1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should know, a production of I 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, and welcome to the spook Cast. I'm Josh, 3 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: and there's Chuck and there's Jerry Booberry, Roland Booberry. That 4 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: was the best one. I like it. And this is 5 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:35,199 Speaker 1: Stuff you should Know, the Spooktacular, Spooky Halloween Edition. That's right, 6 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 1: this is our spook Tacular. That's awesome. And I went 7 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 1: back and looked and uh, we started out kind of 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: timid mm hmm with the early days, and then we 9 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: kind of got I think it was a few years 10 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: in when we finally started in with like the two 11 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: stories and really got our wheels. Are Halloween wheels going? 12 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: I can feel them just burning up the tree act 13 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 1: right now. That's right. And also this is as we 14 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: always like to mention, one of our two episodes of 15 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: the year, that we have fought tooth and nail to 16 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: keep ad free. That's right, because nothing will ruin a 17 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 1: spooky Halloween story more than stopping to sell stamps, That's right. 18 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: You just want the scares and the thrills and the 19 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: chills to be perfectly uninterrupted, right. Yeah. And both of 20 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: these stories of parents have never heard these, uh, they 21 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: are both fine for kids to listen to a little creepy, 22 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: but largely because we have to use uh what's it 23 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: called when you can read it public domain stories, and 24 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: usually those aren't you know, they're older, so they're not 25 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:46,480 Speaker 1: as gross as the stories you would get today. Yeah, 26 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: I mean the language they use. Adults barely know what's 27 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: going on. Kids definitely don't. So those are the stories 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: we like to pick two good ones. So I'm looking 29 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: forward to these two, two quality stories. Let's start with yours. 30 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: The Boarded Window by Ambrose Beer. Right, yeah, Ambrose Beer 31 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: is one of the great journalists and spooky story writers 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: in history. I believe we already have done one Beers piece, definitely. 33 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 1: I can't remember the name of it, but it was good. Yeah, 34 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: it was good. I think he was also called like 35 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: the wickedest man alive at some point in time. No, 36 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: that was what's his face? You know what I'm saying. 37 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,239 Speaker 1: I think more than one person has been called that. Okay, 38 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: I've been called that before. Come on, no, that's not true. 39 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: All right, So you want to start this one, Yeah, 40 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: I'll give this one a whirl, all right, And Jerry, 41 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: if you don't mind bringing on the amazing sound effects. 42 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 1: A hand for Jerry. Everybody, she does it up. Every year, 43 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: she does it up. So here we go. Everybody darken 44 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: the lights, pore up a spooky cider or something, and 45 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: here we go with the boarded window by Ambrose Beers. 46 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 1: In eighteen thirty, only a few miles away from what 47 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: is now the great city of Cincinnata lay an immense 48 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: and almost unbroken forest. The whole region was sparsely settled 49 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: by people of the frontier, restless souls who no sooner 50 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: had hewn fairly habitable homes out of the wilderness and 51 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: attained to that degree of prosperity which today we should 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: call indigence, than impelled by some mysterious impulse of their nature, 53 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: they abandoned all and pushed farther westward to encounter new 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: perils and privations, and the effort to regain the meager 55 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 1: comforts which they had voluntarily renounced. It's quite a sentence, 56 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: it is. It's clever, though I know, I love how 57 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: they pushed further westward into Cincinnati. That's right, many of 58 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: them had already forsaken that region for the remoter settlements. 59 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: But among those remaining was one who had been of 60 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 1: those first arriving. He lived alone in a house of logs, 61 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: surrounded on all sides by the great forest, of whose 62 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: gloom in silence he seemed to part, for no one 63 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: had ever known him to smile nor speak a needless word. 64 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: His simple wants were supplied by the sale or barter 65 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: of skins of wild animals in the river town. For 66 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 1: not a thing did he grow upon the land, which, 67 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: if needful, he might have claimed by right of undisturbed possession. 68 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: So this guy's like the king of his domain e 69 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: there basically definitely, But he doesn't really do anything. He 70 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,799 Speaker 1: just kind of lays around and skins animals, I guess, 71 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: as we will see, there were evidences of quote improvement 72 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: end quote, which is kind of harsh, I think, to say, 73 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,240 Speaker 1: A few acres of ground immediately about the house had 74 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: once been cleared of its trees, the decayed stumps of 75 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,720 Speaker 1: which were half concealed by the new growth that had 76 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 1: been suffered to repair the ravage wrought by the acts. 77 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:55,919 Speaker 1: Apparently the man zeal for agriculture had burned with a 78 00:04:55,960 --> 00:05:00,600 Speaker 1: failing flame expiring in penitential ashes. The a log house 79 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 1: with his chimney of sticks, its roof of warping clapboards 80 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: weighted with traversing polls, and it's quote chinking quote of 81 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: clay had a single door and directly opposite a window. 82 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,440 Speaker 1: The ladder, however, was boarded up. Nobody could remember a 83 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: time when it was not, and no one knew why 84 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: it was so closed, certainly not because of the occupant's 85 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: dislike of light and air. For on one of those 86 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: rare occasions when a hunter had passed that lonely spot, 87 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: the recluse had commonly been seen sunning himself on his doorstep. 88 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: If Heaven hath provided sunshine for his need, I fancy 89 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: there are a few persons living today who ever knew 90 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: the secret of that window. But I am one, as 91 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: you shall see right. So, yeah, you're dis guys living 92 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: out there in the woods. Seems a little bit lazy, 93 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: and he's got a boarded up window, and he likes 94 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: the sun himself, And just because of his living situation 95 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: and where he lives, there's just no way he's wearing 96 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,840 Speaker 1: clothes while he's sunning himself outside of his house, very 97 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: much naked out there. I bet um, okay, my turn. Yes. 98 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: The man's name was said to be Merlock. He was 99 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: apparently seventy years old, actually about fifty something. Besides years 100 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: had had a hand in his aging. His hair and 101 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: long full beard were white, his gray, lusterless eyes sunk 102 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: in his face singularly seamed with wrinkles, which appeared to 103 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: belong to two intersecting systems in figure. He was tall 104 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,599 Speaker 1: and spare, with a stoop of the shoulders, a burden bearer. 