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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12206 ***
+
+ODD CRAFT
+
+By W.W. Jacobs
+
+
+
+BREAKING A SPELL
+
+"Witchcraft?" said the old man, thoughtfully, as he scratched his scanty
+whiskers.  No, I ain't heard o' none in these parts for a long time.
+There used to be a little of it about when I was a boy, and there was
+some talk of it arter I'd growed up, but Claybury folk never took much
+count of it.  The last bit of it I remember was about forty years ago,
+and that wasn't so much witchcraft as foolishness.
+
+There was a man in this place then--Joe Barlcomb by name--who was a firm
+believer in it, and 'e used to do all sorts of things to save hisself
+from it.  He was a new-comer in Claybury, and there was such a lot of it
+about in the parts he came from that the people thought o' nothing else
+hardly.
+
+He was a man as got 'imself very much liked at fust, especially by the
+old ladies, owing to his being so perlite to them, that they used to 'old
+'im up for an example to the other men, and say wot nice, pretty ways he
+'ad.  Joe Barlcomb was everything at fust, but when they got to 'ear that
+his perliteness was because 'e thought 'arf of 'em was witches, and
+didn't know which 'arf, they altered their minds.
+
+[Illustration: "He got 'imself very much liked, especially by the old
+ladies."]
+
+In a month or two he was the laughing-stock of the place; but wot was
+worse to 'im than that was that he'd made enemies of all the old ladies.
+Some of 'em was free-spoken women, and 'e couldn't sleep for thinking of
+the 'arm they might do 'im.
+
+He was terrible uneasy about it at fust, but, as nothing 'appened and he
+seemed to go on very prosperous-like, 'e began to forget 'is fears, when
+all of a sudden 'e went 'ome one day and found 'is wife in bed with a
+broken leg.
+
+She was standing on a broken chair to reach something down from the
+dresser when it 'appened, and it was pointed out to Joe Barlcomb that it
+was a thing anybody might ha' done without being bewitched; but he said
+'e knew better, and that they'd kept that broken chair for standing on
+for years and years to save the others, and nothing 'ad ever 'appened
+afore.
+
+In less than a week arter that three of his young 'uns was down with the
+measles, and, 'is wife being laid up, he sent for 'er mother to come and
+nurse 'em.  It's as true as I sit 'ere, but that pore old lady 'adn't
+been in the house two hours afore she went to bed with the yellow
+jaundice.
+
+Joe Barlcomb went out of 'is mind a'most.  He'd never liked 'is wife's
+mother, and he wouldn't 'ave had 'er in the house on'y 'e wanted her to
+nurse 'is wife and children, and when she came and laid up and wanted
+waiting on 'e couldn't dislike her enough.
+
+He was quite certain all along that somebody was putting a spell on 'im,
+and when 'e went out a morning or two arterward and found 'is best pig
+lying dead in a corner of the sty he gave up and, going into the 'ouse,
+told 'em all that they'd 'ave to die 'cause he couldn't do anything more
+for 'em.  His wife's mother and 'is wife and the children all started
+crying together, and Joe Barlcomb, when 'e thought of 'is pig, he sat
+down and cried too.
+
+He sat up late that night thinking it over, and, arter looking at it all
+ways, he made up 'is mind to go and see Mrs. Prince, an old lady that
+lived all alone by 'erself in a cottage near Smith's farm.  He'd set 'er
+down for wot he called a white witch, which is the best kind and on'y do
+useful things, such as charming warts away or telling gals about their
+future 'usbands; and the next arternoon, arter telling 'is wife's mother
+that fresh air and travelling was the best cure for the yellow jaundice,
+he set off to see 'er.
+
+[Illustration: "Mrs. Prince was sitting at 'er front door nursing 'er
+three cats."]
+
+Mrs. Prince was sitting at 'er front door nursing 'er three cats when 'e
+got there.  She was an ugly, little old woman with piercing black eyes
+and a hook nose, and she 'ad a quiet, artful sort of a way with 'er that
+made 'er very much disliked.  One thing was she was always making fun of
+people, and for another she seemed to be able to tell their thoughts, and
+that don't get anybody liked much, especially when they don't keep it to
+theirselves.  She'd been a lady's maid all 'er young days, and it was
+very 'ard to be taken for a witch just because she was old.
+
+"Fine day, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb.
+
+"Very fine," ses Mrs. Prince.
+
+"Being as I was passing, I just thought I'd look in," ses Joe Barlcomb,
+eyeing the cats.
+
+"Take a chair," ses Mrs. Prince, getting up and dusting one down with 'er
+apron.
