,,animal ,,ghosts ,,or1 ,,animal ,,hauntings ,,and ,,the ,,hereafter ,,by ,,elliott ,o',,donnell ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,sorcery ,,club1 ,,werwolves1 ,,byways ,,of ,,ghostland1 ,,scottish ,,ghosts1 ,,haunted ,,houses ,,of ,,london1 ,,haunted ,,houses ,,of ,,england ,,and ,,wales1 ,,dreams ,,and ,,their ,,meanings1 ,,for ,,satan',s ,,sake1 ,,the ,,unknown ,,depths1 ,,dinevah ,,the ,,beautiful1 ,,jennie ,,barlowe1 ,,ghostly ,,phenomena1 ,,mrs4 ,e4,m4 ,,ward',s ,,reminiscences1 ,,etc4 ,,etc4 ,,london ,,william ,,rider ,,son1 ,,ltd4 ,,cathedral ,,house1 ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,e4,c4 #aiac ,first ,published ,november1 #aiac4 ,,preface ,if human beings1 with all their vices1 have a future life1 assuredly animals1 who in character so often equal1 nay1 excel human beings1 have a future life also4 ,those who in the ,scriptures find a key to all things1 can find nothing in them to confute this argument4 ,there is no saying of ,christ that justifies one in supposing that man is the only being1 whose existence extends beyond the grave4 ,granted1 however1 merely for the sake of argument1 that we have some ground for the denial of a future existence for animals1 consider the injustice such a denial would involve4 ,take1 for example1 the case of the horse4 ,harming no one1 and without thought of reward1 it toils for man all its life1 and when too old to work it is put to death without even the compensation of a well-earned rest4 ,but if compensation be ,god's law1--as ,i1 for one1 believe it to be--and also the raison d'etre of a hereafter1 then surely the ,creator1 whose chief claim to our respect and veneration lies in the fact that ,he is just and merciful1 will take good care that the horse--the gentle1 patient1 never-complaining horse--is well compensated--compensated in a golden hereafter4 ,consider again1 the case of another of our four-footed friends--the dog2 the faithful1 affectionate1 obedient and forgiving dog1 the dog who is so often called upon to stand all sorts of rough treatment1 and is shot or poisoned1 if1 provoked beyond endurance1 he at last rounds on his persecutors1 and bites4 ,and the cat--the timid1 peaceful cat who is mauled1 and all but pulled in two by cruel children1 and beaten to a jelly when in sheer agony and fright it scratches4 ,reflect again1 on the cow and the sheep1 fed only to supply our wants2 shouted at and kicked1 if1 when nearly scared out of their senses1 they wander off the track2 and pole-axed1 or done to death in some equally atrocious manner when the sickening demand for flesh food is at its height4 ,and yet1 you say1 these innocent1 unoffending--and1 ,i say1 martyred--animals are to have no future1 no compensation4 ,monstrous6 ,absurd6 ,it is an effrontery to common sense1 philosophy--anything1 everything4 ,it is a damned lie1 damned bigotry1 damned nonsense4 ,the whole animal world will live again2 and it will be man--spoilt1 presumptuous1 degenerate man--who will not participate in another life1 unless he very much improves4 ,think well over this1--you who preach the gospel of man's pre-eminence2--you who prate of ,god and know nothing whatsoever about ,him6 ,the horse1 dog1 cat1--even the wild animals1 whose vices1 perchance1 pale beside your own1 may go to ,heaven before you4 ,the ,supreme ,architect is neither a ,nero1 nor a ,stuart1 nor a clown4 ,he will recompense all who deserve recompense1 be they great or small--biped or quadruped4 ,it is to testify to a future existence for animals and to create a wider interest in it that ,i have undertaken to compile this book2 and my object1 ,i think1 can best be achieved in my own way1 the way of the investigator of haunted places4 ,the mere fact that there are manifestations of dead people 7pardon the paradox7 proves some kind of life after death for human beings2 and happily the same proof is available with regard a future life for animals2 indeed there are as many animal phantasms as human--perhaps more2 hence1 if the human being lives again1 so do his dumb friends4 ,be comforted then1 you who love your pets1 and have been kind to them4 ,you will see them all again1 on the soft undying pasture lands of your ,elysium and theirs4 ,be warned1 you--you who have despised animals1 and have been cruel to them4 ,who knows but that1 in your future life1 you may be as they are now--in subjection8 99 99 99 99 99 ,my task in writing this book has been considerably lightened by the extreme courtesy and kindness of ,mr4 ,shirley1 ,mr4 ,eveleigh ,nash1 and the ,proprietors of the ,review of ,reviews1 in allowing me to make use of extracts and quotations from their most valuable works4 ,,elliott ,o',,donnell4 ,,contents ,,part ,i ,,chapter ,i ,,cats ,,page ,the ,black ,cat of the ,old ,manor ,house1 ,oxenby--,correspondence re ,cat ,phantasms--,the ,headless ,cat of ,no4 ----1 ,lower ,seedley ,road1 ,seedley1 ,manchester--,the ,cat on the ,post--,mystic ,properties of ,cats #c ,,chapter ,,ii ,,dogs ,the ,case of ,james ,durham--,the ,grey ,dog of ---- ,house1 ,birmingham--,the ,dog in the ,cupboard--,how the ,ghost of a ,dog saved ,life--,a ,precentor's ,adventure--,phantom ,dog seen on ,souter ,fell--,the ,jumping ,ghost--,dogs seen before a ,death--,a ,dog scared by a ,canine ,ghost--,the ,phantom ,dachshund of ,w---- ,street1 ,london1 ,w4--,an ,,all ,hallow ,eve ,ghost--,the ,strange ,disappearance of ,mr4 ,jeremiah ,dance--,phantasms of ,living ,dogs--,the ,yellow ,dog of ,k---- ,university--,national ,ghosts in the form of ,dogs--,the ,mauthe ,doog--,spectral ,hounds #eg ,,chapter ,,iii ,,horses ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,a ,phantom ,cavalcade--,the ,miller on the ,grey ,horse--,a ,phantom ,horse and ,rider--,the ,white ,horse of ,eastover--,the ,afrikander's ,story--,heralds of ,death--,phantom ,coach in ,u4,s4,a4--,a ,story from ,marseilles--,summary of ,horses--,phantasms of ,living ,horses--,horses and the ,psychic ,faculty of ,scent--,phantom ,policeman and ,horse--,phantom ,huntsmen and ,horses #aci ,,chapter ,,iv ,,bulls1 ,,cows1 ,,pigs1 ,,etc4 ,the ,kirk-grim--,phantasm of a ,goat--,phantom ,hogs of the ,moat ,grange--,sheep--,spectre ,flock of ,sheep in ,germany #bab ,,part ,,ii ,,chapter ,v ,,wild ,,animals ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,animal ,phantasms and the ,moon--,the ,case of ,martin ,tristram--,phantasms of ,cat and ,ape--,hauntings by a ,white ,rabbit--,john ,wesley's ,ghost--,psychic ,faculty in ,hares and ,rabbits #bbc ,,chapter ,,vi ,,inhabitants ,,of ,,the ,,jungle ,elephants1 ,lions1 ,tigers1 etc4--,the ,white ,tiger--,jungle ,animals and ,psychic ,faculties #bed ,,part ,,iii ,,chapter ,,vii ,,birds ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,case from ,occult ,review--,bird ,hauntings in ,russia--,hauntings in the ,country ,church--,capt4 ,morgan's ,experiences--,addenda--,old ,authorities on ,bird ,omens #bgc ,,chapter ,,viii ,a ,,brief ,,retrospect #cjj ,,part ,i ,,domestic ,,animals ,,and ,,their ,,associations ,,with ,,the ,,unknown ,,animal ,,ghosts ,,chapter ,i ,,cats ,in opening this volume on ,animals and their associations with the unknown1 ,i will commence with a case of hauntings in the ,old ,manor ,house1 at ,oxenby4 ,my informant was a ,mrs4 ,hartnoll1 whom ,i can see in my mind's eye1 as distinctly as if ,i were looking at her now4 ,hers was a personality that no lapse of time1 nothing could efface2 a personality that made itself felt on boys of all temperaments1 most of all1 of course1 on those who--like myself--were highly strung and sensitive4 ,she was classical mistress at ,l4's1 the then well-known dame school in ,clifton1 where for three years--prior to migrating to a ,public ,school--,i was well grounded in all the mysticisms of ,kennedy's ,latin ,primer and ,smith's ,first ,greek ,principia4 ,i doubt if she got anything more than a very small salary--governesses in those days were shockingly remunerated--and ,i know1--poor soul1 she had to work monstrously hard4 ,drumming ,latin and ,greek into heads as thick as ours was no easy task4 ,but there were times1 when the excessive tension on the nerves proving too much1 ,mrs4 ,hartnoll stole a little relaxation2 when she allowed herself to chat with us1 and even to smile--,heavens6 those smiles6 ,and when--,i can feel the tingling of my pulses at the bare mention of it--she spoke about herself1 stated she had once been young--a declaration so astounding1 so utterly beyond our comprehension1 that we were rendered quite speechless--and told us anecdotes4 ,of many of her narratives ,i have no recollection1 but one or two1 which interested me more than the rest1 are almost as fresh in my mind as when recounted4 ,the one that appealed to me most1 and which ,i have every reason to believe is absolutely true1#a is as follows3--,i give it as nearly as ,i can in her own somewhat stilted style3-- ,up to the age of nineteen1 ,i resided with my parents in the ,manor ,house1 ,oxenby4 ,it was an old building1 dating back1 ,i believe1 to the reign of ,edward ,,vi1 and had originally served as the residence of noble families4 ,built1 or1 rather1 faced with split flints1 and edged and buttressed with cut grey stone1 it had a majestic though very gloomy appearance1 and seen from afar resembled nothing so much as a huge and grotesquely decorated sarcophagus4 ,in the centre of its frowning and menacing front was the device of a cat1 constructed out of black shingles1 and having white shingles for the eyes2 the effect being curiously realistic1 especially on moonlight nights1 when anything more lifelike and sinister could scarcely have been conceived4 ,the artist1 whoever he was1 had a more than human knowledge of cats--he portrayed not merely their bodies but their souls4 ,footnote #a3 ,i have subsequently met several people who experienced the same phenomena in the house1 which was standing a short time ago4 ,in style the front of the house was somewhat castellated4 ,two semicircular bows1 or half towers1 placed at a suitable distance from each other1 rose from the base to the summit of the edifice1 to the height of four or five stairs2 and were pierced1 at every floor1 with rows of stone-mullioned windows4 ,the flat wall between had larger windows1 lighting the great hall1 gallery1 and upper apartments4 ,these windows were wholly composed of stained glass1 engraved with every imaginable fantastic design--imps1 satyrs1 dragons1 witches1 queer-shaped trees1 hands1 eyes1 circles1 triangles and cats4 ,the towers1 half included in the building1 were completely circular within1 and contained the winding stairs of the mansion2 and whoever ascended them when a storm was raging seemed rising by a whirlwind to the clouds4 ,in the upper rooms even the wildest screams of the hurricane were drowned in the rattling clamour of the assaulted casements4 ,when a gale of wind took the building in front1 it rocked it to the foundations1 and1 at such times1 threatened its instant demolition4 ,midway between the towers there stood forth a heavy stone porch with a ,gothic gateway1 surmounted by a battlemented parapet1 made gable fashion1 the apex of which was garnished by a pair of dolphins1 rampant and antagonistic1 whose corkscrew tails seemed contorted--especially at night--by the last agonies of rage convulsed4 ,the porch doors stood open1 except in tremendous weather2 the inner ones were regularly shut and barred after all who entered4 ,they led into a wide vaulted and lofty hall1 the walls of which were decorated with faded tapestry1 that rose1 and fell1 and rustled in the most mysterious fashion every time there was the suspicion--and often barely the suspicion--of a breeze4 ,interspersed with the tapestry--and in great contrast to its antiquity--were quite modern and very ordinary portraits of my family4 ,the general fittings and furniture1 both of the hall and house1 were sombre and handsome--truss-beams1 corbels1 girders and panels were of the blackest oak2 and the general effect of all this1 augmented1 if anything1 by the windows1 which were too high and narrow to admit of much light1 was much the same as that produced by the interior of a subterranean chapel or charnel house4 ,from the hall proceeded doorways and passages1 more than my memory can now particularize4 ,of these portals1 one at each end conducted to the tower stairs1 others to reception rooms and domestic offices4 ,the whole of the house being too large for us1 only one wing--the right and newer of the two--was occupied1 the other was unfurnished1 and generally shut up4 ,i say generally because there were times when either my mother or father--the servants never ventured there--forgot to lock the doors1 and the handles yielding to my daring fingers1 ,i surreptitiously crept in4 ,everywhere--even in daylight1 even on the sunniest of mornings--were dark shadows that hung around the ingles and recesses of the rooms1 the deep cupboards1 the passages1 and silent1 winding staircases4 ,there was one corridor--long1 low1 vaulted--where these shadows assembled in particular4 ,i can see them now1 as ,i saw them then1 as they have come to me many times in my dreams1 grouped about the doorways1 flitting to and fro on the bare1 dismal boards1 and congregated in menacing clusters at the head of the sepulchral staircase leading to the cellars4 ,generally1 and excepting at times when the weather was particularly violent1 the silence here was so emphatic that ,i could never feel it was altogether natural1 but rather that it was assumed especially for my benefit--to intimidate me4 ,if ,i moved1 if ,i coughed1 almost if ,i breathed1 the whole passage was filled with hoarse reverberating echoes1 that1 in my affrighted ears1 appeared to terminate in a series of mirthless1 malevolent chuckles4 ,once1 when fascinated beyond control1 ,i stole on tiptoe along the passage1 momentarily expecting a door to fly open and something grim and horrible to pounce out on me1 ,i was brought to a standstill by a loud1 clanging noise1 as if a pail or some such utensil were set down very roughly on a stone floor4 ,then there was the sound of rushing footsteps and of someone hastily ascending the cellar staircase4 ,in fearful anticipation as to what ,i should see--for there was something in the sounds that told me they were not made by anything human--,i stood in the middle of the passage and stared4 ,up1 up1 up they came1 until ,i saw the dark1 indefinite shape of something very horrid1 but which ,i could not--,i dare not--define4 ,it was accompanied by the clanging of a pail4 ,i tried to scream1 but my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth prevented my uttering a syllable1 and when ,i essayed to move1 ,i found ,i was temporarily paralysed4 ,the thing came rushing down on me4 ,i grew icy cold all over1 and when it was within a few feet of me1 my horror was so great1 ,i fainted4 ,on recovering consciousness1 it was some minutes before ,i summoned up courage to open my eyes1 but when ,i did so1 they alighted on nothing but the empty passage--the thing had disappeared4 ,on another occasion1 when ,i was clandestinely paying a visit to the unused wing1 and was in the act of mounting one of the staircases leading from the corridor1 ,i