105 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: I never saw him. These particulars I learned from my grandfather, 106 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: from whom I also got the man's story. When I 107 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,719 Speaker 1: was a lad. He had known him when living nearby. 108 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: In that early day. One day Merlock was found in 109 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: his cabin dead. It was not a time and place 110 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: for coroners and newspapers, And I suppose it was agreed 111 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,320 Speaker 1: that he had died from natural causes, or I should 112 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 1: have been told and should remember her. I know only that, 113 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: with what was probably a sense of the fitness of things, 114 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: the body was buried near the cabin, alongside the grave 115 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: of his wife, who had preceded him by so many 116 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: years that local tradition had retained hardly a hint of 117 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: her existence. That closes the final chapter of this true story. 118 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: Excepting indeed, the circumstance. Many years afterward, in company with 119 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: an equally intrepid spirit, I penetrated to the place, and 120 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: ventured near enough to the ruined cabin to throw a 121 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: stone against it, and ran away to avoid the ghost, 122 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: which every well informed boy thereabout knew haunted the spot. 123 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: But there was an earlier chapter that supplied by my grandfather, 124 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: when Merlock built his cabin and began laying sturdily about 125 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: with his axe to hue out of farm. The rifle 126 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: meanwhile his means of support. He was young, strong, and 127 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: full of hope in that eastern country. Whence he came, 128 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: he had married, as was the fashion, a young woman 129 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: and always worthy of his honest devotion, who shared the 130 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: dangers and privations of his lot with a willing spirit 131 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: and light heart. There is no known record of her name, 132 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 1: of her charms of mind and person. Tradition is silent, 133 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: and the doubter is at liberty to entertain his doubt. 134 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 1: But God forbid that I should share it. Of their 135 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: affection and happiness, there is abundant assurance in every added 136 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: day of the man's widowed life. For what but the 137 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: magnetism of a blessed memory could have changed that venturesome 138 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: spirit to a lot like that. All right, So he 139 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: had a wife, she died. He was later found dead. Yeah, 140 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: do you know what happened? Well, no, but he's saying 141 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 1: like he loved her very much because he didn't move 142 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: from that place where she died. That's right. One day 143 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: Merlock returned from gunning in a distant part of the 144 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 1: forest to find his wife prostrate with fever and delirious. 145 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: There was no physician within miles, no neighbor, nor was 146 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: she in a condition to be left to someone help, 147 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: so he said about the task of nursing her back 148 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:08,680 Speaker 1: to health. But at the end of the third day, 149 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: she fell into unconsciousness and so passed away, apparently with 150 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: never a gleam of returning reason. For what we know 151 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: of a nature like his, we may venture to sketch 152 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: in some of the details of the outline picture drawn 153 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 1: by my grandfather. When convinced that she was dead, Murlock 154 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: had sense enough to remember that the dead must be 155 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: prepared for burial and performance of that sacred duty. He 156 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: blundered now and again, did certain things incorrectly, and others 157 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: which he did correctly were done over and over. So 158 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: this guy's kind of stumbling through this. He's like, oh 159 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 1: my gosh, yeah, jeez, he's not doing I broke her arm. Now. 160 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: His occasional failures to accomplish some simple and ordinary act 161 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,280 Speaker 1: filled him with astonishment, like that of a drunken man 162 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: who wonders at the suspension of familiar natural laws. He 163 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: was surprised, too, that he did not weep, surprised and 164 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: a little ashamed. Surely it is unkind not to weep 165 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: for the dead. Tomorrow, he said aloud, I shall have 166 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,480 Speaker 1: to make the coffin and dig the grave, and then 167 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: I shall miss her when she is no longer in sight. 168 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: But now she is dead, of course, But it is 169 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: all right. It must be all right. Somehow things cannot 170 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: be so bad as they seem. Sad. Yeah, he's in 171 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: the denial stage of grief, I think, right. Yeah, for sure. 172 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: He stood over the body in the fading light, adjusting 173 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: the hair and putting the finishing touches to the simple toilet. 174 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: Now what does that mean? I I think he was 175 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 1: like cleaning her up, not but not like not like 176 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: she was peeing or pooping. Like the toilet is like 177 00:10:56,520 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: what they called me, the little overnight kit that you 178 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: take with you, that toothpaste and all that stuff. That's 179 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:05,719 Speaker 1: the only thing I can think of that he was 180 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: like combing her hair and maybe like cleaning whatever off 181 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: of her mouth, or you know, get that part. But 182 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: just the simple toilet. I thought they meant her, but 183 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: I don't think could be. Was the wickedest man alive, 184 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: all right, So let me just uh do that since again, 185 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: putting the finishing touches to the simple toilet, doing all 186 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: mechanically with soullless care, and still through his consciousness ran 187 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: an under sense of conviction that all was all right, 188 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: that he should have her again as before, and everything explained. 189 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: He had no experience in grief. His capacity had not 190 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 1: been enlarged by use. His heart could not contain at all, 191 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 1: nor his imagination rightly conceive it. He did not know. 192 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: He was so hard struck that knowledge would come later 193 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: and never go grief. As an artist of powers as 194 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: various as the instruments upon which he plays his urges 195 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: for the dead, evoking some of the sharpest, shrillest notes 196 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: from others. The low grave chords that throb recurrent like 197 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 1: the slow beating of a distant drum. Some natures it 198 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: startles some, it stupefies to when it comes like the 199 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: stroke of an arrow, stinging all the sensibilities to a 200 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: keener life. To another is the blow of a bludgeon, which, 201 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:25,760 Speaker 1: in crushing benumbs we may conceive Murlock to have been 202 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: that way affected. For and this is parenthetical, by the way, 203 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,239 Speaker 1: and here we are upon surer ground than that of conjecture. 