had told of one who died--one that the world called good, a moral man--but
not a Christian; one who had perversely neglected the way of life. How, on
his death-bed, this one had called in agony for a last glass of water,
seeming to know all at once that he would now be where no drop of water
could cool him through all eternity.

So effective had been his putting of this that a terrified throng came
forward at his call for converts.

The next morning he had ridden away from Edom toward Felton Falls to
preach there. A mile out of town he had been accosted by a big, bearded
man who had yet a singularly childish look--who urged that he come to his
cabin to minister to a sick friend. He knew the fellow for one that the
village of Edom called "daft" or "queer," yet held to be harmless--to be
rather amusing, indeed, since he could be provoked to deliver curious
harangues upon the subject of revealed religion. He remembered now that
the man's face had stared at him from far back in the church the night
before--a face full of the liveliest terror, though he had not been among
those that fled to the mercy-seat. Acceding to the man's request, he
followed him up a wooded path to his cabin. Dismounting and tying his
horse, he entered and, turning to ask where the sick man was, found
himself throttled in the grasp of a giant.

He was thrust into an inner room, windowless and with no door other than
the one now barred by his chuckling captor. And here the Reverend Allan
Delcher had lain three days and two nights captive of a madman, with no
food and without one drop of water.

From the other side of the log partition his captor had declared himself
to be the keeper of hell. Even now he could hear the words maundered