meet you. Come in, won't you?" invited Tom.

"That's what I'm here for. I've invited myself to have a snack with
you-all."
Grace said they had just eaten, but that they would prepare something
for their caller if he could wait. The stranger said he could and would
wait, so Anne and Nora set about making coffee and frying bacon,
Washington being still in too great a fright to do anything useful.
"I'll introduce myself again," resumed the caller. "I'm Jeremiah Long,
and that's the long and short of it. Who are you?"
Grace introduced the members of her party, telling Long that they were
riding for their health and amusement. Emma added that they were on
their way in search of a fortune on Lieutenant Wingate's tract of
mountain land, and would have said more had not Grace given her a
warning look.
"Are you the voice from the wilderness?" demanded Hippy scowlingly.
The stranger threw back his head and laughed.
"I confess it. I am the 'seventh year'