204 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: No sooner had he finished his pious work than sinking 205 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: into his chair by the side of the table upon 206 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: which the body lay, and noting how white the profile 207 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: showed in the deepening gloom, he laid his arms upon 208 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: the table's edge and dropped his face into them, tearless 209 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: yet and unutterably weary. At that moment came in through 210 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: the open window a long wailing sound, like the cry 211 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: of a lost child in the far deeps of the 212 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:05,240 Speaker 1: darkening woods. But the man did not move again, and 213 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: nearer than before sounded that unearthly cry upon his failing. 214 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: Since perhaps it was a wild beast, perhaps it was 215 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: a dream. For Merlock was asleep very nice, so he 216 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: fixed his wife's toilet, was so just overwrought and and 217 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:29,680 Speaker 1: um worn out by the experience that he fell asleep 218 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: with his face and arms on the table where her 219 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,360 Speaker 1: body was. Right. Yeah, I like that long bit about 220 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 1: how grief can act as well. It stuff very good too, 221 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: okay me yes. Some hours later, as it afterward appeared, 222 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 1: this unfaithful watcher awoke, and, lifting his head from his arms, 223 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: intently listened. He knew not why, there in the black 224 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: darkness by the side of the dead, recalling all without 225 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,200 Speaker 1: a shock, He strained his eyes to see. He knew 226 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: not what. His senses were all alert, His breath was suspended, 227 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: his blood had stilled its tides, as if to assist 228 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: the silence. Who what had waked him? And where was it? 229 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,000 Speaker 1: Suddenly the table shook beneath his arms, and at the 230 00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: same moment he heard, or fancied that he heard a light, 231 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: soft step, another sounds of bare feet upon the floor. 232 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: He was terrified, beyond the power to cry out or 233 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: move perforce. He waited, waited there in the darkness, through 234 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: seeming centuries of such dread as one may know yet 235 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: lived to tell. He tried vainly to speak the dead 236 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: woman's name, vainly to stretch forth his hand across the 237 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: table to learn if she were there. His throat was powerless, 238 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: his arms and hands were like lead. Then occurred something 239 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: most frightful. Some heavy body seemed hurled against the table 240 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,240 Speaker 1: with an impetus that pushed it against his breast so 241 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:04,320 Speaker 1: sharply as nearly to overthrow him. And at the same 242 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 1: instant he heard and felt the fall of something upon 243 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: the floor was so violent a thump that the whole 244 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: house was shaken by the impact, a scuffling, en suit, 245 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: and a confusion of sounds impossible to describe. Murlock had 246 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: risen to his feet, fear had by excess forfeited control 247 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: of his faculties. He flung his hands upon the table. 248 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: Nothing was there. Get pretty creepy for sure, because I mean, 249 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:34,680 Speaker 1: it's just him and his wife in this cabin in Cincinnati, 250 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: and um, you know, nothing's supposed to be going on, 251 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:43,360 Speaker 1: that's right, And this is he fell asleep for goodness sake. 252 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: There is a point at which terror may turn to madness, 253 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: and madness incites to action with no definite intent, from 254 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: no motive, but the wayward impulse of a madman. Merlock 255 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: sprang to the wall with a little groping, ceased his 256 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: loaded rifle, and without aim, discharged by the flash, which 257 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: lit up the room with a vivid illumination. He saw 258 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: an enormous panther dragging the dead woman toward the window, 259 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: its teeth fixed in her throat. Then there was darkness, 260 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: blacker than before, in silence, and when he returned to consciousness, 261 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: the sun was hot and the wood vocal with songs 262 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: of birds. All right, I didn't see that coming. I 263 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: didn't even know there are panthers in Ohio, and I 264 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: grew up in Ohio. I guess there, we're back then. Yeah, 265 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: I guess it was a long time ago. But you know, 266 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: this guy fires off his rifle just out of instinct, 267 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 1: like it could have been his wife. You don't know 268 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: what's going on. Yeah, I imagine him being like Barney Fife, 269 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: trying to take a shot while he's really worked up. 270 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: All right, let's finish this thing up. Okay. The body 271 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: lay near the window where the beasts had left it 272 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: when frightened away by the flash and report of the rifle. 273 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: The clothing was deranged, the long hair and disorder the 274 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: limbs lay anyhow, from the throat dreadfully lacerated. He had 275 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: issued a pool of blood, not yet entirely coagulated. The 276 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: ribbon with which he had bound the wrists was broken, 277 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: The hands were tightly clenched between the teeth was a 278 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: fragment the animals here, all right. I read a little 279 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: bit of what do you call it when people interpret 280 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 1: things I don't know? Is yeah? Sure? And you know 281 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,199 Speaker 1: they seemed to be an agreement that the wife was 282 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: not dead and that he tied her up, and then 283 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: she struggled to try and free herself and like, fight 284 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: this panther. I like to think that she was dead 285 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:07,200 Speaker 1: this being Halloween, and came back to life for one 286 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,719 Speaker 1: last struggle with the panther. She was like not my man, panther, 287 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: and and saved his life. Okay, I like it. Good story. 288 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: It was a good story. Good choice, Chuck, and good 289 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 1: job Ambrose Bears. If you can hear us wherever you 290 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:29,200 Speaker 1: are now, aka Josh, he's selling Santa Claus. Okay, so 291 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: you want to start mine because we don't have to 292 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: take an ad break, remember that's right. Uh yeah, sure, 293 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: we've got our parts worked out, right, we do. I 294 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:42,800 Speaker 1: think you should take the the other guy, the landlord. Yeah, 295 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: you take the landlord because he's talking to my guy. 296 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:49,360 Speaker 1: So that makes sense. Okay, cool, and then I'll start 297 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: this one out and we'll just kind of switch off, 298 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: right yeah. Yeah, So we're gonna read The toll House. 