On the night of the 8th-9th February 1855, a heavy snow fell across South Devon and Dorest in England. At sunrise, local residents in more than 30 locations across the two counties reported a trail of cloven footprints that stretched for a total reported distance of between 40 and 60 miles.
Snow fell heavily on the village as night approached but the white covering on the ground and on the rooftops from the blizzard shone brightly in the darkness. The falling flurries of snow quickly covered the footsteps made during the day by the few villagers that had braved the bitter weather before retreating to their homes to huddle around fires and under blankets.
As midnight neared, the snow stopped falling. The pristine white covering of snow smothered the village in its icy grip. Out of the darkness of the surrounding fields, appeared a cloaked hunched figure, who despite his deformity, moved nimbly across the fields and deftly vaulted the snow-covered gate to land lightly on the road leading to the village. Behind him, he left a trail of footprints, the only blemishes on the white ground. The bells of the church began to toll for midnight and the traveller paused and glared balefully towards the stone tower for a moment before continuing on his journey. As the peals of the bells continued to count upwards, the figure picked up pace, his strides lengthening as he neared his destination – a tall, stone building covered in decorated stonework with a tiled roof looking out on to the village square. Above the carved oak door of the grand building, hung a sign upon which was written in gold letters Hosebard Phelps, Solicitors in Law established 1799. When the traveller reached the wall of the building, he ran straight up it to the porch roof leaving his prints across the snow-covered tiles as he dashed onwards towards the large central window on the first floor.
Samuel woke with a start and sat up in his bed and looked towards the window where he had left the curtain open to watch the falling snow as he fell asleep. Samuel dimly noted to himself that it had stopped snowing. He could hear the bells of the church chiming midnight. He lay his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes but opened them again on the last chime. He rolled over in bed to look out of the window and leapt to his feet when he saw a dark cloaked hunched figure stood before his window, framed by the brilliant white snow outside.
Samuel reached for the candlestick sat upon his bedside cabinet but it suddenly flickered into life along with the candle on the other side of his bed.
“No need for that,” rasped the man in front of him as he stepped forward into the light and threw off his cloak to reveal himself.
The man’s footsteps clopped heavily on the wooden floor, echoing around the room. As Samuel stared at the man, he shuddered in fear and revulsion for he could see he was no man at all. The beast had cloven hooves instead of feet and his legs were covered in thick matted hair up to his waist. His bare torso was that of a man but his shoulders and back were hunched and stooped and his stomach distended, bloated and swollen. His skin was covered with boils and weeping sores. The creature’s face leered at Samuel, its ears were pointed and its teeth were like needles in its cruel mouth which was surrounded by a dark beard twisted into two knotted forks. Lanky greasy hair fell untidily to his shoulders and from its hair jutted short horns that pointed upwards. Its eyes were black but as they stared into Samuel’s eyes they seemed to flicker with dancing flames.
The creature moved closer still to Samuel. “I have a proposal for you Samuel Phelps,” it murmured, “all of this could be yours.” The imp slowly swept his hand around the room, the inference of the gesture encompassing the whole of his brother’s law firm.
Samuel gaped at the creature. How could it know of the secret resentment he felt towards his brother, James? He had harboured this loathing towards James since his father had bequeathed the family firm solely to his brother upon his death two years previous. This had left Samuel almost penniless and with no choice but to work for his brother and to rent the room from him that he and the horned monster conversed in.
“How?” Samuel said to the beast, his initial fear of it had vanished as the hidden hatred of his brother overwhelmed him.
“Take the chance that is offered to you and remember that it was my generosity that gifted it to you.” Its lips barely moved and its voice was quiet, yet Samuel could hear its words clearly.
“I wouldn’t forget,” Samuel replied, “not something like that.”
“Good,” the fiend said, his lips curled in a strange and faintly mocking smile.
They stared at one another for a moment, the devil’s black eyes seeming to wholly absorb Samuel. Without warning, it turned, breaking the trance Samuel found himself in, and it ran at the window. Just as Samuel thought the glass would shatter, the foul creature disappeared, leaving him alone. Samuel rubbed his eyes and thought sleepily to himself that he must be dreaming as he returned to his bed.
The next morning, Samuel awoke to the sound of his brother’s voice calling from upstairs.
“Brother! Brother! Come upstairs quickly! It’s the strangest thing! There are footprints everywhere in the snow!”
Samuel hurriedly grabbed his nightrobe and dashed up to the second floor and ran through his brother’s open bedroom door.
He saw James staring out of his window. He had flung the shutters open and cold air blew through the window, sucking out the little warmth that there was in the room. James turned to face him as he entered the room. “There’s tracks everywhere, Sam, cloven footprints running all over the village.”
As Samuel walked towards James, his brother leaned precariously forward out of the window. “There’s even tracks on the porch, running right up to your window,” James said as he leaned still further forward and pointed downwards with one hand whilst the other held the window frame.
Samuel stared at James’ back, barely hearing the words that he said. He watched his brother leading forward, carefully balanced as he stared at the cloven footprints on the porch directly below his window. At the cloven footprints that led to Samuel’s bed-chamber. Samuel raised his right hand and moved it silently towards James. It would only take one push. He paused, his hand mere inches from his brother. This had to be the opportunity he had been promised…
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