+
+Joe sat down.  "I'm in a bit o' trouble, ma'am," he ses, "and I thought
+p'r'aps as you could help me out of it.  My pore pig's been bewitched,
+and it's dead."
+
+"Bewitched?" ses Mrs. Prince, who'd 'eard of 'is ideas.  "Rubbish.  Don't
+talk to me."
+
+"It ain't rubbish, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb; "three o' my children is
+down with the measles, my wife's broke 'er leg, 'er mother is laid up in
+my little place with the yellow jaundice, and the pig's dead."
+
+"Wot, another one?"  ses Mrs. Prince.
+
+"No; the same one," ses Joe.
+
+"Well, 'ow am I to help you?"  ses Mrs. Prince.  "Do you want me to come
+and nurse 'em?"
+
+"No, no," ses Joe, starting and turning pale; "unless you'd like to come
+and nurse my wife's mother," he ses, arter thinking a bit.  "I was hoping
+that you'd know who'd been overlooking me and that you'd make 'em take
+the spell off."
+
+Mrs. Prince got up from 'er chair and looked round for the broom she'd
+been sweeping with, but, not finding it, she set down agin and stared in
+a curious sort o' way at Joe Barlcomb.
+
+"Oh, I see," she ses, nodding.  "Fancy you guessing I was a witch."
+
+"You can't deceive me," ses Joe; "I've 'ad too much experience; I knew it
+the fust time I saw you by the mole on your nose."
+
+Mrs. Prince got up and went into her back-place, trying her 'ardest to
+remember wot she'd done with that broom.  She couldn't find it anywhere,
+and at last she came back and sat staring at Joe for so long that 'e was
+'arf frightened out of his life.  And by-and-by she gave a 'orrible smile
+and sat rubbing the side of 'er nose with 'er finger.
+
+"If I help you," she ses at last, "will you promise to keep it a dead
+secret and do exactly as I tell you?  If you don't, dead pigs'll be
+nothing to the misfortunes that you will 'ave."
+
+"I will," ses Joe Barlcomb, very pale.
+
+"The spell," ses Mrs. Prince, holding up her 'ands and shutting 'er eyes,
+"was put upon you by a man.  It is one out of six men as is jealous of
+you because you're so clever, but which one it is I can't tell without
+your assistance.  Have you got any money?"
+
+"A little," ses Joe, anxious-like-- "a very little.  Wot with the yellow
+jaundice and other things, I----"
+
+"Fust thing to do," ses Mrs. Prince, still with her eyes shut, "you go up
+to the Cauliflower to-night; the six men'll all be there, and you must
+buy six ha'pennies off of them; one each."
+
+"Buy six ha'pennies?"  ses Joe, staring at her.
+
+"Don't repeat wot I say," ses Mrs. Prince; "it's unlucky.  You buy six
+ha'pennies for a shilling each, without saying wot it's for.  You'll be
+able to buy 'em all right if you're civil."
+
+"It seems to me it don't need much civility for that," ses Joe, pulling a
+long face.
+
+"When you've got the ha'pennies," ses Mrs. Prince, "bring 'em to me and
+I'll tell you wot to do with 'em.  Don't lose no time, because I can see
+that something worse is going to 'appen if it ain't prevented."
+
+"Is it anything to do with my wife's mother getting worse?"  ses Joe
+Barlcomb, who was a careful man and didn't want to waste six shillings.
+
+"No, something to you," ses Mrs. Prince.
+
+Joe Barlcomb went cold all over, and then he put down a couple of eggs
+he'd brought round for 'er and went off 'ome agin, and Mrs. Prince stood
+in the doorway with a cat on each shoulder and watched 'im till 'e was
+out of sight.
+
+That night Joe Barlcomb came up to this 'ere Cauliflower public-house,
+same as he'd been told, and by-and-by, arter he 'ad 'ad a pint, he looked
+round, and taking a shilling out of 'is pocket put it on the table, and
+he ses, "Who'll give me a ha'penny for that?"  he ses.
+
+None of 'em seemed to be in a hurry.  Bill Jones took it up and bit it,
+and rang it on the table and squinted at it, and then he bit it agin, and
+turned round and asked Joe Barlcomb wot was wrong with it.
+
+"Wrong?" ses Joe; "nothing."
+
+Bill Jones put it down agin.  "You're wide awake, Joe," he ses, "but so
+am I."
+
+"Won't nobody give me a ha'penny for it?"  ses Joe, looking round.
