The man laughed, as did all the others. The number present had been increased by many who were curious to see the strangers, and laughter and joking remarks extended through the crowd.
Raymond’s face grew very red. “They are easily amused,” he said sarcastically, “but I’ll bet they understood what I meant.”
It was apparent that they did understand, for the man who had been addressed beckoned to the boys to follow him, and proceeded to a near-by house. As they were about to enter, something over the door caught Raymond’s eye, and he stopped and stared incredulously.
“Goodness! Sid, look over the door!” he exclaimed.
On the lintel were tacked the bony skeletons of two human hands.
“That looks pretty gruesome,” said Sidney; “I wonder what it means.”
“I suppose it’s a pleasant reminder of some nice feud. We’d better not show too much interest in it; they might not like that.”
The room that they entered had a floor that was earth mixed with chopped straw packed down hard and smooth. It was quite dark, being lighted only by the door and two small portholes of windows that had neither sash nor glass. Supper, which consisted of a kettle of stewed mutton, was just ready, and was placed on the floor in the center of the room. The family gathered about the kettle, each person provided with a sharp stick with which he fished out fragments of meat. They also dipped pieces of black bread in the broth, and soaked them before they were eaten. The boys were given sticks and helped themselves as the others did, finding the stew extremely savory.
When supper was finished there was the sound of a fife outside, and the family all got up and went out, followed by the boys. They found a large gathering of people, with torches placed around on the buildings for light. The fife was playing shrilly, and as a drum began to mark time, a man stepped out into a space that had been left in the center. Then a woman from another side joined him and they danced in a stately fashion. The fife and the drum vied with each other in the noise they made, and frequently, as the couple danced, there was a fusillade of pistol shots, fired by the spectators.
Presently, when those dancers had become weary, they retired and their places were taken by others, who danced in the same fashion, to the same accompaniment of pistol shots added to the music of the fife and drum. Besides the circle of people surrounding the dancers, many others were perched on the flat-topped roofs of the near-by houses.