1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: The Black Dog by Stephen Crane. There was a ceaseless 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,519 rumble in the air as the heavy rain drops battered 3 00:00:09,599 --> 00:00:14,039 upon the laurel thickets and the matted moss and haggard rocks. 4 00:00:14,039 --> 00:00:19,440 Beneath four water soaked men made their difficult way through 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:24,280 the drenched forest. The little man stopped and shook an 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:29,440 angry finger at where Night was stealthily following them. Cursed 7 00:00:29,519 --> 00:00:32,920 be Fate and her children and her children's children. We 8 00:00:33,079 --> 00:00:39,119 are ever lastingly lost, he cried. The panting procession halted 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,920 under some dripping, drooping hemlocks, and swore with wrathful astonishment. 10 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,359 It will rain for forty days and forty nights, said 11 00:00:50,359 --> 00:00:54,359 the pudgyman, moaningly. And I feel like a wet loaf 12 00:00:54,359 --> 00:00:57,840 of bread. Now we shall never find our way out 13 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:03,200 of this wilderness until I am made into a porridge. 14 00:01:03,399 --> 00:01:07,079 In desperation, they started again to drag their listless bodies 15 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:12,159 through the watery bushes. After a time, the clouds withdrew 16 00:01:12,239 --> 00:01:16,879 from above them, and great winds came from concealment and 17 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,920 went sweeping and swirling among the trees. Night also came 18 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:27,120 very near and menaced the wanderers with darkness, the little 19 00:01:27,159 --> 00:01:31,680 man had determination in his legs. He scrambled among the 20 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,920 thickets and made desperate attempts to find a path or road. 21 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,560 As he climbed a hillock, he espied a small clearing 22 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:46,280 upon which sat desolation and a venerable house, wept over 23 00:01:46,359 --> 00:01:51,319 by wind waved pines. Ho. He cried, it's a house. 24 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:56,120 His companions staggered painfully after him as he fought the 25 00:01:56,159 --> 00:02:00,840 thickets between him and the cabin. At their approached, the 26 00:02:00,879 --> 00:02:05,640 wind frenzily opposed them and scurled madly in the trees. 27 00:02:06,879 --> 00:02:10,520 The little man boldly confronted the weird glances from the 28 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,879 crannies of the cabin and rapped on the door. A 29 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:20,199 score of timbers answered with groans, and within something fell 30 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:24,360 on the floor with a clang. Ho, said the little man. 31 00:02:24,879 --> 00:02:28,560 He stepped back a few paces. Somebody in a distant 32 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,800 part started and walked across the floor towards the door. 33 00:02:32,319 --> 00:02:37,280 With an ominous step, a slate colored man appeared. He 34 00:02:37,439 --> 00:02:40,680 was dressed in a ragged shirt and trousers, the latter 35 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:45,639 stuffed into his boots. Large tears were falling from his eyes. 36 00:02:47,439 --> 00:02:50,240 How to do, my friends, said the little man, affably. 37 00:02:51,479 --> 00:02:55,520 My old uncle Jim Crocker, he's sick to death, replied 38 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,759 the slate colored person. Ho, said the little man. Is 39 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:05,000 that so? The latter's clothing clung desperately to him, and 40 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,960 water sogged in his boots. He stood patiently on one 41 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:11,879 foot for a time. Can you put us up here 42 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:17,199 till tomorrow? He asked. Finally, yes, said the slate colored man. 43 00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:21,879 The party passed into the little, unwashed room, inhabited by 44 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:26,840 a stove, a stairway, a few precarious chairs, and a 45 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:32,120 misshapen table. I'll fry your up some pork and make 46 00:03:32,199 --> 00:03:36,039 you some coffee, said the slate colored man to his guests. 47 00:03:37,599 --> 00:03:41,159 Go ahead, old boy, cried the little man cheerfully, from 48 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,199 where he sat on the table, smoking his pipe and 49 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:50,199 dangling his legs. My old uncle Jim Crocker, he's sick 50 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,680 to death, said the slate colored man. Think he'll die, 51 00:03:55,240 --> 00:04:00,879 asked the pudgyman gently. No, he won't die. He's an 52 00:04:00,919 --> 00:04:04,039 old man, but he won't die yet. The black dog 53 00:04:04,159 --> 00:04:08,800 hadn't been around yet. The black dog, said the little 54 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:13,280 man feebly. He struggled with himself for a moment. What's 55 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:18,000 the black dog? He asked at last, He's a spirit, 56 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:21,600 said the slate colored man, in a voice of somber hue. 57 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:28,639 Oh he is, well. He haunts these parts, he does, 58 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,680 and when people are going to die, he comes and 59 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,439 sets and howls. Ho, said the little man. He looked 60 00:04:36,439 --> 00:04:38,560 out of the window and saw