have just described1 to the first floor1 there was the sound of a furious scuffle overhead1 and something dashed down the stairs past me4 ,i instinctively looked up1 and there1 glaring down at me from over the balustrade1 was a very white face4 ,it was that of a man1 but very badly proportioned--the forehead being low and receding1 and the rest of the face too long and narrow4 ,the crown rose to a kind of peak1 the ears were pointed and set very low down and far back4 ,the mouth was very cruel and thin-lipped2 the teeth were yellow and uneven4 ,there was no hair on the face1 but that on the head was red and matted4 ,the eyes were obliquely set1 pale blue1 and full of an expression so absolutely malignant that every atom of blood in my veins seemed to congeal as ,i met their gaze4 ,i could not clearly see the body of the thing1 as it was hazy and indistinct1 but the impression ,i got of it was that it was clad in some sort of tight-fitting1 fantastic garment4 ,as the landing was in semi-darkness1 and the face at all events was most startlingly visible1 ,i concluded it brought with it a light of its own1 though there was none of that lurid glow attached to it1 which ,i subsequently learned is almost inseparable from spirit phenomena seen under similar conditions4 ,for some seconds1 ,i was too overcome with terror to move1 but my faculties at length reasserting themselves1 ,i turned round and flew to the other wing of the house with the utmost precipitation4 ,one would have thought that after these experiences nothing would have induced me to have run the risk of another such encounter1 yet only a few days after the incident of the head1 ,i was again impelled by a fascination ,i could not withstand to visit the same quarters4 ,in sickly anticipation of what my eyes would alight on1 ,i stole to the foot of the staircase and peeped cautiously up4 ,to my infinite joy there was nothing there but a bright patch of sunshine1 that1 in the most unusual fashion1 had forced its way through from one of the slits of windows near at hand4 ,after gazing at it long enough to assure myself it was only sunshine1 ,i quitted the spot1 and proceeded on my way down the vaulted corridor4 ,just as ,i was passing one of the doors1 it opened4 ,i stopped--terrified4 ,what could it be8 ,bit by bit1 inch by inch1 ,i watched the gap slowly widen4 ,at last1 just as ,i felt ,i must either go mad or die1 something appeared--and1 to my utter astonishment1 it was a big1 black cat6 ,limping painfully1 it came towards me with a curious1 gliding motion1 and ,i perceived with a thrill of horror that it had been very cruelly maltreated4 ,one of its eyes looked as if it had been gouged out--its ears were lacerated1 whilst the paw of one of its hind-legs had either been torn or hacked off4 ,as ,i drew back from it1 it made a feeble and pathetic effort to reach me and rub itself against my legs1 as is the way with cats1 but in so doing it fell down1 and uttering a half purr1 half gurgle1 vanished--seeming to sink through the hard oak boards4 ,that evening my youngest brother met with an accident in the barn at the back of the house1 and died4 ,though ,i did not then associate his death with the apparition of the cat1 the latter shocked me much1 for ,i was extremely fond of animals4 ,i did not dare venture in the wing again for nearly two years4 ,when next ,i did so1 it was early one ,june morning--between five and six1 and none of the family1 saving my father1 who was out in the fields looking after his men1 were as yet up4 ,i explored the dreaded corridor and staircase1 and was crossing the floor of one of the rooms ,i had hitherto regarded as immune from ghostly influences1 when there was an icy rush of wind1 the door behind me slammed to violently1 and a heavy object struck me with great force in the hollow of my back4 ,with a cry of surprise and agony ,i turned sharply round1 and there1 lying on the floor1 stretched out in the last convulsions of death1 was the big black cat1 maimed and bleeding as it had been on the previous occasion4 ,how ,i got out of the room ,i don't recollect4 ,i was too horror-stricken to know exactly what ,i was doing1 but ,i distinctly remember that1 as ,i tugged the door open1 there was a low1 gleeful chuckle1 and something slipped by me and disappeared in the direction of the corridor4 ,at noon that day my mother had a seizure of apoplexy1 and died at midnight4 ,again there was a lapse of years--this time nearly four--when1 sent on an errand for my father1 ,i turned the key of one of the doors leading into the empty wing1 and once again found myself within the haunted precincts4 ,all was just as it had been on the occasion of my last visit--gloom1 stillness and cobwebs reigned everywhere1 whilst permeating the atmosphere was a feeling of intense sadness and depression4 ,i did what was required of me as quickly as possible1 and was crossing one of the rooms to make my exit1 when a dark shadow fell athwart the threshold of the door1 and ,i saw the cat4 99 99 99 99 99 ,that evening my father dropped dead as he was hastening home through the fields4 ,he had long suffered from heart disease4 ,after his death we--that is to say1 my brother1 sisters and self--were obliged to leave the house and go out into the world to earn our living4 ,we never went there again1 and never heard if any of the subsequent tenants experienced similar manifestations4 ,this is as nearly as ,i can recollect ,mrs4 ,hartnoll's story4 ,but as it is a good many years since ,i heard it1 there is just a possibility of some of the details--the smaller ones at all events--having escaped my memory4 ,when ,i was grown up1 ,i stayed for a few weeks near ,oxenby1 and met1 at a garden party1 a ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,wheeler1 the then occupants of the ,manor ,house4 ,i asked if they believed in ghosts1 and told them ,i had always heard their house was haunted4 ,well1 they said1 we never believed in ghosts till we came to ,oxenby1 but we have seen and heard such strange things since we have been in the ,manor ,house that we are now prepared to believe anything4 ,they then went on to tell me that they--and many of their visitors and servants--had seen the phantasms of a very hideous and malignant old man1 clad in tight-fitting hosiery of mediaeval days1 and a maimed and bleeding big1 black cat1 that seemed sometimes to drop from the ceiling1 and sometimes to be thrown at them4 ,in one of the passages all sorts of queer sounds1 such as whinings1 meanings1 screeches1 clangings of pails and rattlings of chains1 were heard1 whilst something1 no one could ever see distinctly1 but which they all felt to be indescribably nasty1 rushed up the cellar steps and flew past1 as if engaged in a desperate chase4 ,indeed1 the disturbances were of so constant and harrowing a nature1 that the wing had to be vacated and was eventually locked up4 ,the ,wheelers excavated in different parts of the haunted wing and found1 in the cellar1 at a depth of some eight or nine feet1 the skeletons of three men and two women2 whilst in the wainscoting of the passage they discovered the bones of a boy1 all of which remains they had properly interred in the churchyard4 ,according to local tradition1 handed down through many centuries by word of mouth1 the house originally belonged to a knight1 who1 with his wife1 was killed out hunting4 ,he had only one child1 a boy of about ten1 who became a ward in chancery4 ,the man appointed by the ,crown as guardian to this child proved an inhuman monster1 and after ill-treating the lad in every conceivable manner1 eventually murdered him and tried to substitute a bastard boy of his own in his place4 ,for a time the fraud succeeded1 but on its being eventually found out1 the murderer and his offspring were both brought to trial and hanged4 ,during his occupation of the house1 many people were seen to enter the premises1 but never leave them1 and the place got the most sinister reputation4 ,among other deeds credited to the murderer and his offspring was the mutilation and boiling of a cat--the particular pet of the young heir1 who was compelled to witness the whole revolting process4 ,years later1 a subsequent owner of the property had a monument erected in the churchyard to the memory of this poor1 abused child1 and on the front of the house constructed the device of the cat4 ,though it is impossible to determine what amount of truth there may be in this tradition1 it certainly seems to accord with the hauntings1 and to supply some sort of explanation to them4 ,the ghostly head on the banisters might well be that of the low and brutal guardian1 whose spirit would be the exact counterpart of his mind4 ,the figure seen1 and noises heard in the passage1 point to the re-enaction of some tragedy1 possibly the murder of the heir1 or the slaughter of his cat1 in either of which a bucket might easily have played a grimly significant part4 ,and if human murderers and their victims have phantasms1 why should not animals have phantasms too8 ,why should not the phenomenon of the cat seen by ,mrs4 ,hartnoll and the ,wheelers have been the actual phantasm of an earthbound cat8 ,no amount of reasoning--religious or otherwise--has as yet annihilated the possibility of all forms of earthly life possessing spirits4 ,,letter ,,from ,,my ,,wife ,i heard the foregoing account from my husband when first ,i met him years ago1 and ,i know it to be true4 ,i have seen the rooms1 etc4 in the ,old ,manor ,house1 ,oxenby1 where the incidents ,mrs4 ,hartnoll mentions took place4 ,,ada ,b4 ,o',,donnell4 ,july #b1 #aiac4 ,to further substantiate my views with regard to a future existence for animals1 ,i reproduce 7by permission of the ,editor7 the following letters and articles that have appeared from time to time in the ,occult ,review3-- ,letter #a ,that other ,cat ,one evening about four years ago ,i was in my drawing-room with two friends2 we were all standing up on the point of going to bed1 and only waiting till the old cook had succeeded in inducing the grey ,persian cat to come in for the night4 ,this was sometimes difficult1 and then cook came up as on this occasion and called him from the balcony1 and the ,french window was wide open1 when a cat rushed in at the window and through the door4 ,what was that8 we said1 looking at one another4 ,it was not ,kitty1 the grey ,persian1 but darker1 and was it really a cat1 or what8 ,my friend ,ruegen has written the account of what she saw before seeing what ,i have said4 ,iona confirms our description4 ,what ,i saw seemed dark and shadowy and yet unmistakably a cat4 ,it seemed to me like the predecessor of ,kitty1 which was a black ,persian2 he had the same habit of coming in at night by this window1 and he constantly rushed through the room1 and downstairs1 being in a hurry for his supper4 ,a moment or two afterwards the grey cat walked slowly in1 and though we searched the house1 we could find no other4 ,,thanet4 ,letter #b ,fraeulein ,mullet's ,story ,three or four years ago1 ,iona and ,i were sitting in the drawing-room on a ,sunday evening1 when cook came in to ask for ,kitty 7a silver-grey ,persian cat7 to settle him in the kitchen for the night4 ,kitty was still in the garden1 and cook went to the balcony calling him4 ,suddenly ,i saw a black cat flying in and disappearing behind or under a seat4 ,first1 ,i did not take much notice of this4 ,but when a minute after ,kitty slowly and solemnly stepped in1 followed by cook1 it struck me that the dark something could not have been ,kitty1 and ,thanet and ,iona made the remark simultaneously4 ,now we began to look for the dark one all over the place without any result4 ,cook had not seen any cat passing her on the balcony1 but ,kitty the grey one4 ,thanet had had a black ,persian cat1 which died before ,kitty came4 ,r,ue,g,e,n4 ,letter #c ,i can entirely corroborate the accounts written by ,thanet and ,ruegen4 ,i remember that ,i saw something like a dark shadow move very quickly and disappear in front of a cottage piano4 ,i exclaimed simultaneously with my friends ,what was that8 and shared their surprise when no black cat was found1 and the grey ,persian walked in unconcernedly through the open window4 ,,iona4 ,letter #d ,what ,kitty saw ,cook said1 ,i wish you would come downstairs and see how strangely ,kitty behaves as soon as ,i open the cupboard4 ,there is nothing in it but the wood2 ,i turned it all out to see what might be the reason--not even a mousehole can ,i find4 ,some days previously cook had told me that nothing could induce ,kitty to sleep in his basket1 and one day he would not eat any food in the kitchen1 and his meals had to be given him outside4 ,so ,i went down to please cook4 ,kitty was picked up1 and while cook petted and stroked him1 she knelt down and opened the cupboard4 ,kitty1 stretching his neck and looking with big1 frightened eyes into the cupboard's corner1 suddenly turned round2 struggling out of cook's hold and rushing over her shoulder1 he flew out of the kitchen4 ,getting up1 ,cook said3 ,that's always what he does1 just as if he was seeing something horrible6 ,next day ,i encouraged cook to talk of ,ruff1 the former black cat1 which had been a great favourite of hers1 and which she had been nursing when he was dying4 ,oh1 poor thing1 when he was ill1 he would creep into dark corners1 so ,i put him in his basket into the cupboard1 making it very comfortable for him1 and there he died--pointing to the very corner which caused such horror to ,kitty4 ,r,ue,g,e,n4 ,letter #e ,captain ,humphries's ,story--,a ,materialized ,cat ,my son had the following experience at the age of four years in our ,worcestershire home4 ,he was an only child and spent much of his time in the company of a cat who shared his tastes and pursuits even to the extent of fishing in the ,river ,weir with him1 the cat being far more proficient at the sport than the boy4 ,when the cat died we none of us dared to break the news to the child1 and were much surprised when he asked us to say why his cat only came to play with him at nights nowadays4 ,when we questioned him about it1 he stoutly maintained that his cat was there in bodily form every night after he went to bed1 looking much the same but a little thinner4 ,at about the same age1 one evening after being in bed one hour1 ,i heard him cry out1 and going upstairs 7his maid also heard and ran up7 and asking him what was the matter1 he said that an old gentleman with a long grey beard like his grandfather came into his room1 and stood at the front of his bed4 ,at the very moment1 the former had a seizure in his carriage while driving through the streets of ,birmingham1 from which he died without regaining consciousness2 later on he recognized a photograph of his grandfather as being the person he saw at the foot of his bed4 ,my wife1 the maid1 and myself can vouch for the accuracy of these statements1 also friends to whom we have related these facts4 ,,munster4 ,letter #f ,mrs4 ,e4,j4 ,ellis's ,story--,the ,old ,woman's ,cat ,my wife1 writes ,mr4 ,ellis1 who was brought up in ,germany1 and who is not sufficiently confident about her ,english to attempt to put down anything for publication in that language1 tells me the