+
+Then Peter Lamb came up, and he looked at it and rang it, and at last he
+gave Joe a ha'penny for it and took it round, and everybody 'ad a look at
+it.
+
+[Illustration: "He took it round, and everybody 'ad a look at it."]
+
+"It stands to reason it's a bad 'un," ses Bill Jones, "but it's so well
+done I wish as I'd bought it."
+
+"H-s-h!"  ses Peter Lamb; "don't let the landlord 'ear you."
+
+The landlord 'ad just that moment come in, and Peter walked up and
+ordered a pint, and took his ten-pence change as bold as brass.  Arter
+that Joe Barbcomb bought five more ha'pennies afore you could wink
+a'most, and every man wot sold one went up to the bar and 'ad a pint and
+got tenpence change, and drank Joe Barlcomb's health.
+
+"There seems to be a lot o' money knocking about to-night," ses the
+landlord, as Sam Martin, the last of 'em, was drinking 'is pint.
+
+Sam Martin choked and put 'is pot down on the counter with a bang, and
+him and the other five was out o' that door and sailing up the road with
+their tenpences afore the landlord could get his breath.  He stood to the
+bar scratching his 'ead and staring, but he couldn't understand it a bit
+till a man wot was too late to sell his ha'penny up and told 'im all
+about it.  The fuss 'e made was terrible.  The shillings was in a little
+heap on a shelf at the back o' the bar, and he did all sorts o' things to
+'em to prove that they was bad, and threatened Joe Barlcomb with the
+police.  At last, however, 'e saw wot a fool he was making of himself,
+and arter nearly breaking his teeth 'e dropped them into a drawer and
+stirred 'em up with the others.
+
+Joe Barlcomb went round the next night to see Mrs. Prince, and she asked
+'im a lot o' questions about the men as 'ad sold 'im the ha'pennies.
+
+"The fust part 'as been done very well," she ses, nodding her 'ead at
+'im; "if you do the second part as well, you'll soon know who your enemy
+is."
+
+"Nothing'll bring the pig back," ses Joe.
+
+"There's worse misfortunes than that, as I've told you," ses Mrs. Prince,
+sharply.  "Now, listen to wot I'm going to say to you.  When the clock
+strikes twelve to-night----"
+
+"Our clock don't strike," ses Joe.
+
+"Then you must borrow one that does," ses Mrs. Prince, "and when it
+strikes twelve you must go round to each o' them six men and sell them a
+ha'penny for a shilling."
+
+Joe Barlcomb looked at 'er.  "'Ow?"  he ses, short-like.
+
+"Same way as you sold 'em a shilling for a ha'-penny," ses Mrs. Prince;
+"it don't matter whether they buy the ha'pennies or not.  All you've got
+to do is to go and ask 'em, and the man as makes the most fuss is the man
+that 'as put the trouble on you."
+
+"It seems a roundabout way o' going to work," ses Joe.
+
+"_Wot!_"  screams Mrs. Prince, jumping up and waving her arms about.
+"_Wot!_  Go your own way; I'll have nothing more to do with you.  And
+don't blame me for anything that happens.  It's a very bad thing to come
+to a witch for advice and then not to do as she tells you.  You ought to
+know that."
+
+"I'll do it, ma'am," ses Joe Barlcomb, trembling.
+
+"You'd better," ses Mrs. Prince; "and mind--not a word to anybody."
+
+Joe promised her agin, and 'e went off and borrered a clock from Albert
+Price, and at twelve o'clock that night he jumped up out of bed and began
+to dress 'imself and pretend not to 'ear his wife when she asked 'im
+where he was going.
+
+It was a dark, nasty sort o' night, blowing and raining, and, o' course,
+everybody 'ad gone to bed long since.  The fust cottage Joe came to was
+Bill Jones's, and, knowing Bill's temper, he stood for some time afore he
+could make up 'is mind to knock; but at last he up with 'is stick and
+banged away at the door.
+
+A minute arterward he 'eard the bedroom winder pushed open, and then Bill
+Jones popped his 'cad out and called to know wot was the matter and who
+it was.
+
+"It's me--Joe Barlcomb," ses Joe, "and I want to speak to you very
+partikler."
+
+"Well, speak away," ses Bill.  "You go into the back room," he ses,
+turning to his wife.
+
+"Whaffor?"  ses Mrs. Jones.
+
+"'Cos I don't know wot Joe is going to say," ses Bill.  "You go in now,
+afore I make you."
+
+His wife went off grumbling, and then Bill told Joe Barlcomb to hurry up
+wot he'd got to say as 'e 'adn't got much on and the weather wasn't as
+warm as it might be.