a knight making a 61 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:44,120 million shadows. The little Man moved his legs nervously. I 62 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,319 don't believe in these things, he said, addressing the slate 63 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,120 colored man, who was scuffling with a sight of pork. 64 00:04:50,879 --> 00:04:56,800 What things came incoherently from the combatant. Oh, these uh 65 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:02,319 phantoms and ghosts and what not? All I say, that's 66 00:05:02,319 --> 00:05:05,279 because you have merely a stomach and no soul, grunted 67 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:10,879 the pudgyman. Ho old Pudgkins, replied the little man. His 68 00:05:11,079 --> 00:05:14,759 back curved with passion. A tempest of wrath was in 69 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,759 the pudgy Man's eyes. The final epithet used by the 70 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,439 little Man was a carefully studied insult, always brought forth 71 00:05:23,439 --> 00:05:28,519 at a crisis. They quarreled, All right, Pudgkins, bring on 72 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,120 your phantom, cried the little man. In conclusion. His stout 73 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,839 companion's wrath was too huge for words. The little man 74 00:05:37,959 --> 00:05:43,680 smiled triumphantly. He had staked his opponent's reputation. The visitor 75 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,800 sat silent. The slate colored man moved about in a 76 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,120 small personal atmosphere of gloom. Suddenly, a strange cry came 77 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:57,360 to their ears from somewhere. It was a low, trembling call, 78 00:05:57,399 --> 00:06:00,079 which made the little man quake privately in his shoe o. 79 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,879 The slate colored man bounded at the stairway and disappeared 80 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,759 with a flash of legs through a hole in the ceiling. 81 00:06:09,079 --> 00:06:14,160 The party below heard two voices in conversation, one belonged 82 00:06:14,199 --> 00:06:17,639 to the slate colored man and the other in quavering 83 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:22,439 tones of age. Directly, the slate colored man reappeared from 84 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,160 above and said the old man as took bad for 85 00:06:26,199 --> 00:06:30,000 his supper. He hurriedly prepared a mixture of hot water, 86 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,920 salt and beef beef tea, it might be called. He 87 00:06:34,959 --> 00:06:40,199 disappeared again once more. The party below heard vaguely talking 88 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,480 over their heads. The voice of age arose to a shriek. 89 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:48,079 Open the window, fool, Do you think I can live 90 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:52,240 in the smell of your soup? Mutterings by the slate 91 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,160 colored man and the creaking of the window were heard 92 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,560 The slate colored man stumbled down the stairs and said, 93 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:03,639 with his intense gloom, the black darg will be along soon. 94 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,040 The little man started, and the pudgyman sneered at him. 95 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,120 They ate a supper and then sat waiting. The pudgyman 96 00:07:13,279 --> 00:07:16,399 listened so palpably that the little man wished to kill him. 97 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:22,839 The wood fire became excited and sputtered frantically without a 98 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:26,279 thousand spirits of the wind had become entangled in the 99 00:07:26,319 --> 00:07:31,079 pine branches and were lowly pleading to be loosened. The 100 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,399 slate colored man tiptoed across the room and lit a 101 00:07:34,399 --> 00:07:40,480 timid candle. The men sat waiting. The phantom dog lay 102 00:07:40,519 --> 00:07:44,480 cuddled to a round bundle, asleep down the roadway against 103 00:07:44,519 --> 00:07:48,839 the windward side of an old chanty. The specter's master 104 00:07:49,319 --> 00:07:53,279 had moved to Pike County. But the dog lingered as 105 00:07:53,319 --> 00:07:55,879 a friend might linger at the tomb of an old friend. 106 00:07:57,279 --> 00:08:00,959 His fur was like a suit of old clothes. His 107 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:07,120 jowls hung and flopped, exposing his teeth. Yellow famine was 108 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,959 in his eyes. The wind rock shanty groaned and muttered, 109 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:17,279 but the dog slept. Suddenly, However, he got up and 110 00:08:17,439 --> 00:08:21,720 scrambled to the roadway. He cast a long glance from 111 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:26,120 his hungry, despairing eyes in the direction of the Venerable House. 