following story for the ,occult ,review3-- ,when ,i was a little girl living with my family near ,michelstadt in the ,odenwald1 ,i remember an old woman like an old witch1 whose name was ,louise1 and who was called ',pfeiffe ,louise1' because she exhibited pipes for sale in her cottage window1 along with the cheap dress-stuffs1 needles and threads1 and simple toys for children which were her stock-in-trade4 ,she had a favourite cat which was devoted to her1 but its attachment doesn't seem to have been enough to make her happy1 for she married a young sergeant named ,lautenschlager1 who might have been her son--or indeed her grandson--and who1 as everyone said1 courted her for her money4 ,she died as long ago as #ahfi1 and during her last illness the devoted cat was always with her4 ,it kept watch beside the body when she was dead1 and refused to be driven away4 ,in a fit of exasperation ,lautenschlager seized it1 carried it off1 and drowned it in the little ,river ,mumling1 at a place where the road from ,michelstadt to the neighbouring village ,steinbach runs near the water's edge4 ,it was bordered with poplars then1 but chestnut trees shade it now4 ,soon after his first wife was buried ,lautenschlager married again1 and opened an eating-house in ,steinbach1 where he established his second wife4 ,he had a sister whom he placed in the cottage of poor ',pfeiffe ,louise4' ,she carried on the business1 and every day ,lautenschlager used to walk over from ,steinbach to see how she was getting on1 returning in the evening to his wife1 who used to relate to my mother that he frequently came home terrified and bathed in perspiration1 for as he passed the place where he had drowned the cat1 its ghost used to come out of the river and run beside him along the dark road1 sometimes terrifying him still more by jumping in front of him4 ,after a few years of married life the second wife died1 and ,lautenschlager married a third4 ,the little cottage business had prospered1 and in its place he now had a considerable draper's shop in ,michelstadt4 ,he continued to walk over from ,steinbach1 where now the third wife lived in the eating-house1 and the ghost of the cat continued to frighten him by appearing at nightfall as he walked beside the river4 ,i can remember hearing his third wife describe his dread of it1 and my mother has told me how both the sister and the second wife used to say the same thing1 though ,i was too young then for them to tell me about it4 ,lautenschlager used also to complain to the country people who came to dine at his eating-house4 ,he considered himself an ill-used man1 and felt that the supernatural powers were treating him very hardly1 and subjecting him to a real persecution4 ,i have only the conversation of his wife and the gossip of the village to vouch for his sincerity1 and the genuineness of the apparition is supported only by ,lautenschlager's word1 but his evident anger and agitation were accepted as genuine1 and no one dreamed of doubting his word4 ,he was not at all a dreamy or imaginative man1 and did not drink4 ,his passion was merely momentary4 ,he was not only a draper and caterer but a usurer1 and realized something of a fortune by lending money on good security to peasants and farmers who1 it was said1 did not consider how they bound themselves when they signed the papers he put before them4 ,lautenschlager continued to be haunted by the cat-ghost at irregular intervals for more than twenty years1 and it made a marked change in his character4 ,he became serious1 and during the latter part of his life would only talk about religion and read sacred literature4 ,he died about ten years ago4 ,,feline4 ,letter #g ,a ,spectral ,fox-terrier ,two or three years ago ,i visited a medium 7,mrs4 ,davies of #dd ,laburnum ,grove1 ,portsmouth74 ,i had been seated only a few minutes when a little pug-dog of hers looked up in the direction of my knees and down towards my feet1 growling and howling in a most strange manner4 ,what on earth is he looking at8 ,i exclaimed4 ,oh1 said the medium1 there is a little fox-terrier lying across your feet2 one half of his face is quite dark and the other half white1 but he has such a peculiar black patch over the eye that one would almost think it was a black bruise4 ,now1 sir1 ,i had such a little dog in ,india1 but this lady did not know of him1 and would never have known had he not1 as ,i afterwards found1 died out there4 ,this is not only a case of the appearance of an animal after death1 but also a case in which it was seen by another animal1 as also by the medium4 ,i am also told that the pug-dog who had this vision of my dog was once seen to pounce upon what seemed to the medium to be several cats1 near the copper in the scullery of the same house4 ,the medium asked a neighbour if the previous occupants had had any cats4 ,oh1 yes1 replied the neighbour1 and badly the poor things were served1 for they were cruelly thrown into the copper1 which was full of boiling water4 ,,simla 7,m4 ,conder74 ,letter #h ,killed by a ,street ,car1 but walks in at the ,front ,door ,some five years ago we had a little puppy about six months old4 ,i used to train him to always go round the back way to come into the house4 ,one day he got hurt and run over1 being instantly killed by a street car4 ,a day or two after the accident ,i was going in my front door and ,i saw the dog go up the steps in front of me1 as plain as ,i ever saw him in my life4 ,it seemed he knew that ,i had taught him he must not go in the front way1 because he would go a few steps and then turn round and look at me1 as though he wanted to see how ,i was taking it1 and ,i positively saw him go to the full length of the hall into the house1 a distance of about twenty feet1 before he disappeared4 ,i saw him do this at least three times in two months that we stayed in that flat4 ,i told at least a half-dozen people of the incident at the time it happened1 and ,i can vouch for its authenticity4 ,i remain1 yours truly1 ,,majilton 7,chas4 ,a4 ,thompson1 ,chicago1 ,ill41 ,u4,s4,a474 ,letter #i ,mrs4 ,vincent ,taylor's ,experience4 ,a ,spirit ,purr ,one evening in ,february1 #aijf1 my son and ,i were quietly reading1 in full gaslight1 our small grey cat lying on the sofa a short distance from where ,i sat4 ,suddenly ,i saw on my knee a large red and white cat which belonged to us in ,india1 which was a very dear family friend and as fond of us as a child4 ,on leaving ,india we were obliged to give him to a friend1 and in the end he shared the usual fate of pets in that country1 making a meal for some wild animal4 ,rufie-,oofie1 in his spirit shape1 purred vigorously1 rubbing his head against me and giving every sign of delight at seeing us again4 ,i did not speak1 but in a few minutes my son looked up and said1 ,mother1 ,rufie-,oofie is on your knee1 when the spirit cat jumped down and went to him to be petted4 ,then he returned to me1 and walked along the sofa to where our present cat1 ,kim1 was asleep4 ,the spirit cat1 with a look of almost human fun1 patted ,kim's head1 the latter awaking with a start4 ,rufie-,oofie continued to make playful dabs at ,kim's ears1 ,kim following each movement with glaring eyes1 distinctly seeing and realizing that another cat was invading his sofa1 but not in the least angry with him and quite ready to play4 ,after a few minutes the spirit cat came back to my knee1 whereupon the earth cat displayed jealousy which ,rufie-,oofie resented1 but before they came to actual words the spirit cat retired behind the veil4 ,a,r,j,ue,n,a4 ,letter #aj ,,sir1 ,the following notes of psychological experiences with animals may be of interest3-- ,i had a collie who lived to a good old age4 ,she was deaf and infirm1 and one hind-leg was paralysed1 so that it dragged as she walked4 ,i was taken ill1 not seriously1 nor so as in any way to affect my brain1 but as my poor old dog would insist on coming and lying in my room the doctor insisted on her being destroyed4 ,i felt that her life was no pleasure to her1 and she was killed with chloroform4 ,three days afterwards in the afternoon ,i heard her come upstairs with her dragging hind-leg4 ,i heard her steps come along the long passage which had my room at the end1 and lost them about half-way up4 ,on the third day ,i called her and spoke to her1 putting out my hand as if she would come and put her head under it1 and told her all was right4 ,i never heard her any more4 ,i believe that on one occasion she told me by thought transference that she had no water in her pan4 ,the pan was always filled1 and ,i knew that she wanted something1 but thought of all other wants but water4 ,she made her eyes protrude1 and looked at me intently1 and water flashed into my mind4 ,i looked and found the pan empty4 ,it is1 of course1 possible that the suggestion came from my own subconscious mind4 ,i never saw the aura of a human being1 but ,i once had a kind of vision of this dog1 which experts have told me was her aura4 ,i was sitting by the fire1 somewhat somnolent1 and he was lying on the hearthrug4 ,all at once his golden brown coat disappeared1 and ,i saw a mass of reddish brown or perhaps ,i should say brownish red1 and on one side of it was an irregular patch of fleecy white1 bordered with sapphire blue4 ,i was told that the brownish red represented the dog's animal instincts1 the pearly white his animal innocence1 and the sapphire blue his devotional instinct1 in his case directed to me as his deity4 ,whether any of your readers have had similar experiences and explain them similarly1 ,i do not know4 ,i had to go abroad one summer and my dog was ill with eczema1 and as ,i did not very much trust the maid ,i was leaving in charge1 ,i sent him to the vet's to be treated4 ,as soon as ,i reached my destination ,i wrote to a friend to go and inquire how he was4 ,she replied that the dog was perfectly miserable1 and that he had an enormous wound on his back1 that he had eaten nothing for a week1 that he was too weak to stand1 and that if he were hers1 she would have him put out of his misery at once4 ,i wrote at once to the vet1 telling him to telegraph ,curable or ,hopeless1 and to act accordingly4 ,meanwhile1 ,i sat that afternoon in the ,buergerpark by myself and imagined the dog upon my lap1 and myself stroking and healing him4 ,after this ,i found myself fully believing that he would get better4 ,the telegram ,i received was ,curable1 and my friend wrote a second letter and said it was a miracle1 for the dog was quite convalescent4 ,he recovered perfectly4 ,here1 again1 however1 it may have been that he was breaking his heart for a friend1 and that my friend's visit cheered him4 ,or may not both causes have had their effect8 ,,ambrose ,,zail ,,martyn4 ,here is another case in the veracity of which ,i have every confidence4 ,i will call it ,the ,headless ,cat of ,no4 ---- ,lower ,seedley ,road1 ,seedley1 ,manchester ,it was related to me by ,mr4 ,robert ,dane1 who was at one time a tenant of ,no4 ---- ,lower ,seedley ,road1 ,seedley4 ,i quote it as nearly as possible in his words1 thus3-- ,when we--my wife and ,i--took ,no4 ---- ,lower ,seedley ,road1 no possibility of the place being haunted crossed our minds4 ,indeed ghosts were the very last things we reckoned on1 as neither of us had the slightest belief in them4 ,like the generality of solicitors1 ,i am stodgy and unimaginative1 whilst my wife is the most practical and matter-of-fact little woman you would meet in a day's march4 ,nor was there anything about the house that in any way suggested the superphysical4 ,it was airy and light--no dark corners nor sinister staircases--and equipped throughout with all modern conveniences4 ,we began our lease in ,june--the hottest ,june ,i remember--and nothing occurred to disturb us till ,october4 ,it happened then in this wise4 ,i will quote from my diary3-- ,monday1 ,october #aath4--,dick--that is my brother-in-law--and ,i1 at #aa p4m41 were sitting smoking and chatting together in the study4 ,all the rest of the household had gone to bed4 ,we had no light in the room--as ,dick had a headache--save the fire1 and that had burned so low that its feeble glimmering scarcely enabled us to see each other's face4 ,after a space of sudden and thoughtful silence1 ,dick took the stump of a cigar from his lips and threw it in the grate1 where for a few moments it lay glowing in the gloom4 ',jack1' he said1 'you will think me mad1 but there is something deuced queer about this room to-night--something in the atmosphere ,i cannot define1 but which ,i have never felt here--or indeed anywhere--before4 ,look at that cigar-end--look6' ,i did so1 and received a shock4 ,what ,i saw was certainly not the stump ,dick had had in his mouth1 but an eye--a large1 red and lurid eye--that looked up at us with an expression of the utmost hate4 ,dick raised the shovel and struck at it1 but without effect--it still glared at us4 ,a great horror then seized us1 and unable to remove our gaze from the hellish thing1 we sat glued to our chairs staring at it4 ,this state of affairs lasted till the clock in the hall outside struck twelve1 when the eye suddenly vanished1 and we both felt as if some intensely evil influence had been suddenly removed4 ,dick did not like the idea of sleeping alone1 and asked if he might keep the electric light on in his room all night4 ,tremendous extravagance1 but under the circumstances excusable4 ,i confess ,i devoutly wished it was morning4 ,tuesday1 ,october #abth4--,i was awakened at #aa4cj p4m4 by ,delia saying to me1 ',oh1 ,edward1 there have been such dreadful noises on the landing1 just as if a cat were being worried to death by dogs4 ,hark6 there it is again4' ,and as she spoke1 from apparently just outside the door1 came a series of loud screeches1 accompanied by savage growls and snarls4 ,not knowing what to make of it1 as we had no animals of our own in the house1 but concluding that a door or window having been left open1 a dog and cat had got in from outside1 ,i lit a candle1 and opened the bedroom door4 ,instantly the sounds ceased and there was dead silence1 and although ,i searched everywhere1 not a vestige of any animal was to be seen4 ,moreover all the doors leading into the garden were shut and locked1 and the windows closed4 ,not wishing to frighten ,delia1 ,i laughingly assured her the cat--a black ,tom--was all right1 that it was sitting on the roof of the summer-house1 looking none the worse for its treatment1 and that ,i had sent the dog--a terrier--flying out of the gate with a well-deserved kick4 ,i explained it was my fault about the front door being left open--my brain had been a bit overstrained through excessive work--and asked her on no account to blame the servants4 ,i grow alarmed at times when ,i realize how easy lawyering makes lying4 ,friday1 ,october #bast4--,on my way to bed last night ,i encountered a rush of icy cold air at the first bend of the staircase4 ,the candle flared up1 a bright blue flame1 and went out4 ,something--an animal of sorts--came tearing down the stairs past me1 and on peering over the banisters1 ,i saw1 looking up at me from the well of darkness beneath1 two big red eyes1 the counterparts of the one ,dick and ,i had seen on ,october #aath4 ,i threw a matchbox at them1 but without effect4 ,it was only when ,i switched on the electric light that they disappeared4 ,i searched the house most carefully1 but there were no signs of any animal4 ,joined ,delia1 feeling nervous and henpecky4 ,monday1 ,november #gth4--,tom and ,mable came running into ,delia's room in a great state of excitement after tea to-day4 ',mother6' they cried1 ',mother6 ,do come6 ,some horrid dog has got a cat in the spare room and is tearing it to pieces4' ,delia1 who was mending my socks at the time1 flung them anywhere1 and springing to her feet1 flew to the spare room4 ,the door was shut1 but proceeding from within was the most appalling pandemonium of screeches and snarls1 just as if some dog had got hold of a cat by the neck and was shaking it to death4 ,delia swung open the door and rushed in4 ,the room was empty--not a trace of a cat or dog anywhere--and the sounds ceased6 ,on my return home ,delia met me in the garden4 ',jack6' she said1 ',i have probed the mystery at last4 ,the house is haunted6 ,we must leave4' ,saturday1 ,november #abth4--,sublet house to ,james ,barstow1 retired oil merchant1 to-day4 ,he comes in on the #cjth4 ,hope he'll like it6 ,tuesday1 ,november #aeth4--,cook left to-day4 ',i've no fault to find with you1 mum1' she condescendingly explained to ,delia4 ',it's not you1 nor the children1 nor the food4 ,it's the noises at night--screeches outside my door1 which sound like a cat1 but which ,i know can't be a cat1 as there is no cat in the house4 ,this morning1 mum1 shortly after the clock struck two1 things came to a climax4 ,hearing something in the corner and wondering if it was a mouse--,i ain't a bit afraid of mice1 mum--,i sat up in bed and was getting ready to strike a light--the matchbox was in my hand--when something heavy sprang right on the top of me and gave a loud growl in my ear4 ,that finished me1 mum--,i fainted4 ,when ,i came to myself1 ,i was too frightened to stir1 but lay with my head under the blankets till it was time to get up4 ,i then searched everywhere1 but there was no sign of any dog1 and as the door was locked there was no possibility of any dog having got in during the night4 ,mum1 ,i wouldn't go through what ,i suffered again for fifty pounds2 ,i've got palpitations even now2 and ,i would rather go without my month's wages than sleep in that room another night4' ,delia paid her up to date1 and she went directly after tea4 ,friday1 ,november #ahth4--,as ,i was coming out of the bathroom at #aa p4m4 something fell into the bath with a loud splash4 ,i turned to see what it was--there was nothing there4 ,i ran up the stairs to bed1 three steps at a time6 ,sunday1 ,november #bjth4--,went to church in the morning and heard the usual ,oxford drawl4 ,on the way back ,i was pondering over the sermon and wishing ,i could contort the ,law as successfully as parsons contort the ,scriptures1 when ,dot--she is six to-day--came running up to me with a very scared expression in her eyes4 ',father1' she cried1 plucking me by the sleeve1 'do hurry up4 ,mother is very ill4' ,full of dreadful anticipations1 ,i tore home1 and on arriving found ,delia lying on the sofa in a violent fit of hysterics4 ,it was fully an hour before she recovered sufficiently to tell me what had happened4 ,her account runs thus3-- ',after you went to church1' she began1 ',i made the custard pudding1 jelly and blancmange for dinner1 heard the children their collects1 and had just sat down with the intention of writing a letter to mother1 when ,i heard a very pathetic mew coming1 so ,i thought1 from under the sofa4 ,thinking it was some stray cat that had got in through one of the windows1 ,i tried to entice it out1 by calling ,puss1 puss1 and making the usual silly noise people do on such occasions4 ,no cat coming out and the mewing still continuing1 ,i knelt down and peered under the sofa4 ,there was no cat there4 ,had it been night ,i should have been very much afraid1 but ,i could scarcely reconcile myself to the idea of ghosts with the room filled with sunshine4 ,resuming my seat ,i went on with my writing1 but not for long4 ,the mewing grew nearer4 ,i distinctly heard something crawl out from under the sofa2 there was then a pause1 during which you could have heard the proverbial pin fall1 and then something sprang upon me and dug its claws in my knees4 ,i looked down1 and to my horror and distress1 perceived1 standing on its hind-legs1 pawing my clothes1 a large1 tabby cat1 without a head--the neck terminating in a mangled stump4 ,the sight so appalled me that ,i don't know what happened1 but nurse and the children came in and found me lying on the floor in hysterics4 ,can't we leave the house at once8' ,wednesday1 ,november #cjth4--,left ,no4 ---- ,lower ,seedley ,road at #b p4m4 ,had an awful scurry to get things packed in time1 and dread opening certain of the packing-cases lest we shall find all the crockery smashed4 ,just as we were starting ,delia cried out that she had left her reticule behind1 and ,i was despatched in search of it4 ,i searched everywhere--till ,i was worn out1 for ,i know what ,delia is--and was leaving the premises in full anticipation of being sent back again1 when there was a loud commotion in the hall1 just as if a dog had suddenly pounced on a cat1 and the next moment a large tabby1 with the head hewn away as ,delia had described1 rushed up to me and tried to spring on to my shoulders4 ,at this juncture one of the servants cautiously opened the hall door from without1 and informed me ,i was wanted4 ,the cat instantly vanished1 and1 on my reaching the carriage in a state of breathless haste and trepidation1 ,delia told me she had found her reticule--she had been sitting on it all the time6 ,in a subsequent note in his diary a year or so later ,mr4 ,dane says3 ,after innumerable enquiries re the history of ,no4 ---- ,lower ,seedley ,road prior to our inhabiting it1 ,i have at length elicited the fact that twelve years ago a ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,barlowe lived there4 ,they had one son1 ,arthur1 whom they spoilt in the most outrageous fashion1 even to the extent of encouraging him in acts of cruelty4 ,to afford him amusement they used to buy rats for his dog--a fox-terrier--to worry1 and on one occasion procured a stray cat1 which the servants afterwards declared was mangled in the most shocking manner before being finally destroyed by ,arthur4 ,here1 then1 in my opinion1 is a very feasible explanation for the hauntings--the phenomenon seen was the phantasm of the poor1 tortured cat4 ,for if human tragedies are re-enacted by ghosts1 why not animal tragedies too8 ,it is absurd to suppose man has the monopoly of soul or spirit4 ,the ,cat on the ,post ,in her ,ghosts and ,family ,legends ,mrs4 ,crowe narrates the following case of a haunting by the phantom of a cat3-- ,after the doctor's story1 ,i fear mine will appear too trifling1 said ,mrs4 ,m41 but as it is the only circumstance of the kind that ever happened to myself1 ,i prefer giving it you to any of the many stories ,i have heard4 ,about fifteen years ago ,i was staying with some friends at a magnificent old seat in ,yorkshire1 and our host being very much crippled with the gout1 was in the habit of driving about the park and neighbourhood in a low pony phaeton1 on which occasions ,i often accompanied him4 ,one of our favourite excursions was to the ruins of an old abbey just beyond the park1 and we generally returned by a remarkably pretty rural lane leading to the village1 or rather small town1 of ,c----4 ,one fine summer's evening we had just entered this lane when1 seeing the hedges full of wild flowers1 ,i asked my friend to let me alight and gather some4 ,i walked before the carriage picking honeysuckles and roses as ,i went along1 till ,i came to a gate that led into a field4 ,it was a common country gate with a post on each side1 and on one of these posts sat a large white cat1 the finest animal of the kind ,i had ever seen2 and as ,i have a weakness for cats ,i stopped to admire this sleek1 fat puss1 looking so wonderfully comfortable in a very uncomfortable position1 the top of the post1 on which it was sitting with its feet doubled up under it1 being out of all proportion to its body1 for no ,angola ever rivalled it in size4 ',come on gently1' ,i called to my friend2 'here's such a magnificent cat6' for ,i feared the approach of the phaeton would startle it away before he had seen it4 ',where8' said he1 pulling up his horse opposite the gate4 ',there1' said ,i1 pointing to the post4 ',isn't he a beauty8 ,i wonder if it would let me stroke it8' ',i see no cat1' said he4 ',there on the post1' said ,i1 but he declared he saw nothing1 though puss sat there in perfect composure during this colloquy4 ',don't you see the cat1 ,james8' said ,i in great perplexity to the groom4 ',yes1 ma'am2 a large white cat on that post4' ,i thought my friend must be joking1 or losing his eyesight1 and ,i approached the cat1 intending to take it in my arms and carry it to the carriage2 but as ,i drew near she jumped off the post1 which was natural enough1 but to my surprise she jumped into nothing--as she jumped she disappeared6 ,no cat in the field--none in the lane--none in the ditch6 ',where did she go1 ,james8' ',i don't know1 ma'am4 ,i can't see her1' said the groom1 standing up in his seat and looking all round4 ,i was quite bewildered2 but still ,i had no glimmering of the truth2 and when ,i got into the carriage again my friend said he thought ,i and ,james were dreaming1 and ,i retorted that ,i thought he must be going blind4 ,i had a commission to execute as we passed through the town1 and ,i alighted for that purpose at the little haberdasher's2 and while they were serving me ,i mentioned that ,i had seen a remarkably beautiful cat sitting on a gate in the lane1 and asked if they could tell me who it belonged to1 adding it was the largest cat ,i ever saw4 ,the owners of the shop1 and two women who were making purchases1 suspended their proceedings1 looked at each other and then looked at me1 evidently very much surprised4 ',was it a white cat1 ma'am8' said the mistress4 ',yes1 a white cat2 a beautiful creature and----' ',bless me6' cried two or three1 'the lady's seen the white cat of ,c----4 ,it hasn't been seen these twenty years4' ',master wishes to know if you'll soon be done1 ma'am4 ,the pony is getting restless1' said ,james4 ,of course ,i hurried out1 and got into the carriage1 telling my friend that the cat was well known to the people at ,c----1 and that it was twenty years old4 ,in those days1 ,i believe1 ,i never thought of ghosts1 and least of all should have thought of the ghost of a cat2 but two evenings afterwards1 as we were driving down the lane1 ,i again saw the cat in the same position and again my companion could not see it1 though the groom did4 ,i alighted immediately1 and went up to it4 ,as ,i approached it turned its head and looked full towards me with its soft mild eyes1 and a friendly expression1 like that of a loving dog2 and then1 without moving from the post1 it began to fade gradually away1 as if it were a vapour1 till it had quite disappeared4 ,all this the groom saw as well as myself2 and now there could be no mistake as to what it was4 ,a third time ,i saw it in broad daylight1 and my curiosity greatly awakened1 ,i resolved to make further enquiries amongst the inhabitants of ,c----1 but before ,i had an opportunity of doing so1 ,i was summoned away by the death of my eldest child1 and ,i have never been in that part of the world since4 ,however1 ,i once mentioned the circumstance to a lady who was acquainted with that neighbourhood1 and she said she had heard of the white cat of ,c----1 but had never seen it4 ,this is ,mrs4 ,m4's account as related by ,mrs4 ,crowe1 and after perusing the authoress's preface to the work1 ,i am inclined to give it full credence4 ,the ,mystic ,properties of ,cats ,the most common forms of animal phenomena seen in haunted houses are undoubtedly those of cats4 ,the number of places reported to me as being haunted by cats is almost incredible--in one street in ,whitechapel there are no less than four4 ,this state of affairs may possibly be accounted for by the fact that cats1 more than any other animals that live in houses1 meet with sudden and unnatural ends1 especially in the poorer districts1 where the doctrine of kindness to animals has not as yet made itself thoroughly felt4 ,now ,i am touching on the subject of cat ghosts1 it may not be out of place to reproduce the following article of mine1 entitled ,cats and the ,unknown1 which appeared in the ,occult ,review for ,december1 #aiab3-- ,since1 from all ages1 the cat has been closely associated with the supernatural1 it is not surprising to learn that images and symbols of that animal figured in the temples of the sun and moon1 respectively1 in ancient ,egypt4 ,according to ,horapollo1 the cat was worshipped in the ,temple of ,heliopolis1 sacred to the sun1 because the size of the pupil of the cat's eye is regulated by the height of the sun above the horizon4 ,other authorities suggest a rather more subtle--and1 in my opinion1 more probable--reason1 namely1 that the link between the sun and the cat is not merely physical but superphysical1 that the cat is attracted to the sun not only because it loves warmth1 but because the sun keeps off terrifying and antagonistic occult forces1 to the influences of which the cat1 above all other animals1 is specially susceptible2 a fact fully recognized by the ,egyptians1 who1 to show their understanding and appreciation of this feline attachment1 took care that whenever a temple was dedicated to the sun an image or symbol of the cat was placed somewhere1 well in evidence1 within the precincts4 ,to make this theory all the more probable1 images and symbols of the cat were dedicated to the moon1 the moon being universally regarded as the quintessence of everything supernatural1 the very cockpit1 in fact1 of mystery and spookism4 ,the nocturnal habits of the cat1 its love of prowling about during moonlight hours1 and the spectacle of its two round1 gleaming eyes1 may1 of course1 as ,plutarch seems to have thought1 have suggested to the ,egyptians human influence and analogy1 and thus the presence of its effigy in temples to ,isis would be partially1 at all events1 accounted for2 though1 as before1 ,i am inclined to think there is another and rather more subtle reason4 ,from endless experiments made in haunted houses1 ,i have proved to my own satisfaction1 at least1 that the cat acts as a thoroughly reliable psychic barometer4 ,the dog is sometimes unaware of the proximity of the ,unknown4 ,when the ghost materializes or in some other way demonstrates its advent1 the dog1 occasionally1 is wholly undisturbed--the cat never4 ,i have never yet had a cat with me that has not shown the most obvious signs of terror and uneasiness both before and during a superphysical manifestation4 ,now1 although ,i won't go so far as to say that ghostly demonstrations are actually dependent on the moon--that they occur only on nights when the moon is visible--experience has led me to believe that the moon most certainly does