+
+"I sold you a shilling for a ha'penny last night, Bill," ses Joe.
+
+"Do you want to sell any more?"  ses Bill Jones, putting his 'and down to
+where 'is trouser pocket ought to be.
+
+"Not exactly that," ses Joe Barlcomb.  "This time I want you to sell me a
+shilling for a ha'penny."
+
+Bill leaned out of the winder and stared down at Joe Barlcomb, and then
+he ses, in a choking voice,  "Is that wot you've come disturbing my sleep
+for at this time o' night?"  he ses.
+
+"I must 'ave it, Bill," ses Joe.
+
+"Well, if you'll wait a moment," ses Bill, trying to speak perlitely,
+"I'll come down and give it to you."
+
+Joe didn't like 'is tone of voice, but he waited, and all of a sudden
+Bill Jones came out o' that door like a gun going off and threw 'imself
+on Joe Barlcomb.  Both of 'em was strong men, and by the time they'd
+finished they was so tired they could 'ardly stand.  Then Bill Jones went
+back to bed, and Joe Barlcomb, arter sitting down on the doorstep to rest
+'imself, went off and knocked up Peter Lamb.
+
+Peter Lamb was a little man and no good as a fighter, but the things he
+said to Joe Barlcomb as he leaned out o' the winder and shook 'is fist at
+him was 'arder to bear than blows.  He screamed away at the top of 'is
+voice for ten minutes, and then 'e pulled the winder to with a bang and
+went back to bed.
+
+Joe Barlcomb was very tired, but he walked on to Jasper Potts's 'ouse,
+trying 'ard as he walked to decide which o' the fust two 'ad made the
+most fuss.  Arter he 'ad left Jasper Potts 'e got more puzzled than ever,
+Jasper being just as bad as the other two, and Joe leaving 'im at last in
+the middle of loading 'is gun.
+
+By the time he'd made 'is last call--at Sam Martin's--it was past three
+o'clock, and he could no more tell Mrs. Prince which 'ad made the most
+fuss than 'e could fly.  There didn't seem to be a pin to choose between
+'em, and, 'arf worried out of 'is life, he went straight on to Mrs.
+Prince and knocked 'er up to tell 'er.  She thought the 'ouse was afire
+at fust, and came screaming out o' the front door in 'er bedgown, and
+when she found out who it was she was worse to deal with than the men 'ad
+been.
+
+She 'ad quieted down by the time Joe went round to see 'er the next
+evening, and asked 'im to describe exactly wot the six men 'ad done and
+said.  She sat listening quite quiet at fust, but arter a time she scared
+Joe by making a odd, croupy sort o' noise in 'er throat, and at last she
+got up and walked into the back-place.  She was there a long time making
+funny noises, and at last Joe walked toward the door on tip-toe and
+peeped through the crack and saw 'er in a sort o' fit, sitting in a chair
+with 'er arms folded acrost her bodice and rocking 'erself up and down
+and moaning.  Joe stood as if 'e'd been frozen a'most, and then 'e crept
+back to 'is seat and waited, and when she came into the room agin she
+said as the trouble 'ad all been caused by Bill Jones.  She sat still for
+nearly 'arf an hour, thinking 'ard, and then she turned to Joe and ses:
+
+[Illustration: "She sat listening quite quiet at fust."]
+
+"Can you read?" she ses.
+
+"No," ses Joe, wondering wot was coming next.
+
+"That's all right, then," she ses, "because if you could I couldn't do
+wot I'm going to do."
+
+"That shows the 'arm of eddication," ses Joe.  "I never did believe in
+it."
+
+Mrs. Prince nodded, and then she went and got a bottle with something in
+it which looked to Joe like gin, and arter getting out 'er pen and ink
+and printing some words on a piece o' paper she stuck it on the bottle,
+and sat looking at Joe and thinking.
+
+"Take this up to the Cauliflower," she ses, "make friends with Bill
+Jones, and give him as much beer as he'll drink, and give 'im a little o'
+this gin in each mug.  If he drinks it the spell will be broken, and
+you'll be luckier than you 'ave ever been in your life afore.  When 'e's
+drunk some, and not before, leave the bottle standing on the table."
+
+Joe Barlcomb thanked 'er, and with the bottle in 'is pocket went off to
+the Cauliflower, whistling.  Bill Jones was there, and Peter Lamb, and
+two or three more of 'em, and at fust they said some pretty 'ard things
+to him about being woke up in the night.