299 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: And it's a short story by W. W. Jacobs written 300 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen o seven in or at least published for 301 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:03,119 Speaker 1: the first time in ninetuen and seven. And W. W. 302 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: Jacobs was much more famous for having written The Monkeys Paw. 303 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: Oh okay, I knew, I knew that name. Yeah, he 304 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: should have entitled this the toll House parentheses. Those ain't cookies. Yeah, yeah, 305 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: I can't think of anything but that. It'll make sense 306 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 1: in a minute, right, Okay, remember when we did that 307 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: Cookies episode, we found out some people actually call chocolate 308 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: chip cookies toll houses. Yeah, it's weird. That is really weird. 309 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: Don't be weird people just calling chocolate chip cookies exactly. 310 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: So where are these guys from. I haven't worked on 311 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: any accents or affectations yet. Well, I think that's great. 312 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: We can just leave it up to our imaginations. But 313 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna guess, um, somewhere in the Middle East. Oh no, alright, 314 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: Middle East of America. Let's say. Yeah, okay, no, no, 315 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 1: I was kidding. I meant Middle East. No, I think 316 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,560 Speaker 1: that's they're meant to be British. I think this is 317 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: set in in England. Oh out fun, this is gonna 318 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: get weird. Then I love it. Yeah that if you, 319 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: if you could stop and edit like our initial accents, 320 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,080 Speaker 1: with the ones we end up on finally that they're 321 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: like night and day. All right, here we go. It's 322 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: all nonsense, said Jack Barnes. Of course people have died 323 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: in the house. People die in every house. As for 324 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,439 Speaker 1: the noises wind in the chimney and rats and the 325 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 1: wainscott are very convincing to a nervous man. Give me 326 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: another cup of Team Megel. Lester and White are first, 327 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 1: said Meagel, who was presiding at the tea table. Of 328 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:51,120 Speaker 1: the three feathers in you've had two. Lester and White 329 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: finish their cup with irritating slowness, pausing between SIPs to 330 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,200 Speaker 1: sniff the aroma and to discover the sex and dates 331 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: of arrival of the strangers, which floated in some numbers 332 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: in the beverage. Now what is that? I have no idea. 333 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: I really wondered about that. It doesn't make any sense. 334 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: The only way I can make heaser tails of it. 335 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: Is if the beverage is like that a bar another 336 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: word for the bar, and there there there's people coming 337 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: in and out of this public bar that they're in. 338 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: That's all I can do. Yeah, that makes a little 339 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: bit of sense at least. Mr Meagle served them to 340 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: the brim, and then turning to the grimly expectant Mr 341 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:35,880 Speaker 1: Barnes blandly requested him to ring for hot water. We'll 342 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 1: try and keep your nerves in a healthy present condition, 343 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: he remarked. For my part, I have a sort of 344 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: half and half belief in the supernatural. All sensible people have, 345 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,240 Speaker 1: said Leicester. An auntie of mine saw a ghost once. 346 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: White nodded. I had an uncle that saw one, he said. 347 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,000 Speaker 1: It always is somebody else that sees them. Well, there's 348 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: a house, said Meagle, a lot to house at an 349 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 1: absurdly low rate, and nobody will take it. It has 350 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,400 Speaker 1: taken toll of at least one life of every family 351 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: that's lived there, however short at the time, and since 352 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: it has stood empty, caretaker after caretaker has died there. 353 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: The last caretaker died there fifteen years ago. Wow, I 354 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,080 Speaker 1: love Meagle. It's really evolved. He's changed all of a 355 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: sudden that tea is doing something. Yeah, now, I just 356 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:31,360 Speaker 1: have to remember the next time he speaks. Well, I've 357 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 1: tried to separate my two guys by by class. You don't, 358 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: oh nice? Okay, all right exactly, said Barnes, long enough 359 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: for legends to accumulate. Okay, I'll bet you a sovereign 360 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:47,879 Speaker 1: you won't spend the night there alone for all your talk, 361 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: said White suddenly. And I no, said Barnes slowly. I 362 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: don't believe in ghost snore, in any supernatural things whatever, 363 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: all the aim, I admit that I should not care 364 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 1: to pass a night there alone. But why not? Inquired White? 365 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: Wind in the chimney, said Meagle with the green I 366 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: don't remember what Meagle founded like rats and the Wainscott 367 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: chimed in lester as you like, said Barnes, coloring. Suppose 368 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: we all go, said Meagle, start after supper and get 369 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 1: there about eleven. We've been walking for ten days now 370 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 1: without an adventure except for bonness discovery that ditch water 371 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 1: smells longest. There will be a novelty at any rate. 372 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 1: And if we break the spell by all surviving, the 373 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,240 Speaker 1: grateful owner ought to come down handsome. Let's see what 374 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: the landlord has to say about it. First, said Leicester, 375 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: there is no fun in passing a night in an 376 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: ordinary empty house. Let us make sure that it is haunted. 377 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: He rang the bell, and, sending for the landlord, appealed 378 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: to him, in the name of our common humanity not 379 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,080 Speaker 1: to let them waste a night watching in a house 380 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: in which specters and hobgoblins had no part. The reply 381 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,800 Speaker 1: was more than reassuring, and the landlord, after describing with 382 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,400 Speaker 1: considerable art the exact appearance of a head which had 383 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: been seen hanging out of a window in the moonlight, 384 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: wound up with a polite but urgent request that they 385 00:24:14,359 --> 00:24:17,960 Speaker 1: would settle his bill before they went. It's all very 386 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: well for you young gentlemen to have your fun, he said, indulgently. 387 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:25,320 Speaker 1: But supposing, as how, you are all found dead in 388 00:24:25,359 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 1: the morning, what about me. It ain't called the toll 389 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: house for nothing. You know you die there, last, inquired Barnes, 390 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: with an air of polite derision. A tramp was the reply. 