influence them--that moonlight nights are much more favourable to ghostly appearances than other nights4 ,hence--there is this much in common between the moon and cats--the one influences and the other is influenced by psychic phenomena--a fact that could scarcely have failed to be recognized by so keen observers of the occult as the ,ancient ,egyptians4 ,the presence of the cat's effigy in the temples of ,isis might thus be explained4 ,over and over again we come across the cat in the land of the ,pharaohs4 ,it seems to be inseparable from the esoteric side of ,egyptian life4 ,the goddess ,bast is depicted with a cat's head1 holding the sistrum1 i4e4 the symbol of the world's harmony1 in her hand4 ,one of the most ancient symbols of the cat is to be found in the ,necropolis of ,thebes1 which contains the tomb of ,hana 7who probably belonged to the ,eleventh ,dynasty74 ,there1 ,hana is depicted standing erect1 proud and kingly1 with his favourite cat ,borehaki--,borehaki1 the picture of all things strange and psychic1 and from whom one cannot help supposing he may have chosen his occult inspiration--at his feet4 ,so sure were the ,egyptians that the cat possessed a soul that they deemed it worthy of the same funeral rites they bestowed on man4 ,cats were embalmed1 and innumerable cat mummies have been discovered in wooden coffins at ,bubastis1 ,speos1 ,artemidos and ,thebes4 ,when a cat died the ,egyptians shaved their eyebrows1 not only to show grief at the loss of their loved one1 but to avert subsequent misfortune4 ,so long as a cat was in his house the ,egyptian felt safe from inimical supernatural influences1 but if there was no cat in the house at night1 then any undesirable from the occult world might visit him4 ,indeed1 in such high esteem did the ,egyptians hold the cat1 that they voluntarily incurred the gravest risks when its life was in peril4 ,no one of them appreciated the cat and set a higher value on its mystic properties than the ,sultan ,el-,daher-,beybas1 who reigned in ,a4,d4 #abfj1 and has been compared with ,william of ,tripoli for his courage1 and with ,nero for his cruelty4 ,el-,daher-,beybas kept his palace swarming with cats1 and--if we may give credence to tradition--was seldom to be seen unaccompanied by one of these animals4 ,when he died1 he left the proceeds from the product of a garden to support his feline friends--an example that found many subsequent imitators4 ,indeed1 until comparatively recently in ,cairo1 cats were regularly fed1 between noon and sunset1 in the outer court of the ,mehkemeh4 ,in ,geneva1 ,rome and ,constantinople1 though cats were generally deemed to have souls and to possess psychic properties1 they were thought to derive them from evil sources1 and so strong was the prejudice against these unfortunate animals on this account1 that all through the ,middle ,ages we find them suffering such barbaric torture as only the perverted minds of a fanatical1 priest-ridden people could devise 7which treatment1 no doubt1 partly1 at all events1 accounts for the many palaces1 houses1 etc41 in those particular countries1 stated to have been haunted by the spirits of cats74 ,the devil was popularly supposed to appear in the shape of a black ,tom in preference to assuming any other guise1 and the bare fact of an old woman being seen1 once or twice1 with a black cat by her side was quite sufficient to earn for her the reputation of a witch4 ,it would be idle1 of course1 to expect people in these unmeditative times to believe there was ever the remotest truth underlying these so-called phantastic suppositions of the past2 yet1 according to reliable testimony1 there are1 at the present moment1 many houses in ,england haunted by phantasms in the form of black cats1 of so sinister and hostile an appearance1 that one can only assume that unless they are the actual spirits of cats1 earthbound through cruel and vicious propensities1 they must be vice-elementals1 i4e4 spirits that have never inhabited any material body1 and which have either been generated by vicious thoughts1 or else have been attracted elsewhere to a spot by some crime or vicious act once perpetrated there4 ,vice-elemental is merely the modern name for fiend or demon4 ,apart from his luciferan qualities1 the cat was awarded all sorts of other qualities1 not the least important of which was its prophetic capability4 ,if a cat washed its face1 rainy weather was regarded as inevitable2 if a cat frolicked on the deck of a ship1 it was a sure sign of a storm2 whilst if a live ember fell on a cat1 an earthquake shock would speedily be felt4 ,cats1 too1 were reputed the harbingers of good and bad fortune4 ,not a person in ,normandy but believed1 at one time1 that the spectacle of a tortoiseshell cat1 climbing a tree1 foretold death from accident1 and that a black cat crossing one's path1 in the moonlight1 presaged death from an epidemic4 ,two black cats viewed in the open between #d and #g a4m4 were generally believed to predict a death2 whereas a strange white cat1 heard mewing on a doorstep1 was loudly welcomed as the indication of an approaching marriage4 ,according to tradition1 one learns that cats were occasionally made use of in medicine2 to cure peasants of skin diseases1 ,french sorcerers sprinkling the afflicted parts with three drops of blood drawn from the vein under a cat's tail2 whilst blindness was treated by blowing into the patient's eyes1 three times a day1 the dust made from ashes of the head of a black cat that had been burned alive4 ,talking of burning cats reminds me of a horrible practice that was prevalent in the ,hebrides as late as #agej4 ,it was firmly believed there that cats were extraordinarily psychic1 and that a sure means of getting in close touch with occult powers1 and of obtaining from them the faculty of second sight--such as the cat possessed--was to offer up as sacrifices innumerable black cats4 ,the process was very simple4 ,a black cat was fastened to a spit before a slow fire1 and as soon as the wretched animal was well roasted1 another took its place2 victims being supplied without intermission1 until their vociferous screams brought to the scene a number of ghostly cats who joined in the chorus4 ,the desired climax was reached1 when an enormous phantom cat suddenly appeared1 and informed the operator that it was willing to grant him any one request if he would only refrain from his cruel persecution4 ,the operator at once demanded the faculty of second sight--a power more highly prized in the ,hebrides than any other--and the moment it was bestowed on him1 set free the remaining cats4 ,had all races been as barbarously disposed as these occult-hungering ,westerners1 cats would soon have become extinct2 but it is comforting to think that in some parts of the world a very different value was set on their psychic properties4 ,in various parts of ,europe 7some districts of ,england included7 white cats were thought to attract benevolently disposed fairies1 and a peasant would as soon have thought of cutting off his fingers1 or otherwise maltreating himself1 as being unkind to an animal of this species4 ,in the fairy lore of half ,europe we have instances of luck-bringing cats--each country producing its own version of ,puss in ,boots1 ,dame ,mitchell and her cat1 the ,white ,cat1 ,dick ,whittington and his cat1 etc4 ,it is the same in ,asia1 too2 for nowhere are such stories more prolific than in ,china and ,persia4 ,to sum up--in all climes and in all periods of past history1 the cat was credited with many propensities that brought it into affinity and sympathy with the supernatural--or to quote the up-to-date term--superphysical world4 ,let us review the cat to-day1 and see to what extent this past regard of it is justified4 ,firstly1 with respect to it as the harbinger of fortune4 ,has a cat insight into the future8 ,can it presage wealth or death8 ,i am inclined to believe that certain cats can at all events foresee the advent of the latter2 and that they do this in the same manner as the shark1 crow1 owl1 jackal1 hyena1 etc41 viz4 by their abnormally developed sense of smell4 ,my own and other people's experience has led me to believe that when a person is about to die1 some kind of phantom1 maybe1 a spirit whose special function it is to be present on such occasions1 is in close proximity to the sick or injured one1 waiting to escort his or her soul into the world of shadows--and that certain cats scent its approach4 ,therein then--in this wonderful property of smell--lies one of the secrets to the cat's mysterious powers1 it has the psychic faculty of scent--of scenting ghosts4 ,some people1 too1 have this faculty4 ,in a recent murder case1 in the ,north of ,england1 a rustic witness gave it in her evidence that she was sure a tragedy was about to happen because she smelt death in the house1 and it made her very uneasy4 ,cats possessing this peculiarity are affected in a similar manner--they are uneasy4 ,before a death in a house ,i have watched a cat show gradually increasing signs of uneasiness4 ,it has moved from place to place1 unable to settle in any one spot for any length of time1 had frequent fits of shivering1 gone to the door1 sniffed the atmosphere1 thrown back its head and mewed in a low1 plaintive key1 and shown the greatest reluctance to being alone in the dark4 ,this faculty--possessed by certain cats--may in some measure explain certain of the superstitions respecting them4 ,take1 for example1 that of cats crossing one's path predicting death4 ,the cat is drawn to the spot because it scents the phantom of death1 and cannot resist its magnetic attraction4 ,from this1 it does not follow that the person who sees the cat is going to die1 but that death is overtaking someone associated with that person2 and it is in connection with the latter that the spirit of the grave is present1 employing1 as a medium of prognostication1 the cat1 which has been given the psychic faculty of smell that it might be so used4 ,but although ,i regard this theory as very feasible1 ,i do not attribute to cats1 with the same degree of certainty1 the power to presage good fortune1 simply because ,i have had no experience of it myself4 ,yet1 adopting the same lines of argument1 ,i see no reason why cats should not prognosticate good as well as evil4 ,there may be phantoms representative of prosperity1 in just the same manner as there are those representative of death2 they1 too1 may also have some distinguishing scent 7flowers have various odours1 so why not spirits87 and certain cats1 i4e4 white cats in particular1 may be attracted by it4 ,this becomes all the more probable when one considers how very impressionable the cat is--how very sensitive to kindness4 ,there are some strangers with whom the cat will at once make friends1 and others whom it will studiously avoid4 ,why8 ,the explanation1 ,i fancy1 lies once more in the occult--in the cat's psychic faculty of smell4 ,kind people attract benevolently disposed phantoms1 which bring with them an agreeably scented atmosphere1 that1 in turn1 attracts cats4 ,the cat comes to one person because it knows by the smell of the atmosphere surrounding him1 or her1 that it has nothing to fear--that the person is essentially gentle and benignant4 ,on the contrary1 cruel people attract malevolent phantoms1 distinguishable also to the cat by their smell1 a smell typical of cruelty--often of homicidal lunacy 7,i have particularly noticed how cats have shrunk from people who have afterwards become dangerously insane74 ,is this sense of smell1 then1 the keynote to the halo of mystery that has for all times surrounded the cat--that has led to its bitter persecution--that has made it the hero of fairy lore1 the pet of old maids8 ,i believe it is--,i believe that in this psychic faculty of smell lies1 in degree1 the solution to the oft-asked riddle--why is the cat uncanny8 ,having then satisfied oneself on this point1 namely1 that cats are in the possession of rare psychic properties1 is it likely that the ,unknown ,powers which have so endowed them1 should withhold from them either souls or spirits8 ,is it not contrary to reason1 instinct1 and observation to suppose that the many thoroughly material and grossly minded people--people whose whole beings are steeped in money worship--we see around us every day should have spirits1 and that pretty1 refined and artistic-looking cats1 whose occult powers place them in the very closest connection with the superphysical1 should not8 ,monstrous--the bare conception of such incongruity in the one case1 and such an omission in the other1 is inconceivable1 wholly irreconcilable with the notion of any other than a mummer of a creator--a mere court fool of a ,god4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,apparitions ,,of ,,dogs ,one of the most extraordinary cases of hauntings by the phantasms of dogs is related in an old ,christmas number of the ,review of ,reviews1 edited by the late ,mr4 ,w4,t4 ,stead1 and entitled ,real ,ghost ,stories4 ,the most remarkable1 writes ,mr4 ,stead1 of all the stories which ,i have heard concerning ghosts which touch is one that reaches me from ,darlington4 ,i owe this1 as ,i owe so many of the other narratives in this collection1 to the ,rev4 ,harry ,kendall1 of ,darlington1 whose painstaking perseverance in the collection of all matters of this kind cannot be too highly praised4 ,mr4 ,kendall is a ,congregational minister of old standing4 ,he was my pastor when ,i was editing the ,northern ,echo1 and he is the author of a remarkable book1 entitled ,all the ,world's ,akin4 ,the following narrative is quite unique in its way1 and fortunately he was able to get it at first hand from the only living person present4 ,here we have a ghost which not only strikes the first blow1 hitting a man fair in the eye1 but afterwards sets a ghostly dog upon his victim and then disappears4 ,the narrative was signed by ,mr4 ,james ,durham as lately as ,december #eth1 #ahij4 ,mr4 ,stead then proceeds to quote the account which he had from ,mr4 ,kendall1 and which ,i append ad verbum from the ,review of ,reviews4 ,it is as follows3 ,i was night watchman at the old ,darlington and ,stockton ,station at the town of ,darlington1 a few yards from the first station that ever existed4 ,i was there fifteen years4 ,i used to go on duty about #h p4m4 and come off at #f a4m4 ,i had been there a little while--perhaps two or three years--and about forty years ago4 ,one night during winter at about #ab o'clock or #ab4cj ,i was feeling rather cold with standing here and there2 ,i said to myself1 ',i will away down and get something to eat4' ,there was a porter's cellar where a fire was kept on and a coal-house was connected with it4 ,so ,i went down the steps1 took off my overcoat1 and had just sat down on the bench opposite the fire and turned up the gas when a strange man came out of the coal-house1 followed by a big black retriever4 ,as soon as he entered my eye was upon him1 and his eye upon me1 and we were intently watching each other as he moved on to the front of the fire4 ,there he stood looking at me1 and a curious smile came over his countenance4 ,he had a stand-up collar and a cut-away coat with gilt buttons