112 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,839 The breeze came full to his nostrils. He threw back 113 00:08:31,839 --> 00:08:36,080 his head and gave a long, low howl, and started 114 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:40,360 intently up the road. Maybe he smelled a dead man. 115 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,879 The group around the fire in the Venerable House were 116 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,679 listening and waiting. The atmosphere of the room was tense, 117 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,440 and the slate colored man's face was twitching, and his 118 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:57,159 drab hands were gripped together. The little man was continually 119 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:01,919 looking behind his chair upon the countenance of the pudgy 120 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,879 man appeared conceit for an approaching triumph over The little 121 00:09:05,919 --> 00:09:11,759 man mingled with apprehension for his own safety. Five pipes 122 00:09:11,799 --> 00:09:17,159 glowed as rivals to the timid candle. Profound silence drooped 123 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:22,480 heavily over them. Finally, the slate colored man spoke, my 124 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:27,000 old uncle Jim Crocker, He's sick to death. The four 125 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:31,840 men started and then shrank back in their chairs. Damn it, 126 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,320 replied the little man vaguely. Again, there was a long silence. 127 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,200 Suddenly it was broken by a wild cry from the 128 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:44,200 room above. It was a shriek that struck upon them 129 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:49,039 with appalling swiftness, like a flash of lightning. The walls 130 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:53,240 whirled and the floor rumbled. It brought the men together 131 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:57,799 with a rush. They huddled in a heap and stared 132 00:09:57,919 --> 00:10:01,799 at the white terror in each other's face. The slate 133 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:05,519 colored man grasped the candle and flared above his head 134 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:10,360 the black dog. He howled and plunged at the stairway. 135 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:15,120 The madden four men followed frantically, for it was better 136 00:10:15,159 --> 00:10:18,159 to be in the presence of the offal than only within. 137 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:23,679 Hearing their ears still quivered with the shriek. They bound 138 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,559 through the hole in the ceiling and into the sick room, 139 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:31,320 with quilts drawn closely to his shrunken breast for a shield, 140 00:10:31,919 --> 00:10:35,799 his bony hand gripping the cover. An old man lay 141 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:40,840 with glazed eyes fixed on the open window. His throat gurgled, 142 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,879 and a froth appeared at his mouth. From the outer 143 00:10:46,039 --> 00:10:50,960 darkness came a strange, unnatural wail, burdened with a weight 144 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:55,440 of death, and every note filled with foreboding. It was 145 00:10:55,480 --> 00:11:00,679 the song of the spectral dog God, screamed the little man. 146 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,639 He ran to the open window. He could see nothing 147 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:09,080 at first save the pine trees engaged in a furious combat, 148 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:14,679 tossing back and forth and struggling. The moon was peeping 149 00:11:14,759 --> 00:11:19,240 cautiously over the rims of some black clouds. But the 150 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,639 chant of the phantom guided the little man's eyes, and 151 00:11:22,799 --> 00:11:26,120 he at length perceived its shadowy form on the ground 152 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,519 under the window. He fell away, gasping at the sight. 153 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:36,200 The pudgyman crouched in the corner, chattering insanely. The slate 154 00:11:36,279 --> 00:11:40,159 colored man, in his fear, crooked his legs and looked 155 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,960 like a hideous Chinese idol. The man upon the bed 156 00:11:44,080 --> 00:11:49,200 was turned to stone, save the froth, which pulsated in 157 00:11:49,279 --> 00:11:54,080 the final struggle. Terror will fight the inevitable. The little 158 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:58,159 man roared maniacal curses and rushed again to the window. 159 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:02,840 Began to throw very articles at the specter. A mug, 160 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,600 a plate, a knife, a fork. All crashed or clanged 161 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,919 on the ground, but the song of the specter continued. 162 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:16,559 The bowl of beef tea followed. As it struck the ground, 163 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:21,679 the phantom seized its cry. The men in the chamber 164 00:12:21,759 --> 00:12:26,080 sank limply against the walls, with the unearthly wail still 165 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,480 ringing in their ears, and the fear unfaded from their eyes. 166 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,600 They waited again. The little man felt his nerves vibrate 167 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:42,279 destruction was better than another weight. He grasped the candle, and, 168 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,480 going to the window, held it over his head and 169 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:50,919 looked out. Ho he said. His companions crawled to the 170 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:54,840 window and peered out with him. He's eating the beef tea, 171 00:12:55,639 --> 00:12:59,519 said the slate colored man faintly. The damn dog was hungry, 172 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:03,240 said the pudgy man. There's your phantom, said the little 173 00:13:03,279 --> 00:13:06,759 man to the pudgyman. On the bed the old man 174 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:12,960 lay dead without the specter was wagging its tail. The 175 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,320 End of the Black Dog by Stephen Crane