+
+"Don't bear malice, Bill," ses Joe Barlcomb; "'ave a pint with me."
+
+He ordered two pints, and then sat down along-side o' Bill, and in five
+minutes they was like brothers.
+
+"'Ave a drop o' gin in it, Bill," he ses, taking the bottle out of 'is
+pocket.
+
+Bill thanked 'im and had a drop, and then, thoughtful-like, he wanted Joe
+to 'ave some in his too, but Joe said no, he'd got a touch o' toothache,
+and it was bad for it.
+
+"I don't mind 'aving a drop in my beer, Joe," ses Peter Lamb.
+
+"Not to-night, mate," ses Joe; "it's all for Bill.  I bought it on
+purpose for 'im."
+
+Bill shook 'ands with him, and when Joe called for another pint and put
+some more gin in it he said that 'e was the noblest-'arted man that ever
+lived.
+
+"You wasn't saying so 'arf an hour ago," ses Peter Lamb.
+
+"'Cos I didn't know 'im so well then," ses Bill Jones.
+
+"You soon change your mind, don't you?"  ses Peter.
+
+Bill didn't answer 'im.  He was leaning back on the bench and staring at
+the bottle as if 'e couldn't believe his eyesight.  His face was all
+white and shining, and 'is hair as wet as if it 'ad just been dipped in a
+bucket o' water.
+
+"See a ghost, Bill?"  ses Peter, looking at 'im.
+
+Bill made a 'orrible noise in his throat, and kept on staring at the
+bottle till they thought 'e'd gone crazy.  Then Jasper Potts bent his
+'ead down and began to read out loud wot was on the bottle.  "P-o-i--
+POISON FOR BILL JONES," he ses, in a voice as if 'e couldn't believe it.
+
+You might 'ave heard a pin drop.  Everybody turned and looked at Bill
+Jones, as he sat there trembling all over.  Then those that could read
+took up the bottle and read it out loud all over agin.
+
+"Pore Bill," ses Peter Lamb.  "I 'ad a feeling come over me that
+something was wrong."
+
+"You're a murderer," ses Sam Martin, catching 'old of Joe Barlcomb.
+"You'll be 'ung for this.  Look at pore Bill, cut off in 'is prime."
+
+"Run for the doctor," ses someone.
+
+Two of 'em ran off as 'ard as they could go, and then the landlord came
+round the bar and asked Bill to go and die outside, because 'e didn't
+want to be brought into it.  Jasper Potts told 'im to clear off, and then
+he bent down and asked Bill where the pain was.
+
+"I don't think he'll 'ave much pain," ses Peter Lamb, who always
+pretended to know a lot more than other people.  "It'll soon be over,
+Bill."
+
+"We've all got to go some day," ses Sam Martin.  "Better to die young
+than live to be a trouble to yourself," ses Bob Harris.
+
+To 'ear them talk everybody seemed to think that Bill Jones was in luck;
+everybody but Bill Jones 'imself, that is.
+
+"I ain't fit to die," he ses, shivering.  "You don't know 'ow bad I've
+been."
+
+"Wot 'ave you done, Bill?"  ses Peter Lamb, in a soft voice.  "If it'll
+ease your feelings afore you go to make a clean breast of it, we're all
+friends here."
+
+Bill groaned.
+
+"And it's too late for you to be punished for anything," ses Peter, arter
+a moment.
+
+Bill Jones groaned agin, and then, shaking 'is 'ead, began to w'isper 'is
+wrong-doings.  When the doctor came in 'arf an hour arterward all the men
+was as quiet as mice, and pore Bill was still w'ispering as 'ard as he
+could w'isper.
+
+The doctor pushed 'em out of the way in a moment, and then 'e bent over
+Bill and felt 'is pulse and looked at 'is tongue.  Then he listened to
+his 'art, and in a puzzled way smelt at the bottle, which Jasper Potts
+was a-minding of, and wetted 'is finger and tasted it.
+
+[Illustration: "The doctor felt 'is pulse and looked at 'is tongue."]
+
+"Somebody's been making a fool of you and me too," he ses, in a angry
+voice.  "It's only gin, and very good gin at that.  Get up and go home."
+
+It all came out next morning, and Joe Barlcomb was the laughing-stock of
+the place.  Most people said that Mrs. Prince 'ad done quite right, and
+they 'oped that it ud be a lesson to him, but nobody ever talked much of
+witchcraft in Claybury agin.  One thing was that Bill Jones wouldn't 'ave
+the word used in 'is hearing.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Breaking A Spell, by W.W. Jacobs
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12206 ***