391 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: He went there for the sake of half a crown, 392 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: and they found him next morning hanging from the ballusters. Dead. Suicide, 393 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: said Barnes, unsound mind. The landlord nodded. That's what the 394 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: jury brought in, he said slowly, but his mind was 395 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: sound enough when he went in there. I'd known him 396 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: off and on for years. I'm a pool man, but 397 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: I wouldn't spend the night in that house for a 398 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: hundred pounds. And also, by the way, Chuck, I went 399 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: ahead and did the inflation calculator and then translated it 400 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: into USD. So he's saying, the landlord saying here that 401 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:22,880 Speaker 1: he wouldn't spend the night in that house for nine thousand, 402 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,080 Speaker 1: two hundred and seventy two pounds in today's money or 403 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:28,959 Speaker 1: ten thousand, four hundred and eighty eight dollars and fifty 404 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Speaker 1: three cents in America. Very nice. He repeated this remark 405 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: as they started on their expedition. A few hours later, 406 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,240 Speaker 1: they left as the inn was closing for the night. 407 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: Bolts shot noisily behind them, and as the regular customers 408 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: trudged slowly homewards, they set off at a brisk pace 409 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: in the direction of the house. Most of the cottages 410 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:54,880 Speaker 1: were already in darkness, and lights and others went out 411 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:59,879 Speaker 1: as they passed. All right, So I mean, here we 412 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: have four gentlemen, we have a haunted house and a 413 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: bit of a dare to each other, right to go 414 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: spend the night in that thing? Exactly? And I think 415 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,679 Speaker 1: it was um, I think it was Barnes who just 416 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: apropos of nothing, started talking about how he doesn't believe 417 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: in ghosts, right, but he's like, I don't want to 418 00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: go there, but it's not because of ghosts, right exactly. 419 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: So they're like, Okay, we're gonna get you out. We're 420 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: all loaded up on English tea right now, so let's 421 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:29,880 Speaker 1: go see this haunted house. That's right. So I think 422 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 1: you should take over. Okay, alright, but we'll keep the 423 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 1: same voices, right, or should we just get really weird? Well, well, 424 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:38,959 Speaker 1: I think it doesn't matter whether we try or not. 425 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: That's what's going to happen. Hey, I've got my guys, 426 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 1: so I'm talking about me then, alright, So that's uh, 427 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: that's you starting out as White. It seems rather hard 428 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: that we have got to lose Night's Rest in order 429 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,000 Speaker 1: to convince Barnes of the existence of ghosts. Wit is 430 00:26:55,240 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 1: White from Maryland. All of a sudden, said White. It's 431 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 1: in a good cause, said megel a most worthy object. 432 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: And something seems to tell me that we shall succeed. 433 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: You didn't forget the candles, lester, Oh man, I love Meagle. 434 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:21,200 Speaker 1: I gotta hang out with this guy. What's he gonna say? 435 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: I brought two, was the reply all the old man 436 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: could spare. There was but little moon, and the night 437 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: was cloudy. The road between high hedges was dark, and 438 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:33,560 Speaker 1: in one place where it ran through a wood so 439 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 1: black that they twice stumbled, and the uneven ground at 440 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: the side of it. Fancy leaving our comfortable beds for this, 441 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: said White again. Let me see this desirable residential suppulcher 442 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:51,919 Speaker 1: lies to the right, doesn't it further on? Said Megel. 443 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:55,360 Speaker 1: They walked on for some time in silence, broken only 444 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 1: by White's tribute to the softness, the cleanliness, and the 445 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: comfort of the head, which was receding farther and farther 446 00:28:02,640 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: into the distance. Under Meagel's guidance, they turned off at 447 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: last to the right, and after a walk of a 448 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:11,320 Speaker 1: quarter of a mile, saw the gates of the house 449 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: before them. The lodge was almost hidden by overgrown shrubs, 450 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:21,080 Speaker 1: and the dry was choked with rank growths. M Meagle leading, 451 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:23,199 Speaker 1: they pushed through it until the dark pile of the 452 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: house loomed above them. There's a window at the back 453 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,679 Speaker 1: where we can get in, so the landlord, says, said Lester, 454 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: as they stood before the hall floor window, said Megel, nonsense, 455 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: let's do the thing properly. Where's the knocker? He Oh, 456 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 1: that's my new ringtowne for you. Where's the knocker? I'm 457 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,120 Speaker 1: not getting in there. Jerry isolated that and send it 458 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: to me please. He fell for it in the darkness 459 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: and gave a thundering rattat at the door. Don't a fool, 460 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 1: said Barnes crossly. Ghostly servants are all asleep, said Meagle gravely. 461 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,800 Speaker 1: But I'll wake them up before I'm done with them. 462 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: It's scandalous keeping us out here in the dark. He 463 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: plied the knocker again, and the noise volleyed in the 464 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: emptiness beyond. Then, with a sudden exclamation, he put out 465 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 1: his hands and stumbled forward. Why it was open all 466 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: the time, he said, with an odd catch in his voice. 467 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: You're not getting there and really put that in there. 468 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 1: Come on, I don't believe it was open, said Lester, 469 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: hanging back. Somebody is playing us a trick. Nonsense, said Meagle, sharply, 470 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: give me a candle thanks, who's got a match? You'll 471 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: butt in my face? Oh wait, sorry, Barnes produced a 472 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: box and struck one, and Megal, shielding the candle with 473 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:01,160 Speaker 1: his hand, led the way forward to the foot of 474 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: the stairs. Shut the door, somebody, he said, there's too 475 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: much draft. It is shut, said White, glancing behind him. 476 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:17,200 Speaker 1: Megel fingered his chin. Who shut it, he inquired, looking 477 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:20,760 Speaker 1: from one to the other, Who came in last? I did, 478 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: said Lester, But I don't remember shutting it. Perhaps I did, 479 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: though Meagle, about to speak, thought better of it, and, 480 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: still carefully guarding the flame, began to explore the house 481 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: with the others close behind. Shadows danced on the walls 482 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: and lurked in the corners as they proceeded. At the 483 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 1: end of the passage, they found a second staircase, and, 484 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: descending it slowly gained the first floor. Careful, said Meagle. 485 00:30:45,920 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: As they gained the landing, he held the candle forward 486 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: and showed where the balusters had broken away. Then he 487 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: peered curiously into the void beneath. This is where the 488 00:30:55,320 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: trump hanged himself. I suppose, he said, thoughtfully, you have 489 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: an unwholesome mind, said White, As they walked on this 490 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,440 Speaker 1: place is quite creepy enough without you remembering that. Now, 491 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 1: let's find a comfortable room and have a little nip 492 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 1: of whiskey, a piece and a pipe. How will this too? 493 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: He Now we're talking. There's a White at every party. 