Review: Horror Story: "The White Feather Hex" by Don Peterson

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Peter Scheinberger, is a Pennsylvania Dutchman who tills a weather-beaten farm back in the hills. Peter also has several old books which tells him a number of things. He believes in hexerei, witchcraft. All his people do. Why shouldn’t he? One evening, out of the fog, steps Martin C Mirestone. He speaks perfect German, helps himself to Peter’s wine, and tells Peter he’s a student of German history. He wants to know the hex of the white feather. Peter says he’s burned the book that had that hex. But it seems he has no choice. He’ll have to remember. He demonstrates the hex on an unfortunate kid—the four-legged kind. The sign the hex has taken hold, that there’s no turning back, is a white feather, breathed on by the victim, turning red. Martin C. Mirestone is not satisfied. He wants to see the hex demonstrated on a human. This is a sad little tale, in an unusual setting with a nice little ironic ending. It’s nicely crafted, but bummer for the kid. Yeah, and a horse later gets the shaft through no fault of his own. I could find no bio info on author Don Peterson. This is the only speculative fiction story he seems to have written, or at least the only one he wrote under this name. This story is available from Project Gutenberg: _____ Title: “The White Feather Hex” Author: Don Peterson no bio info immediately available First published: Weird Tales March 1951 Source: ISFDB