and a ,scotch cap4 ,all at once he struck at me1 and ,i had the impression that he hit me4 ,i up with my fist and struck back at him4 ,my fist seemed to go through him and struck against the stone above the fireplace1 and knocked the skin off my knuckles4 ,the man seemed to be struck back into the fire1 and uttered a strange1 unearthly squeak4 ,immediately the dog gripped me by the calf of my leg1 and seemed to cause me pain4 ,the man recovered his position1 called off the dog with a sort of click of the tongue1 then went back into the coal-house1 followed by the dog4 ,i lighted my dark lantern and looked into the coal-house1 but there was neither dog nor man1 and no outlet for them except the one by which they had entered4 ,i was satisfied that what ,i had seen was ghostly1 and it accounted for the fact that when the man had first come into the place where he sat ,i had not challenged him with any enquiry4 ,next day1 and for several weeks1 my account caused quite a commotion1 and a host of people spoke to me about it2 among the rest old ,edward ,pease1 father of railways1 and his three sons1 ,john1 ,joseph1 and ,henry4 ,old ,edward sent for me to his house and asked me all particulars4 ,he and others put this question to me3 ,are you sure you were not asleep and had the nightmare8 ,my answer was quite sure1 for ,i had not been a minute in the cellar1 and was just going to get something to eat4 ,i was certainly not under the influence of strong drink1 for ,i was then1 as ,i have been for forty-nine years1 a teetotaler4 ,my mind at the time was perfectly free from trouble4 ,what increased the excitement was the fact that a man a number of years before1 who was employed in the office of the station1 had committed suicide1 and his body had been carried into this very cellar4 ,i knew nothing of this circumstance1 nor of the body of the man1 but ,mr4 ,pease and others who had known him1 told me my description exactly corresponded to his appearance and the way he dressed1 and also that he had a black retriever just like the one which gripped me4 ,i should add that no mark or effect remained on the spot where ,i seemed to be seized4 7,signed7 ,,james ,,durham4 ,dec4 #ith1 #ahij4 ,following the above statement ,mr4 ,stead appends ,mr4 ,kendall's reasons for believing that what ,james ,durham experienced was objective psychic phenomena1 and neither produced during sleep nor by hallucination4 ,the arguments used strike me as being so concise and sensible that ,i think it will not be out of place to reproduce them4 ,first1 ,mr4 ,kendall says1 he 7,james ,durham7 was accustomed as watchman to be up all night1 and therefore not likely from that cause to feel sleepy4 ,secondly1 he had scarcely been a minute in the cellar1 and1 feeling hungry1 was just going to get something to eat4 ,thirdly1 if he was asleep at the beginning of the vision1 he must have been awake enough during the latter part of it when he had knocked the skin off his knuckles4 ,fourthly1 there was his own confident testimony4 ,i strongly incline to the opinion that there was an objective cause for the vision1 and that it was genuinely apparitional4 ,so interested was ,mr4 ,kendall in the case that he visited the spot some short time later4 ,he was taken into the cellar where the manifestations took place1 and his guide1 an old official of the ,north ,road ,station1 informed him he well remembered the clerk--a man of the name of ,winter--who committed suicide there1 and showed him the exact spot where he had shot himself with a pistol4 ,in dress and appearance ,mr4 ,winter corresponded minutely with the phenomenon described by ,james ,durham1 and he had had a black retriever4 ,mr4 ,kendal came away more convinced than ever of the veracity of ,james ,durham's story1 though he admits it was not evidential after the high standard of the ,s4,p4,r4 ,i do not know whether the ,s4,p4,r4 published the case1 and ,i certainly do not think ,mr4 ,kendall need have minded if they did not--for after all there is no reason to suppose the judgment of the ,s4,p4,r4 is always infallible4 ,mr4 ,stead does not comment on the apparition of the dog1 which leads one to suppose cases of animal phantasms were by no means uncommon to him4 ,the ,grey ,dog of ---- ,house1 ,birmingham ,according to a story current in the ,midlands1 a house in ,birmingham1 near the ,roman ,catholic ,cathedral1 was once very badly haunted4 ,a family who took up their abode in it in the 'eighties complained of hearing all sorts of uncanny sounds--such as screams and sighs--coming from a room behind the kitchen4 ,on one occasion the tenant's wife1 on entering the sitting-room1 was almost startled out of her senses at seeing1 standing before the fireplace1 the figure of a tall1 stout man with a large1 grey dog by his side4 ,what was so alarming about the man was his face--it was apparently a mere blob of flesh without any features in it4 ,the lady screamed out1 whereupon there was a terrific crash1 as if all the crockery in the house had been suddenly clashed on the stone floor2 and a friend of the lady's1 attracted to the spot by the noise1 saw two clouds of vapour1 one resembling a man and the other a dog1 which1 after hovering over the hearth for several seconds1 finally dispersed altogether4 ,a gasfitter1 when working in the house1 saw the same figures no less than nine times1 and so distinctly that he was able to give a detailed description of both the man and dog4 ,the house seems to have been well known in ,birmingham1 and was certainly standing as recently as #ahhe4 ,many theories were advanced as to its history1 the one gaining most credence being that it was occupied1 in #ahbi1 by a man who supplied the medical students with human bodies4 ,it was noticed at the time that many people who were seen to enter the house in the company of the owner were never seen to leave it1 which accords well with the theory of resurrection men4 ,no suggestion has been offered to account for the animal1 which may very easily have been the phantom of the murderer's dog1 or1 what is rather less likely1 the dog of one of his numerous victims4 ,anyhow1 explanation or no explanation1 the fact remains the house was haunted in the manner described1 and ,f4 ,grey1 a ,warwickshire ,chief ,constable1 in his ,recollections1 published #ahba1 alludes to it4 ,the ,dog in the ,cupboard ,miss ,prettyman1 whom ,i met some years ago in ,cornwall1 told me she once lived in a house in ,westmorland that was haunted by the apparition of a large dog1 enveloped in a blueish glow1 which apparently emanated from within it4 ,the dog1 whilst appearing in all parts of the house1 invariably vanished in a big cupboard at the back of the hall staircase4 ,miss ,prettyman1 her family1 several of their visitors1 and the servants all saw the same phantasm1 and were1 perhaps1 more frightened by the suddenness of its advent than by its actual appearance4 ,the theory was that it was the ghost of some dog that had been cruelly done to death--possibly by starvation--in the cupboard4 ,how the ,ghost of a ,dog saved ,life ,when ,i was a boy1 an elderly friend of mine1 ,miss ,lefanu1 narrated to me an anecdote which impressed me much4 ,it was to this effect4 ,miss ,lefanu was walking one day along a very lonely country lane1 when she suddenly observed an enormous ,newfoundland dog following in her wake a few yards behind4 ,being very fond of dogs1 she called out to it in a caressing voice and endeavoured to stroke it4 ,to her disappointment1 however1 it dodged aside1 and repeated the manoeuvre every time she tried to touch it4 ,at length1 losing patience1 she desisted1 and resumed her walk1 the dog still following her4 ,in this fashion they went on1 until they came to a particularly dark part of the road1 where the branches of the trees almost met overhead1 and there was a pool of stagnant1 slimy water1 suggestive of great depth4 ,on the one side the hedge was high1 but on the other there was a slight gap leading into a thick spinney4 ,miss ,lefanu never visited the spot alone after dusk1 and had been warned against it even in the daytime4 ,as she drew near to it1 everything that she had ever heard about it flashed across her mind1 and she was more than once on the verge of turning back1 when the sight of the big1 friendly-looking dog plodding behind1 reassuring her1 she pressed on4 ,just as she came to the gap1 there was a loud snapping of twigs1 and1 to her horror1 two tramps1 with singularly sinister faces1 sprang out1 and were about to strike her with their bludgeons1 when the dog1 uttering a low1 ominous growl1 dashed at them4 ,in an instant the expression of murderous joy in their eyes died out1 one of abject terror took its place1 and1 dropping their weapons1 they fled1 as if the very salvation of their souls depended on it4 ,as may be imagined1 ,miss ,lefanu lost no time in getting home1 and the first thing she did on arriving there was to go into the kitchen and order the cook to prepare1 at once1 a thoroughly good meal for her gallant rescuer--the ,newfoundland dog1 which she had shut up securely in the back yard1 with the laughing remark1 ,there--you can't escape me now4 ,judge of her astonishment1 however1 when1 on her return1 the dog had gone4 ,as the walls of the back yard were twelve feet high1 and the doors had been shut all the while--no one having passed through them--it was impossible for the animal to have escaped1 and the only interpretation that could possibly be put on the matter was that the dog was superphysical--a conclusion that was subsequently confirmed by the experiences of various other people4 ,as the result of exhaustive enquiries ,miss ,lefanu eventually learned that many years before1 on the very spot where the tramps had leaped out on her1 a pedlar and his ,newfoundland dog had been discovered murdered4 ,this story being true1 then1 there is one more link in the chain of evidence to show that dogs1 as well as men1 have spirits1 and spirits that can1 on occasion1 at least1 perform deeds of practical service4 ,a ,precentor's ,story ,the late ,mr4 ,w4,t4 ,stead1 in his volume of ,real ,ghost ,stories1 narrates the following1 which by reason of its being witnessed by three people simultaneously1 may be regarded as highly evidential4 ,in reply to ,mr4 ,stead's request to hear the anecdote the precentor says 7,i quote him ad verbum73 ,i was walking1 about nine years ago1 one night in ,august1 about ten o'clock1 and about half a mile from the house where we are now sitting4 ,i was going along the public road between the hamlets of ,mill of ,haldane and ,ballock4 ,i had with me two young women1 and we were leisurely walking along1 when suddenly we were startled by seeing a woman1 a child about seven years old1 and a ,newfoundland dog jump over the stone wall which was on one side of the road1 and walk on rapidly in front of us4 ,i was not in the least frightened1 but my two companions were very much startled4 ,what bothered me was that the woman1 the child1 and the dog1 instead of coming over the wall naturally one after the other1 as would have been necessary for them to do1 had come over with a bound1 simultaneously leaping the wall1 lighting on the road1 and then hurrying on without a word4 ,leaving my two companions1 who were too frightened to move1 ,i walked rapidly after the trio4 ,they walked on so quickly that it was with difficulty that ,i got up to them4 ,i spoke to the woman1 she never answered4 ,i walked beside her for some little distance1 and then suddenly the woman1 the child1 and the ,newfoundland dog disappeared4 ,i did not see them go anywhere1 they simply were no longer there4 ,i examined the road minutely1 at the spot where they had disappeared1 to see if it was possible for them to have gone through a hole in the wall on either side2 but it was quite impossible for a woman and a child to get over a high dyke on either side4 ,they had disappeared1 and ,i only regret that ,i did not try to pass my stick right through their bodies1 to see whether or not they had any resistance4 ,finding they had gone1 ,i returned to my lady friends1 who were quite unnerved1 and who1 with difficulty1 were induced to go on to the end of their journey4 ,one of his companions1 ,mr4 ,stead goes on to explain1 who heard him tell the story at the time1 corroborated the fact that it had made a great impression on those who had seen it4 ,nothing was ever ascertained as to any woman1 child1 or ,newfoundland dog that had ever been in the district before4 ,when they got to ,ballock they enquired of the keeper of the bridge whether a woman1 a child1 and a dog had passed that way1 but he had seen nothing4 ,the apparition had disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared4 ,mr4 ,stead's article ends here4 ,of course1 one can only surmise as to the nature of the phenomena4 ,no member of the ,psychical ,research ,society could do more--and in the absence of any authentic history of the spot where the manifestations occurred1 such a surmise can be of little value4 ,since the phenomena were seen by three people at the same time1 it is quite safe to assume they were objective1 but it is impossible to lay down the law as to whether they were actual phantasms of the dead--of a woman1 child1 and ,newfoundland dog who had all three met with some violent end--or phantasms of three living beings1 who1 happening to think of that locality at the same time1 had projected their immaterial bodies there simultaneously4 ,but whichever of these alternatives be true1 the same thing holds good in either case1 viz4 that the ,newfoundland dog had a spirit--and what applies to one dog should assuredly apply to the generality1 if not1 indeed1 to all4 ,phantom ,dog seen on ,souter ,fell ,miss ,harriet ,martineau1 in her ,english ,lakes1 refers to certain strange phenomena seen from time to time on ,souter ,fell4 ,in #agde1 for example1 a ,mr4 ,wren and his servant saw1 simultaneously1 a man and dog pursuing some horses along a razor-like ridge of rocks1 on which it was obviously impossible for any ordinary being to gain a bare foothold1 let alone walk4 ,they watched the figures until the latter suddenly vanished1 when ,mr4 ,wren and his servant1 thinking1 perhaps1 the man1 dog1 and horses had really fallen over the cliff1 went to look for them4 ,they searched elsewhere1 but despite their vigilance1 nothing was to be found1 and convinced at last that what they had seen was something superphysical1 they came away mystified1 and no doubt somewhat frightened4 ,there is no suggestion to make here other than the manifestations may have been the phantasms of a man1 dog1 and horses that at some former date had been killed1 either accidentally or purposely1 in or near that spot4 ,the ,jumping ,ghost ,mr4 ,george ,sinclair1 in his work ,satan's ,invisible ,world ,discovered1 gives a detailed account of hauntings in a house in ,mary ,king's ,close1 ,edinburgh4 ,the house1 at the time ,mr4 ,sinclair writes1 was occupied by ,mr4 ,thomas ,coltheart1 a law agent4 ,seated one afternoon at home reading1 ,mrs4 ,coltheart was immeasurably startled at seeing1 suspended in mid-air gazing at her1 the head of an old man4 ,she uttered some sort of exclamation1 most probably a cry1 and the apparition