494 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: I like it. He opened a door at the end 495 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,680 Speaker 1: of the passage and revealed a small, square room. Meagel 496 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:27,600 Speaker 1: led the way with a candle, and, first melting a 497 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: drop or two of tallow, stuck it on the mantelpiece. 498 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: The others seated themselves on the floor and watched pleasantly 499 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: as White drew from his pocket a small bottle of 500 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: whiskey and a tin cup. Hmmm, I've forgotten the water, 501 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:47,320 Speaker 1: he exclaimed. I'll soon get some, said Megel. He tucked 502 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: violently at the bell handle, and the rusty jangling of 503 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:52,840 Speaker 1: a bell sounded from a distant kitchen. He rang again. 504 00:31:53,560 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: Don't play a fool, said Barnes roughly. Megel laughed. I 505 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: only wanted to convince you, he said kindly, there ought 506 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: to be at any rate one ghost in the servants hall. 507 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: Barnes held up his hand for silence. Yess, said Meagle, 508 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 1: with a grin at the other two. Is anybody coming. 509 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 1: All right, this seems like a good switch point. So 510 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,000 Speaker 1: it seems like a Meagle is like making a big, 511 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: you know, spectacle of this whole thing. He's he's a 512 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,920 Speaker 1: bit of a he's a bit of a jackass. I'm 513 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 1: just gonna say it. Yeah, you're not taking this very seriously, No, 514 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,520 Speaker 1: for sure not. And he's a little he's being a 515 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: little mean to Barnes, who's clearly on edge. Yeah. Barnes, 516 00:32:40,760 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: for all his spawning over not being afraid of ghosts, 517 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,520 Speaker 1: is clearly afraid, right, and Megal is heating it up 518 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:52,200 Speaker 1: like a puppy on a straw steak. All right, here 519 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:55,480 Speaker 1: we go with Barnes, and then you're taking over. Good yep, 520 00:32:59,280 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: Suppose we draw this game and go back, said Barnes. Suddenly. 521 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:06,959 Speaker 1: I don't believe in spirits, but nerves are outside anybody's command. 522 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: You may laugh as you like, but it really seems 523 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: to me that I heard a door open below and 524 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: steps on the stairs. His voice was drowned in a 525 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:20,760 Speaker 1: roar of laughter. He's coming around, said Megel with a smirk. 526 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,479 Speaker 1: By the time I've done with him, he will be 527 00:33:23,520 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 1: a confirmed believer. Well, who will go and get some water? 528 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:33,520 Speaker 1: Will you barns now, was the reply. If there is 529 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,479 Speaker 1: any it might not be safe to drink after all 530 00:33:35,520 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: these years, said Blister, we must do without it. Meagle nodded, and, 531 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,840 Speaker 1: taking a seat on the floor, held out his hand 532 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:46,160 Speaker 1: for the cup. Pipes were lit and the clean, wholesome 533 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:50,920 Speaker 1: smell of tobacco filled the room. White produced a pack 534 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: of cards. Talk and laughter rang through the room and 535 00:33:53,840 --> 00:33:57,480 Speaker 1: died away reluctantly. In distant corners, cypercill played on the 536 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: high fi Uh Marlon Wayne showed up empty rooms. Always 537 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: delude me into the belief that I possess a deep voice, 538 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: said Megel. Tomorrow. He started with a smothered exclamation eck 539 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: as the light went out suddenly and something struck him 540 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 1: on the head. The others sprang to their feet. Then 541 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:29,880 Speaker 1: Migel laughed. It's the candle, he exclaimed. I didn't stick 542 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 1: it enough. Barnes struck a match and, relighting the candle, 543 00:34:33,840 --> 00:34:36,759 Speaker 1: stuck it on the mantelpiece, and sitting down, took up 544 00:34:36,760 --> 00:34:40,880 Speaker 1: his cards again. What was I going to say? Said Megel? Oh, 545 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:45,879 Speaker 1: I know tomorrow, I listen, said White, laying his hand 546 00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:48,959 Speaker 1: on the other sleep upon my word. I really thought 547 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: I heard a laugh. Look here, said Barnes. What do 548 00:34:53,160 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: you say to go him back? I've had enough of this. 549 00:34:56,400 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: I keep fancying that I hear things too, sounds of 550 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: something moving about in the passage outside. I know it's 551 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:06,799 Speaker 1: only fancy, but it's uncomfortable. Oh you go if you 552 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: want to, said Meagle, and we will play dummy. Or 553 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 1: you might ask the tramp to take your hand as 554 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:19,359 Speaker 1: you go downstairs. Barnes shivered and exclaimed angrily. He got up, and, 555 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:24,680 Speaker 1: walking to the half closed door, listened. Go outside, said Megel, 556 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:27,200 Speaker 1: winking at the other two. I'll dare you to go 557 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: down to the hall door and back by yourself. Co 558 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 1: co co co cock. Barnes came back. Oh sorry, Barnes 559 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,680 Speaker 1: came back, and, bending forward, lit his pipe at the candle. 560 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,880 Speaker 1: I am nervous, but rational, he said, blowing out a 561 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:47,839 Speaker 1: thin cloud of smoke. Me nerves tell me that there 562 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: is something prowling up and down the long passage outside. 563 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: My reason tells me that it is all nonsense. Where 564 00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: are my cards? He sat down again, and taking up 565 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:03,000 Speaker 1: his hand through it carefully and led your play, white, 566 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: he said. After a pause. White made no sign. Why 567 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:11,479 Speaker 1: he is asleep, said Meagle, wake up, old man, wake 568 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:15,759 Speaker 1: up and play. Lester, who was sitting next to him, 569 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:18,600 Speaker 1: took the sleeping man by the arm and shook him 570 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,200 Speaker 1: gently at first, and then with some roughness. But White, 571 00:36:22,280 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: with his back against the wall and his head bowed, 572 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,839 Speaker 1: made no sign. Meagle bawled in his ear and then 573 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 1: turned a puzzled face to the others. He sleeps like 574 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:35,839 Speaker 1: the dead, he said, grimacing. Well there are still three 575 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: of us to keep each other company. Yes, said Lester, nodding, unless, 576 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:46,320 Speaker 1: good Lord, suppose he broke off and eyed them trembling. 577 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: Suppose what inquired Megel. Nothing, stammered Lester. Let's wake him, 578 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:59,400 Speaker 1: try him again, White, White, it's no good, said Meagle. Seriously, 579 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:03,280 Speaker 1: there's something wrong about that sleep, That's what I meant, 580 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,200 Speaker 1: said Lester. And if he goes to sleep like that, well, 581 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:11,560 Speaker 1: why shouldn't Meagles sprang to his feet. Nonsense, he said roughly. 582 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 1: He's tired out, that's all. Still. Let's take him up 583 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:18,600 Speaker 1: and clear out. You take his legs, and bonds will 584 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:22,279 Speaker 1: lead the way with the candle. Yes, who's that? He 585 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 1: looked up quickly towards the door. I thought I heard 586 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:28,520 Speaker 1: somebody tap, he said, with a shame faced. Laugh now 587 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:36,440 Speaker 1: Lester up with him. One, two, Lester, Lester. He sprang 588 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:40,120 Speaker 1: forward too late. Lester, with his face buried in his arms, 589 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:43,759 Speaker 1: had rolled over under the floor, fast asleep, and his 590 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: utmost efforts failed to awaken him. He is asleep, he stammered, asleep. Barnes, 591 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: who had taken the candle from the mantelpiece, stood peering 592 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 1: at the sleepers in silence and dropping tallow over the floor. 