the thing at Nolan

by Ambrose Bierce

to_the south of where the road between Leesville and hardy, in_the state of Missouri, crosses the east fork of may creek stands an abandoned house . nobody has lived in_it since_the summer of 1879, and it_is fast going to pieces . for some three years before_the date mentioned above, it_was occupied by_the family of Charles may, from one of whose ancestors the creek near which it stands took its name .

Mr may's family consisted of a wife, an adult son and two young girls . the son's name was John-- the names of_the daughters are unknown to_the writer of_this sketch .

John may was of a morose and surly disposition, not easily moved to anger, but having an uncommon gift of sullen, implacable hate . his father was quite otherwise; of a sunny, jovial disposition, but with a quick temper like a sudden flame kindled in a wisp of straw, which consumes it in a flash and_is no more . he cherished no resentments, and_his anger gone, was quick to_make overtures for reconciliation . he had a brother living near by who was unlike him in respect of all this, and it_was a current witticism in_the neighborhood that John had inherited his disposition from_his uncle .

one day amisunderstanding arose between father and son, harsh words ensued, and_the father struck the son full in_the face with_his fist .John quietly wiped away the blood that followed the blow, fixed his eyes upon_the already penitent offender and said with cold composure, " you_will die for_that ."

the words were overheard by two brothers named Jackson, who were approaching the men at_the moment; but seeing them engaged in a quarrel they retired, apparently unobserved .Charles may afterward related the unfortunate occurrence to_his wife and explained that he had apologized to_the son for_the hasty blow, but without avail; the young man not_only rejected his overtures, but refused to withdraw his terrible threat . nevertheless, there_was no open rupture of relations: John continued living with_the family, and things went on very_much as before .

one Sunday morning in June, 1879, about two weeks after what_has_been related, may senior left the house immediately after breakfast, taking a spade . he_said he_was going to_make an excavation at a certain spring in a wood about a mile away, so that_the cattle could obtain water .John remained in_the house for some hours, variously occupied in shaving himself, writing letters and reading a newspaper . his manner was very nearly what it usually was; perhaps he_was a trifle more sullen and surly .

at two o'clock he left the house . at five, he returned . for some reason not connected with any interest in_his movements, and which_is not now recalled, the time of_his departure and_that of_his return were noted by his mother and sisters, as was attested at his trial for murder . it_was observed that his clothing was wet in spots, as_if ( so the prosecution afterward pointed out) he had_been removing blood-stains from_it . his manner was strange, his look wild . he complained of illness, and going to_his room took to_his bed .

may senior did_not return . later that evening the nearest neighbors were aroused, and during that night and_the following day a search was prosecuted through_the wood where the spring was . it resulted in little but the discovery of both men's footprints in_the clay about_the spring .John may in_the meantime had grown rapidly worse with what the local physician called brain fever, and in_his delirium raved of murder, but did_not say whom he conceived to_have_been murdered, nor whom he imagined to have_done the deed . but his threat was recalled by_the brothers Jackson and he_was arrested on suspicion and a deputy sheriff put in charge of him at his home . public opinion ran strongly against him and but for_his illness he_would probably have_been hanged by a mob . as it_was, ameeting of_the neighbors was held on Tuesday and a committee appointed to watch the case and take such action at any_time as circumstances might seem to warrant .

on Wednesday all was changed . from_the town of Nolan, eight miles away, came a story which put a quite different light on_the matter .Nolan consisted of a school house, a blacksmith's shop, a" store" and a half- dozen dwellings . the store was kept by one Henry Odell, a cousin of_the elder may . on_the afternoon of_the Sunday of may's disappearance Mr Odell and four of_his neighbors, men of credibility, were sitting in_the store smoking and talking . it_was a warm day; and both the front and_the back door were open . at about three o'clock Charles may, who was well known to three of_them, entered at_the front door and passed out at_the rear . he_was without hat or coat . he_did_not look at them, nor return their greeting, a circumstance which did_not surprise, for he_was evidently seriously hurt . above the left eyebrow was a wound--a deep gash from_which the blood flowed, covering the whole left side of_the face and neck and saturating his light- gray shirt . oddly enough, the thought uppermost in_the minds of all was_that he had_been fighting and was going to_the brook directly at_the back of_the store, to wash himself .

perhaps there_was afeeling of delicacy--a backwoods etiquette which restrained them from following him to offer assistance; the court records, from_which, mainly, this narrative is drawn, are silent as_to anything but the fact . they waited for him to return, but he_did_not return .

Bordering the brook behind the store is a forest extending for six miles back to_the medicine lodge Hills . as_soon_as it became known in_the neighborhood of_the missing man's dwelling that he had_been seen in Nolan there_was a marked alteration in public sentiment and feeling . the vigilance committee went out of existence without the formality of a resolution . search along the wooded bottom lands of may creek was stopped and nearly the entire male population of_the region took to beating the bush about Nolan and in_the medicine lodge Hills . but of_the missing man no trace was found .

one_of_the strangest circumstances of_this strange case is_the formal indictment and trial of a man for murder of one whose body no human being professed to_have seen-- one not known to_be dead . we_are all more or less familiar with_the vagaries and eccentricities of frontier law, but this instance, it_is thought, is unique . however that_may_be, it_is of record that on recovering from_his illness John may was indicted for_the murder of_his missing father . counsel for_the defense appears not to_have demurred and_the case was tried on its merits . the prosecution was spiritless and perfunctory; the defense easily established-- with regard to_the deceased-- an alibi . if during the time in_which John may must_have killed Charles may, if he killed him at all, Charles may was miles away from where John may must_have been, it_is plain that_the deceased must_have come to_his death at_the hands of someone else .

John may was acquitted, immediately left the country, and has never been heard of from_that day . shortly afterward his mother and sisters removed to St . Louis . the farm having passed into_the possession of a man who owns the land adjoining, and has adwelling of_his own, the may house has ever_since been vacant, and has_the somber reputation of being haunted .

one day after_the may family had left the country, some boys, playing in_the woods along may creek, found concealed under a mass of dead leaves, but partly exposed by_the rooting of hogs, a spade, nearly new and bright, except for a spot on one edge, which_was rusted and stained with blood . the implement had the initials C .M . cut into_the handle .

this discovery renewed, in some degree, the public excitement of a few_months before . the earth near the spot where the spade was found was carefully examined, and_the result was_the finding of_the dead body of a man . it had_been buried under two_or_three feet of soil and_the spot covered with a layer of dead leaves and twigs . there_was but little decomposition, a fact attributed to some preservative property in_the mineral-bearing soil .

above the left eyebrow was a wound--a deep gash from_which blood had flowed, covering the whole left side of_the face and neck and saturating the light- gray shirt . the skull had_been cut through by_the blow . the body was_that of Charles may .

but what_was it that passed through Mr Odell's store at Nolan ?