at once vanished4 ,some nights later1 when in bed1 both she and her husband saw the same head1 which was presently joined by the head of a child1 and a long1 naked arm1 which tried to catch hold of them4 ,on another occasion1 a member of the ,coltheart family was greatly alarmed by the sudden appearance of a large dog1 which leaped on the chair by her side1 and as suddenly disappeared4 ,every effort was made to lay the ghosts4 ,ministers--and one knows how pious ,scotch clergymen are--were called in1 but their exhortations1 instead of dispelling or even minimizing the phenomena1 only increased them4 ,it was a case of more prayers1 more spooks2 which state of affairs1 however complimentary to the ministers' powers of address1 was scarcely as comforting to the ,colthearts1 who1 unable to bear the strange sights and noises any longer1 evacuated the premises4 ,as no other tenants could be found1 the house was eventually pulled down1 and a row of fine modern buildings now occupy the site4 ,as the history of the place could never be traced with any degree of authenticity1 one can do no more than speculate as to the cause of the disturbances1 which1 ,i am inclined to think1 were due to the phantoms of people and animals that had once actually lived and died there4 ,dogs seen before a ,death ,mrs4 ,crowe1 in her ,night ,side of ,nature1 mentions the case of a young lady named ,p----1 who saw a big black dog twice suddenly appear and disappear by her side1 immediately before the death of her mother4 ,in ,the ,unseen ,world a story is also told of the phantasm of a big black dog appearing on the bed of a ,cornish child1 doomed to die shortly afterwards1 the same dog invariably manifesting itself before the death of any member of the child's family4 ,there are so many cases of a similar kind--one hears of them nearly everywhere one goes--that one is led to believe some of them1 at least1 must be true4 ,there is no more reason to believe all ghost-story tellers are liars1 than there is to believe all parsons are liars--and this being so1 additional proof is afforded of the continuation of the dog's life after death2 for these family canine ghosts are more than probably the phantasms of dogs that once belonged to families--maybe centuries ago--and met their fate in some cruel and unnatural manner4 ,a ,dog scared by a ,canine ,ghost ,a friend of mine1 ,edward ,morgan1 had a terrier that was found one morning1 poisoned in a big stone kennel4 ,soon afterwards this friend came to me and said1 ,i have got a new dog--a spaniel--but nothing will induce it to enter the kennel in which poor ,zack was poisoned4 ,come and see6 ,i did so1 and what he said was true4 ,mack 7,morgan gave all his dogs names that rhymed--,zack1 ,mack1 ,jack1 ,tack1 and even ,whack and ,smack71 when carried to the entrance of the kennel1 resolutely refused to cross the threshold1 barking1 whining1 and exhibiting unmistakable symptoms of fear4 ,i knelt down1 and peering into the kennel saw two luminous eyes and the distinct outlines of a dog's head4 ,morgan6 ,i exclaimed1 the mystery is easily solved2 there's a dog in here4 ,nonsense6 ,morgan cried1 speaking very excitedly4 ,but there is1 ,i retorted1 see for yourself4 ,morgan immediately bent down and poked his head into the kennel4 ,what rot1 he said4 ,you're having me on1 there's nothing here4 ,what6 ,i cried1 do you mean to say you can see no dog8 ,no6 he replied1 there is none6 ,let me look again6 ,i said1 and kneeling down1 ,i peeped in4 ,do you mean to say you can't see a dog's face and eyes looking straight at us8 ,i asked4 ,no1 he answered1 ,i can see nothing4 ,and to prove to me the truth of what he said1 he fetched a pole and raked about the kennel vigorously with it4 ,we both1 then1 tried to make ,mack enter1 and ,morgan at last caught hold of him and placed him forcibly inside4 ,mack's terror knew no limit4 ,he gave one loud howl1 and flying out of the kennel with his ears hanging back1 tore past into the front garden1 where we left him in peace4 ,morgan was still sceptical as to there being anything wrong with the kennel1 but two days later wrote to me as follows3-- ,i must apologize for doubting you the other day4 ,i have just had1 what you declared you saw1 corroborated4 ,a friend of my wife's was calling here this afternoon1 and1 on hearing of ,mack's refusal to sleep in the kennel1 at once said1 ',i know what's the matter4 ,it's the smell4 ,mack scents the poison which was used to destroy ,zack4 ,have the kennel thoroughly fumigated1 and you'll have no more trouble4' ,at my wife's request she went into the yard to have a look at it1 and the moment she bent down1 she cried out like you did1 ',why1 there's a dog inside--a terrier6' ,my wife and ,i both looked and could see nothing4 ,the lady1 however1 persisted1 and1 on my handing her a stick1 struck at the figure she saw4 ,to her amazement the stick went right through it4 ,then1 and not till then1 did we tell her of your experience4 ',well6' she exclaimed1 ',i have never believed in ghosts1 but ,i do so now4 ,i am quite certain that what ,i see is the phantom of ,zack6 ,how glad ,i am1 because ,i am at last assured animals have spirits and can come back to us4' ,in concluding the accounts of phantasms of dead dogs1 let me quote two cases taken from my work entitled ,the ,haunted ,houses of ,london1 published by ,mr4 ,eveleigh ,nash1 of ,fawside ,house1 ,king ,street1 ,covent ,garden1 ,london1 ,w4,c41 in #aiji4 ,the cases are these3-- ,the ,phantom ,dachshund of ,w---- ,st41 ,london1 ,w4 ,in letter ,no4 #a my correspondent writes3-- ,though ,i am by no means over-indulgent to dogs1 the latter generally greet me very effusively1 and it would seem that there is something in my individuality that is peculiarly attractive to them4 ,this being so1 ,i was not greatly surprised one day1 when in the immediate neighbourhood of ,x---- ,street1 to find myself persistently followed by a rough-haired dachshund wearing a gaudy yellow collar4 ,i tried to scare it away by shaking my sunshade at it1 but all to no purpose--it came resolutely on2 and ,i was beginning to despair of getting rid of it1 when ,i came to ,x---- ,street1 where my husband once practised as an oculist4 ,there it suddenly altered its tactics1 and instead of keeping at my heels1 became my conductor1 forging slowly ahead with a gliding motion that both puzzled and fascinated me4 ,i furthermore observed that notwithstanding the temperature--it was not a whit less than ninety degrees in the shade--the legs and stomach of the dachshund were covered with mud and dripping with water4 ,when it came to ,no4 #ij it halted1 and veering swiftly round1 eyed me in the strangest manner1 just as if it had some secret it was bursting to disclose4 ,it remained in this attitude until ,i was within two or three feet of it--certainly not more--when1 to my unlimited amazement1 it absolutely vanished--melted away into thin air4 ,the iron gate leading to the area was closed1 so that there was nowhere for it to have hidden1 and1 besides1 ,i was almost bending over it at the time1 as ,i wanted to read the name on its collar4 ,there being no one near at hand1 ,i could not obtain a second opinion1 and so came away wondering whether what ,i had seen was actually a phantasm or a mere hallucination4 ,no4 #ij1 ,i might add1 judging by the brass plate on the door1 was inhabited by a doctor with an unpronounceable foreign name1 etc4 etc4 ,i think one cannot help attaching a great deal of importance to what this lady says1 as her language is strictly moderate throughout1 and because she does not seem to have been biassed by any special views on the subject of animal futurity4 ,correspondent ,no4 #b 7who1 by the way1 is a total stranger to the writer whose letter ,i have just quoted7 is candidly devoted to dogs1 regarding them as in every way on a par with1 if not actually superior to1 most human beings4 ,still1 notwithstanding this partiality1 and consequent profusion of terms of endearment1 which will doubtless prove somewhat nauseating to many1 her letter is1 in my opinion1 valuable1 because it not only refers to the phenomenon ,i have mentioned1 but to a certain extent furnishes a reason for its occurrence4 ,the lady writes as follows3-- ,i once had a rough-haired dachshund1 ,robert1 whom ,i loved devotedly4 ,we were living at the time near ,h---- ,street1 which always had a peculiar attraction for dear ,robert1 who1 ,i am now obliged to confess1 had rather too much liberty--more1 indeed1 than eventually proved good for him4 ,the servants complained that ,robert ruled the house1 and ,i believe what they said was true1 for my sister and ,i idolized him1 giving him the very best of everything and never having the heart to refuse him anything he wanted4 ,you will probably scarcely credit it1 but ,i have sat up all night nursing him when he had a cold and was otherwise indisposed4 ,can you therefore imagine my feelings when my darling was absent one day from dinner8 ,such a thing had never happened before1 for1 fond of morning 'constitutionals' as poor ,robert was1 he was always the soul of punctuality at meal times4 ,neither my sister nor ,i would hear of eating anything4 ,whilst he was missing1 not a morsel did we touch1 but slipping on our hats1 and bidding the servants do the same1 we scoured the neighbourhood instead4 ,the afternoon passed without any sign of ,robert1 and when bedtime came 7he always slept in our room7 and still no signs of our pet1 ,i thought we should both have gone mad4 ,of course1 we advertised1 selecting the most popular and1 accordingly1 the most likely papers1 and we resorted to other mediums1 too1 but1 alas6 it was hopeless4 ,our darling little ,robert was irrevocably1 irredeemably lost4 ,for days we were utterly inconsolable1 doing nothing but mope morning1 noon1 and night4 ,i cannot tell you how forlorn we felt1 nor how long we should have remained in that state but for an incident which1 although revealing the terrible manner of his death1 gave us every reason to feel sure we were not parted from him for all time1 but would meet again in the great hereafter4 ,it happened in this wise3 ,i was walking along ,w---- ,street one evening when1 to my intense joy and surprise1 ,i suddenly saw my darling standing on the pavement a few feet ahead of me1 regarding me intently from out of his pathetic brown eyes4 ,a sensation of extreme coldness now stole over me1 and ,i noticed with something akin to a shock that1 in spite of the hot1 dry weather1 ,robert looked as if he had been in the rain for hours4 ,he wore the bright yellow collar ,i had bought him shortly before his disappearance1 so that had there been any doubt as to his identity that would have removed it instantly4 ,on my calling to him1 he turned quickly round and1 with a slight gesture of the head as if bidding me to follow1 he glided forward4 ,my natural impulse was to run after him1 pick him up and smother him with kisses2 but try as hard as ,i could1 ,i could not diminish the distance between us1 although he never appeared to alter his pace4 ,i was quite out of breath by the time we reached ,h---- ,street1 where1 to my surprise1 he stopped at ,no4 #ij and1 turning round again1 gazed at me in the most beseeching manner4 ,i can't describe that look2 suffice it to say that no human eyes could have been more expressive1 but of what beyond the most profound love and sorrow ,i cannot1 ,i dare not1 attempt to state4 ,i have pondered upon it through the whole of a mid-summer night1 but not even the severest of my mental efforts have enabled me to solve it to my satisfaction4 ,could ,i but do that1 ,i feel ,i should have fathomed the greatest of all mysteries--the mystery of life and death4 ,i do not know for how long we stood there looking at one another1 it may have been minutes or hours1 or1 again1 but a few paltry seconds4 ,he took the initiative from me1 for1 as ,i leaped forward to raise him in my arms1 he glided through the stone steps into the area4 ,convinced now that what ,i beheld was ,robert's apparition1 ,i determined to see the strange affair through to the bitter end1 and entering the gate1 ,i also went down into the area4 ,the phantom had come to an abrupt halt by the side of a low wooden box1 and as ,i foolishly made an abortive attempt to reach it with my hand1 it vanished instantaneously4 ,i searched the area thoroughly1 and was assured that there was no outlet1 save by the steps ,i had just descended1 and no hole1 nor nook1 nor cranny where anything the size of ,robert could be completely hidden from sight4 ,what did it all mean8 ,ah6 ,i knew ,robert had always had a weakness for exploring areas1 especially in ,h---- ,street1 and in the box where his wraith disappeared ,i espied a piece of raw meat6 ,now there are ways in which a piece of raw meat may lie without arousing suspicion1 but the position of this morsel strangely suggested that it had been placed there carefully1 and for assuredly no other purpose than to entice stray animals4 ,resolving to interrogate the owner of the house on the subject1 ,i rapped at the front door1 but was informed by the manservant1 obviously a ,german1 that his master never saw anyone without an appointment4 ,i then did a very unwise thing--,i explained the purpose of my visit to this man1 who not only denied any knowledge of my dog1 but declared the meat must have been thrown into the area by some passer-by4 ',no one in dis house trow away gut meat like dat1' he explained1 'we eat all we can git here1 we have nutting for de animals4 ,please go away at once1 or de master will be very angry4 ,he stand no nonsense from anyone4' ,and as ,i had no alternative--for1 after all1 who would regard a ghost in the light of evidence8--,i had to obey4 ,i found out1 however1 from a medical friend that ,no4 #ij was tenanted by ,mr4 ,k----1 an ,anglo-,german who was deemed a very clever fellow at a certain ,london hospital1 where he was often occupied in vivisection4 ',i dare say1' my friend went on to remark1 ',k---- does a little vivisecting in his private surgery1 by way of practice1 and--well1 you see1 these foreign chaps are not so squeamish in some respects as we are4' ',but can't he be stopped8' ,i asked4 ',it is horrible1 monstrous that he should be allowed to murder our pets4' ',you don't know for certain that he has1' was the reply1 'you only suppose so from what you say you saw1 and evidence of that immaterial nature is no evidence at all4 ,no1 you can do nothing except to be extra careful in future1 and if you have another dog make him steer clear of ,no4 #ij ,h---- ,street4' ,i was sensible enough to see that he was right1 and the matter dropped4 ,i soon noticed one thing1 however1 namely1 that there were no more pieces of meat temptingly displayed in the box1 so it is just possible ,k---- got wind of my enquiries1 and thought it policy to desist from his nefarious practices4 ,poor ,robert6 ,to think of him suffering such a cruel and ignominious death1 and my being powerless to avenge it4 ,surely if vivisection is really necessary1 and the welfare of mankind cannot be advanced by any less barbarous system1 why not operate on creatures less deserving of our love and pity than dogs8 ,on creatures which whilst