593 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 1: We must get out of this, said Megal. Quick Barnes hesitated. 594 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 1: We can't leave him here, he began. We must, said Meagles, 595 00:38:10,440 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: in strident tones. If you go to sleep, I shall 596 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,359 Speaker 1: go quick come. He seized the other by the arm 597 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 1: and strove to drag him to the door. Barnes shook 598 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 1: him off, and, putting the candle back on the mantelpiece, 599 00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:27,000 Speaker 1: tried again to arouse the sleepers. It's no good, he 600 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,840 Speaker 1: said at last, and turning from them, watched Megal. Don't 601 00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:34,919 Speaker 1: you go to sleep? He said anxiously. Meagle shook his head, 602 00:38:35,239 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 1: and they stood for some time in uneasy silence. May 603 00:38:38,719 --> 00:38:45,239 Speaker 1: as well shut the door, said Barnes at last, I 604 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:47,640 Speaker 1: think this is a good good time to transition over 605 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,919 Speaker 1: to you. All right, I gotta say, uh, Megal, this 606 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: chap has a flair for the dramatic. He's very easily excitable. 607 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,839 Speaker 1: It turns out very much. I really like this guy. Yeah. 608 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,399 Speaker 1: It so, just to just to recap, Lester and White 609 00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 1: have inexplicably fallen asleep and cannot be roused. Yeah, they're 610 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: not dead, because it seems like they're definitely asleep and 611 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:12,279 Speaker 1: breathing right, And so Megel and Barnes are freaked out, 612 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 1: and it's sufficiently freaky that even Meagles like, yeah, let's 613 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 1: let's get out of here. But Barnes, there was credit, 614 00:39:17,400 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 1: is like, no, we're not leaving these guys. We gotta 615 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:21,120 Speaker 1: wake him up. Yeah, but I also get the feeling 616 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:25,400 Speaker 1: Barnes is like, now I'm stuck with with Megel. Everybody, 617 00:39:25,440 --> 00:39:32,000 Speaker 1: No one likes that. All right, here we go. He 618 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 1: crossed over and closed it gently. Then, at a scuffling 619 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: noise behind him, he turned and saw Megel in a 620 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 1: heap on the hearthstone. With a sharp catch in his breath, 621 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:44,920 Speaker 1: he stood motionless inside the room. The candle fluttering in 622 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: the draft show dimly the grotesque attitudes of the sleepers. 623 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,800 Speaker 1: That's a great line. Beyond the door there seemed to 624 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:57,759 Speaker 1: be his overwrought imagination, a strange and stealthy unrest. He 625 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 1: tried to whistle, but his lips were parched, And then 626 00:40:01,960 --> 00:40:04,440 Speaker 1: a mechanical fashion, he stooped and began to pick up 627 00:40:04,480 --> 00:40:07,520 Speaker 1: the cards which littered the floor. He stopped once or 628 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:11,440 Speaker 1: twice and stood with bent head listening. The unrest outside 629 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: seemed to increase a loud creaking sound from the stairs. 630 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:20,240 Speaker 1: Who's there, he cried loudly. The creaking ceased. He crossed 631 00:40:20,239 --> 00:40:23,120 Speaker 1: to the door, and, flinging it open, strode out into 632 00:40:23,160 --> 00:40:26,760 Speaker 1: the corridor. As he walked, his fears left him. Suddenly, 633 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: come on, he cried, with a low laugh. All of you, 634 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: all of you, show your faces, your infernal, ugly faces. 635 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:39,680 Speaker 1: Don't skulk. He laughed again, and walked on, and the 636 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:42,480 Speaker 1: heap in the fireplace put out his head toward us 637 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 1: fashion and listened in horror to the retreating footsteps. That's creepy. 638 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:50,640 Speaker 1: Not until they had become inaudible in the distance did 639 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:55,640 Speaker 1: the listeners features relax. Good Lord Lester, we've driven him bad, 640 00:40:56,280 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: he said, in a frightened whisper. We must go after him. 641 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:04,200 Speaker 1: There was no reply. Migel sprung to his feet. Do 642 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 1: you hear? He cried, Stop your fooling, Now, this is serious. 643 00:41:09,760 --> 00:41:14,960 Speaker 1: What Lester, do you hear? He bent and surveyed them 644 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: in angry bewilderment. All right, he said, in a trembling voice. 645 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:24,640 Speaker 1: You won't front me, you know. His croutch wet with 646 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 1: urine w w Jacobs set up his grave and applauded. 647 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 1: He turned away and walked with exaggerated carelessness into the 648 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:38,720 Speaker 1: direction of the door. He even went outside and peeped 649 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,279 Speaker 1: through the crack, but the sleepers did not stir. He 650 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 1: glanced into the blackness behind, and then came hastily into 651 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,479 Speaker 1: the room again. So he's all alone at this point, right, yeah, 652 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: and freaked out. He stood for a few seconds regarding them. 653 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:54,719 Speaker 1: The stillness in the house was horrible. He could not 654 00:41:54,800 --> 00:41:57,720 Speaker 1: even hear them breathe. With a sudden resolution, he snatched 655 00:41:57,760 --> 00:42:00,160 Speaker 1: the candle from the mantelpiece and held the flame him 656 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:03,080 Speaker 1: to White's finger. Then, as he reeled back, stupefied, the 657 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: footsteps again became audible. He stood with a candle in 658 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:10,960 Speaker 1: his shaking hand, listening. He heard them ascending the farther staircase, 659 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: but they stopped suddenly as he went to the door. 660 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:16,799 Speaker 1: He walked a little way along the passage, and they 661 00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:19,640 Speaker 1: went scurrying down the stairs, and then at a jog 662 00:42:19,719 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: trot along the corridor below. He went back to the 663 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 1: main staircase and they ceased again. All right, so this 664 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:34,680 Speaker 1: is getting really creepy at this point. Yeah, so you 665 00:42:34,680 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: can't see anything. All of his buddies are all in 666 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 1: some weird mystical sleep, and now there's phantom footsteps chasing 667 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:43,719 Speaker 1: him around the house. All right, I think you should 668 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:52,080 Speaker 1: take it over for a time. He hung over the ballusters, 669 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:57,120 Speaker 1: listening and trying to pierce the blackness belowe. Then, slowly, 670 00:42:57,640 --> 00:43:02,080 Speaker 1: step by step, he made his downstairs, and, holding the 671 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:06,799 Speaker 1: candle above his head, peered about him barns, he called out, 672 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: where are you? Shaking with fright, he made his way 673 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:15,880 Speaker 1: along the passage, and, summoning up all his courage, pushed 674 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 1: open doors and gazed fearfully into empty rooms. Then quite 675 00:43:20,880 --> 00:43:24,200 Speaker 1: suddenly he heard the footsteps in front of him. He 676 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:27,440 Speaker 1: followed slowly for fear of extinguishing the candle, until they 677 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:30,359 Speaker 1: led him at last into a vast, bare kitchen with 678 00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:33,480 Speaker 1: damp walls and a broken floor. In front of him, 679 00:43:33,600 --> 00:43:37,320 Speaker 1: A door leading into an inside room had just closed. 680 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:40,360 Speaker 1: He ran toward it and flung it open, and a 681 00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: cold air blew out the candle. He stood aghast barns. 682 00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:48,320 Speaker 1: He cried again, don't be afraid, it is I me 683 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:53,880 Speaker 1: go to save the day right. There was no answer. 684 00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:57,319 Speaker 1: He stood gazing into the darkness, and all the time 685 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:01,120 Speaker 1: the idea of something close at hand watching was upon him. 686 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:05,759 Speaker 1: Then suddenly the steps broke out overhead again. He drew 687 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,680 Speaker 1: back hastily, and, passing through the kitchen, groped his way 688 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 1: along the narrow passages. He could now see better in 689 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:14,720 Speaker 1: the darkness, and, finding himself at last at the foot 690 00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:18,920 Speaker 1: of the staircase, began to ascend it noiselessly. He reached 691 00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:21,400 Speaker 1: the landing just in time to see a figure disappear 692 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:24,200 Speaker 1: around the angle of the wall. Still careful to make 693 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,840 Speaker 1: no noise, he followed the sound of the steps until 694 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:31,080 Speaker 1: they led him to the top floor, and he cornered 695 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: the chase. At the end of a short passage palns, 696 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:42,080 Speaker 1: He whispered, but something stirred in the darkness. A small 697 00:44:42,160 --> 00:44:45,360 Speaker 1: circular window at the end of the passage just softened 698 00:44:45,400 --> 00:44:50,800 Speaker 1: the blackness and revealed the dim outlines of a motionless figure. Nagel, 699 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,400 Speaker 1: in place of advancing, stood almost as still as a 700 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,200 Speaker 1: sudden horrible doubt took possession of him. With his eyes 701 00:44:58,239 --> 00:45:00,840 Speaker 1: fixed on the shape in front, he all back slowly, 702 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:04,160 Speaker 1: and as it advanced upon him, burst into a terrible 703 00:45:04,280 --> 00:45:12,399 Speaker 1: crod barns for god, sick is it you? I think 704 00:45:12,480 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 1: you take over now, okay, and then you can take 705 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:18,560 Speaker 1: it home? How about that? Yeah? Also, I just want 706 00:45:18,560 --> 00:45:21,440 Speaker 1: to w W. Jacobs doesn't really play this up as much. 707 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,280 Speaker 1: He kind of touched on it with like the creepy 708 00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:26,319 Speaker 1: vast bear kitchen with damp walls and broken floor, but 709 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:31,760 Speaker 1: he hasn't really included the this empty, abandoned, scary, haunted 710 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:34,279 Speaker 1: house as much of a character. So you just have 711 00:45:34,360 --> 00:45:37,120 Speaker 1: to remind yourself like, this is going on in an 712 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:40,080 Speaker 1: empty house where this man is alone in the dark 713 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:48,200 Speaker 1: and scared sless, scared less. The echoes of his voice 714 00:45:48,280 --> 00:45:50,720 Speaker 1: left the air quivering, but the figure before him paid 715 00:45:50,760 --> 00:45:53,360 Speaker 1: no heed. For a moment, he tried to brace his 716 00:45:53,440 --> 00:45:57,160 Speaker 1: courage up to endure its approach. Then with a smothered cry, 717 00:45:57,480 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 1: he turned and fled. The passages wound like a maze 718 00:46:02,160 --> 00:46:04,400 Speaker 1: and he threaded them blindly in a vain search for 719 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:07,360 Speaker 1: the stairs if he could get down and open the 720 00:46:07,400 --> 00:46:11,160 Speaker 1: hall door. He caught his breath in a sob. The 721 00:46:11,239 --> 00:46:15,040 Speaker 1: steps had begun again, at a lumbering trot. They clattered 722 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:18,279 Speaker 1: up and down the bare passages, in and out, up 723 00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:22,680 Speaker 1: and down, as though in search of him. He stood appalled, 724 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,520 Speaker 1: and as they drew near, entered a small room and 725 00:46:25,560 --> 00:46:28,440 Speaker 1: stood behind the door. As they rushed by. He came 726 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:31,560 Speaker 1: out and ran swiftly and noiselessly in the other direction, 727 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,640 Speaker 1: and in a moment the steps were after him. He 728 00:46:34,760 --> 00:46:37,720 Speaker 1: found the long corridor and raced along it at top speed. 729 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:40,279 Speaker 1: The stair he knew where at the end, and with 730 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 1: the steps close behind, he descended them in a blind haste. 731 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,120 Speaker 1: The steps gained on him, and he shrank to the 732 00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:50,520 Speaker 1: side to let them pass, still continuing his headlong flight. 733 00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:53,440 Speaker 1: Then suddenly he seemed to slip off of the Earth 734 00:46:53,800 --> 00:47:01,399 Speaker 1: into space. Why don't you take it home? Okay? WHOA 735 00:47:05,280 --> 00:47:08,560 Speaker 1: lester awoke in the morning to find the sunshine streaming 736 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:12,000 Speaker 1: into the room and white, sitting up and regarding with 737 00:47:12,040 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 1: some perplexity a badly blistered finger. Where are the others? 738 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:22,319 Speaker 1: Inquired Lester. Gone, I suppose, said White. We must have 739 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:26,520 Speaker 1: been asleep. Lester arose, and White could have used a 740 00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:28,839 Speaker 1: better a little more development, but I'm gonna just stick 741 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:30,880 Speaker 1: with it, since that was the last quote of his. 742 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:33,439 Speaker 1: That's right, he's he's the least interesting guy here, I think. 743 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:38,280 Speaker 1: Lester arose, and, stretching his stiffened limbs, dusted his clothes 744 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,680 Speaker 1: with his hands, and went out into the corridor. White followed. 745 00:47:42,280 --> 00:47:44,719 Speaker 1: At the noise of their approach, a figure which had 746 00:47:44,719 --> 00:47:47,640 Speaker 1: been lying asleep at the other end, sat up and 747 00:47:47,680 --> 00:47:53,919 Speaker 1: revealed the face of Barnes. Why I've been asleep, he said, 748 00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:57,759 Speaker 1: in surprise. I don't remember coming here. How did I 749 00:47:57,800 --> 00:48:01,319 Speaker 1: get here? Nice place to come? Were a nap, said 750 00:48:01,400 --> 00:48:05,080 Speaker 1: Lester severely, as he pointed to the gap and the balusters. 751 00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:08,879 Speaker 1: Look there another yard, and where would you have been? 752 00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:12,799 Speaker 1: He walked carelessly to the edge and looked over. In 753 00:48:12,880 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 1: response to his startled cry, the others drew near, and 754 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:38,520 Speaker 1: all three to gazing at the dead man. Bill and 755 00:48:38,760 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: W W. Jacobs doesn't say it, but the dead man 756 00:48:41,480 --> 00:48:46,720 Speaker 1: was Megal Megal and looks you know, I think, Lester 757 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:49,560 Speaker 1: there was exclaiming, how like that could have been you. 758 00:48:49,760 --> 00:48:51,959 Speaker 1: It could have been any of us, yeah, for sure, 759 00:48:52,120 --> 00:48:54,400 Speaker 1: but thank god it was a Megal. It was Megal, 760 00:48:54,760 --> 00:48:59,840 Speaker 1: the Central European cousin. Good stuff. That's a really good story. 761 00:49:00,640 --> 00:49:02,520 Speaker 1: That was a good story. We should do the Monkey's 762 00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,560 Speaker 1: Pause sometime too. Yeah. For some reason, I've been avoiding 763 00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:07,200 Speaker 1: that because it's so well known. But yeah, we should 764 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:10,600 Speaker 1: totally do that. I honestly I've never read it, but yeah, 765 00:49:10,640 --> 00:49:12,720 Speaker 1: I just know about it from like the Simpsons Treehouse 766 00:49:12,760 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 1: of Horror. It's good, good story. Well that's it, everybody, right, Chuck. 767 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:20,759 Speaker 1: I mean it's time to say Happy Halloween and all that. Right, 768 00:49:20,920 --> 00:49:22,960 Speaker 1: That's right. Do you guys be safe out there, have 769 00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:25,000 Speaker 1: fun trick or treating or going to your parties, or 770 00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,560 Speaker 1: if you choose to not participate, then that's fine too. 771 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:31,600 Speaker 1: But Halloween's the best. So get out there and don't 772 00:49:31,600 --> 00:49:34,040 Speaker 1: forget to take every piece of your candy to your 773 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:36,600 Speaker 1: local e R and weight around while they X ray 774 00:49:36,680 --> 00:49:40,760 Speaker 1: it for you. That's right, Happy Halloween, everybody from us 775 00:49:40,840 --> 00:50:16,920 Speaker 1: and Jerry h. Stuff you should Know is a production 776 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:19,880 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, 777 00:50:20,120 --> 00:50:23,120 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app Apple podcasts or wherever 778 00:50:23,160 --> 00:50:27,440 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows. H