being nearer allied to man in physiology and anatomy1 are at the same time far below the level of brute creation in character and disposition4 ,for example1 why not experiment on wife-beaters and cowardly street ruffians1 and1 one might reasonably add1 on all those pseudo-humanitarians who1 by their constant petitions to ,parliament for the abolition of the lash1 encourage every form of blackguardism and bestiality8 ,this concludes the letter of correspondent ,no4 #b1 and with the sentiment in the closing paragraphs ,i must say ,i heartily agree--only ,i should like to add a few more people to the list4 ,one other case of haunting of this type is taken from my same work4 ,one ,all ,hallow ,e'en1 wrote a ,mrs4 ,sebuim1 ,i was staying with some friends in ,hampstead1 and we amused ourselves by working spells1 to commemorate the night4 ,there is one spell in which one walks alone down a path sowing hempseed1 and repeating some fantastic words2 when one is supposed to see those that are destined to come into one's life in the near future4 ,eager to put this spell to the test1 ,i went into the garden by myself and1 walking boldly along a path1 bordered on each side by evergreens1 sprinkled hempseed lavishly4 ,nothing happening1 ,i was about to desist1 when suddenly ,i heard a pattering on the gravel1 and turning round ,i beheld an ugly little black-and-tan mongrel running towards me1 wagging its stumpy tail4 ,not at all prepossessed with the creature1 for my own dogs are pure-bred1 and thinking it must have strayed into the grounds1 ,i was about to drive it out1 and had put down my hand to prevent it jumping on my dress1 when1 to my astonishment1 it had vanished4 ,it literally melted away into fine air beneath my very eyes4 ,not knowing what to make of the incident1 but feeling inclined to attribute it to a trick of the imagination1 ,i rejoined my friends4 ,i did not tell them what had happened1 although ,i made a memorandum of it in one of my innumerable notebooks4 ,within six months of this incident ,i was greatly astonished to find a dog1 corresponding with the one ,i have just described1 running about on the lawn of my house in ,bath4 ,how the animal got there was a complete mystery1 and1 what is stranger still1 it seemed to recognize me1 for it rushed towards me1 frantically wagging its diminutive tail4 ,i had not the heart to turn it away1 as it seemed quite homeless1 and so the forlorn little mongrel was permitted to make its home in my house--and a very happy home it proved to be4 ,for three years all went well1 and then the end came swiftly and unexpectedly4 ,i was in ,blackheath at the time1 and the mongrel was in ,bath4 ,it was ,all ,hallow ,e'en1 but there was no hempseed sowing1 for no one in the house but myself took the slightest interest in anything appertaining to the superphysical or mystic4 ,eleven o'clock came1 and ,i retired to rest2 my bed being one of those antique four-posters1 hung with curtains that shine crimson in the ruddy glow of a cheerful fire4 ,all my preparations complete1 ,i had pulled back the hangings1 and was about to slip in between the sheets1 when1 to my unbounded amazement1 what should ,i see sitting on the counterpane but the black-and-tan mongrel4 ,it was he right enough1 there could not be another such ugly dog1 though1 unlike his usual self1 he evinced no demonstrations of joy4 ,on the contrary1 he appeared downright miserable4 ,his ears hung1 his mouth dropped1 and his bleared little eyes were watery and sad4 ,greatly perplexed1 if not alarmed1 at so extraordinary a phenomenon1 ,i nevertheless felt constrained to put out my hand to comfort him--when1 as ,i had half anticipated1 he immediately vanished4 ,two days later ,i received a letter from ,bath1 and in a postscript ,i read that 'the mongrel' 7we never called it by any other name7 'had been run over and killed by a motor1 the accident occurring on ,all ,hallow ,e'en1 about eleven o'clock4' ',of course1' my sister wrote1 'you won't mind very much--it was so extremely ugly1 and--well--we were only too glad it was none of the other dogs4' ,but my sister was wrong1 for notwithstanding its unsightly appearance and hopeless lack of breed1 ,i had grown to like that little black-and-tan more than any of my rare and choice pets4 ,the following account1 which concludes my notes on hauntings by dog phantasms1 was sent me many years ago by a gentleman then living in ,virginia1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,it runs thus3-- ,the ,strange ,disappearance of ,mr4 ,jeremiah ,dance ,twenty pounds a year for a twelve-roomed house with large front lawn1 good stabling and big kitchen gardens4 ,that sounds all right1 ,i commented4 ,but why so cheap8 ,well1 the advertiser--,mr4 ,baldwin by name1 a short1 stout gentleman1 with keen1 glittering eyes--replied1 ,well1 you see1 it's a bit of a distance from the town1 and--er--most people prefer being nearer--like neighbours and all that sort of thing4 ,like neighbours6 ,i exclaimed4 ,i don't4 ,i've just seen about enough of them4 ,drains all right8 ,oh1 yes6 ,perfect4 ,water8 ,excellent4 ,everything in good condition8 ,first rate4 ,loneliness the only thing people object to8 ,that is so4 ,then ,i'll oblige you to send someone to show me over the house1 for ,i think it is just the sort of place we want4 ,you see1 after being bottled up in a theatre all the afternoon and evening1 one likes to get away somewhere where it is quiet--somewhere where one can lie in bed in the morning inhaling pure air and undisturbed by street traffic4 ,i understand1 ,mr4 ,baldwin responded1 but--er--it is rather late now2 wouldn't you prefer to see over it in the morning8 ,everything looks at its worst--its very worst--in the twilight4 ,oh1 ,i'll make allowances for the dusk1 ,i said4 ,you haven't got any ghosts stowed away there1 have you8 ,and he went off into a roar of laughter4 ,no1 the house is not haunted1 ,mr4 ,baldwin replied4 ,not that it would much matter to you if it were1 for ,i can see you don't believe in spooks4 ,believe in spooks6 ,i cried4 ,not much4 ,i would as soon believe in patent hair restorers4 ,let me see over it at once4 ,very well1 sir4 ,i'll take you there myself1 ,mr4 ,baldwin replied1 somewhat reluctantly4 ,here1 ,tim--fetch the keys of the ,crow's ,nest and tell ,higgins to bring the trap round4 ,the boy he addressed flew1 and in a few minutes the sound of wheels and the jingling of harness announced the vehicle was at the door4 ,ten minutes later and ,i and my escort were bowling merrily over the ground in the direction of the ,crow's ,nest4 ,it was early autumn1 and the cool evening air1 fragrant with the mellowness of the luscious ,virginian pippin1 was tinged also with the sadness inseparable from the demise of a long and glorious summer4 ,evidences of decay and death were everywhere--in the brown fallen leaves of the oaks and elms2 in the bare and denuded ditches4 ,here a giant mill-wheel1 half immersed in a dark1 still pool1 stood idle and silent2 there a hovel1 but recently inhabited by hop-pickers1 was now tenantless1 its glassless windows boarded over1 and a wealth of dead and rotting vegetable matter in thick profusion over the tiny path and the single stone doorstep4 ,is it always as quiet and deserted as this8 ,i asked of my companion1 who continually cracked his whip as if he liked to hear the reverberations of its echoes4 ,always1 was the reply1 and sometimes more so4 ,you ain't used to the country8 ,not very4 ,i want to try it by way of a change4 ,are you well versed in the cry of birds8 ,what was that8 ,we were fast approaching an exceedingly gloomy bit of the road where there were plantations on each side1 and the trees united their fantastically forked branches overhead4 ,i thought ,i had never seen so dismal-looking a spot1 and a sudden lowering of the temperature made me draw my overcoat tighter round me4 ,that--oh1 a night bird of some sort1 ,mr4 ,baldwin replied4 ,an ugly sound1 wasn't it8 ,beastly things1 ,i can't imagine why they were created4 ,whoa--steady there1 steady4 ,the horse reared as he spoke1 and taking a violent plunge forward1 set off at a wild gallop4 ,a moment later1 and ,i uttered an exclamation of astonishment4 ,keeping pace with us1 although apparently not moving at more than an ordinary walking pace1 was a man of medium height1 dressed in a panama hat and albert coat4 ,he had a thin1 aquiline nose1 a rather pronounced chin1 was clean-shaven1 and had a startlingly white complexion4 ,by the side of him trotted two poodles1 whose close-cropped skins showed out with remarkable perspicuity4 ,who the deuce is he8 ,i asked1 raising my voice to a shout on account of the loud clatter made by the horse's hoofs and the wheels4 ,who8 what8 ,mr4 ,baldwin shouted in return4 ,why1 the man walking along with us6 ,man6 ,i can see no man6 ,mr4 ,baldwin growled4 ,i looked at him curiously4 ,it may1 of course1 have been due to the terrific speed we were going1 to the difficulty of holding in the horse1 but his cheeks were ashy pale1 and his teeth chattered4 ,do you mean to say1 ,i cried1 that you can see no figure walking on my side of the horse and actually keeping pace with it8 ,of course ,i can't1 ,mr4 ,baldwin snapped4 ,no more can you4 ,it's an hallucination caused by the moonlight through the branches overhead4 ,i've experienced it more than once4 ,then why don't you have it now8 ,i queried4 ,don't ask so many questions1 please1 ,mr4 ,baldwin shouted4 ,don't you see it is as much as ,i can do to hold the brute in8 ,heaven preserve us1 we were nearly over that time4 ,the trap rose high in the air as he spoke1 and then dropped with such a jolt that ,i was nearly thrown off1 and only saved myself by the skin of my teeth4 ,a few yards more the spinney ceased1 and we were away out in the open country1 plunging and galloping as if our very souls depended on it4 ,from all sides queer and fantastic shadows of objects1 which certainly had no material counterparts in the moon-kissed sward of the rich1 ripe meadows1 rose to greet us1 and filled the lane with their black-and-white wavering1 ethereal forms4 ,the evening was one of wonders for which ,i had no name--wonders associated with an iciness that was far from agreeable4 ,i was not at all sure which ,i liked best--the black1 ,stygian1 tree-lined part of the road we had just left1 or the wide ocean of brilliant moonbeams and streaked suggestions4 ,the figures of the man and the dogs were equally vivid in each4 ,though ,i could no longer doubt they were nothing mortal1 they were altogether unlike what ,i had imagined ghosts4 ,like the generality of people who are psychic and who have never had an experience of the superphysical1 my conception of a phantasm was a thing in white that made ridiculous groanings and still more ridiculous clankings of chains4 ,but here was something different1 something that looked--save1 perhaps1 for the excessive pallor of its cheeks--just like an ordinary man4 ,i knew it was not a man1 partly on account of its extraordinary performance--no man1 even if running at full speed1 could keep up with us like that2 partly on account of the unusual nature of the atmosphere--which was altogether indefinable--it brought with it2 and also because of my own sensations--my intense horror which could not1 ,i felt certain1 have been generated by anything physical4 ,i cogitated all this in my mind as ,i gazed at the figure1 and in order to make sure it was no hallucination1 ,i shut first one eye and then the other1 covering them alternately with the palm of my hand4 ,the figure1 however1 was still there1 still pacing along at our side with the regular swing1 swing of the born walker4 ,we kept on in this fashion till we arrived at a rusty iron gate leading1 by means of a weed-covered path1 to a low1 two-storied white house4 ,here the figures left us1 and as it seemed to me vanished at the foot of the garden wall4 ,this is the house1 ,mr4 ,baldwin panted1 pulling up with the greatest difficulty1 the horse evincing obvious antipathy to the iron gate4 ,and these are the keys4 ,i'm afraid you must go in alone1 as ,i dare not leave the animal even for a minute4 ,oh1 all right1 ,i said4 ,i don't mind1 now that the ghost1 or whatever you like to call it1 has gone2 ,i'm myself again4 ,i jumped down1 and threading my way along the bramble-entangled path1 reached the front door4 ,on opening it1 ,i hesitated4 ,the big1 old-fashioned hall1 with the great1 frowning staircase leading to the gallery overhead1 the many open doors showing nought but bare1 deserted boards within1 the grim passages1 all moonlit and peopled only with queer flickering shadows1 suggested much that was terrifying4 ,i fancied ,i heard noises1 noises like stealthy footsteps moving from room to room1 and tiptoeing along the passages and down the staircase4 ,once my heart almost stopped beating as ,i saw what1 at first1 ,i took to be a white face peering at me from a far recess1 but which ,i eventually discovered was only a daub of whitewash2 and1 once again1 my hair all but rose on end1 when one of the doors at which ,i was looking swung open and something came forth4 ,oh1 the horror of that moment1 as long as ,i live ,i shall never forget it4 ,the something was a cat1 just a rather lean but otherwise material1 black ,tom2 yet1 in the state my nerves were then1 it created almost as much horror as if it had been a ghost4 ,of course1 it was the figure of the walking man that was the cause of all this nervousness2 had it not appeared to me ,i should doubtless have entered the house with the utmost sang-froid1 my mind set on nothing but the condition of the walls1 drains1 etc4 ,as it was1 ,i held back1 and it was only after a severe mental struggle ,i summoned up the courage to leave the doorway and explore4 ,cautiously1 very cautiously1 with my heart in my mouth1 ,i moved from room to room1 halting every now and then in dreadful suspense as the wind1 soughing through across the open land behind the house1 blew down the chimneys and set the window-frames jarring4 ,at the commencement of one of the passages ,i was immeasurably startled to see a dark shape poke forward1 and then spring hurriedly back1 and was so frightened that ,i dared not advance to see what it was4 ,moment after moment sped by1 and ,i still stood there1 the cold sweat oozing out all over me1 and my eyes fixed in hideous expectation on the blank wall4 ,what was it8 ,what was hiding there8 ,would it spring out on me if ,i went to see8 ,at last1 urged on by a fascination ,i found impossible to resist1 ,i crept down the passage1 my heart throbbing painfully and my whole being overcome with the most sickly anticipations4 ,as ,i drew nearer to the spot1 it was as much as ,i could do to breathe1 and my respiration came in quick jerks and gasps4 ,six1 five1 four1 two feet and ,i was at the dreaded angle4 ,another step--taken after the most prodigious battle--and--,,nothing sprang out on me4 ,i was confronted only with a large piece of paper that had come loose from the wall1 and flapped backwards and forwards each time the breeze from without rustled past it4 ,the reaction after such an agony of suspense was so great1 that ,i leaned against the wall1 and laughed till ,i cried4 ,a noise1 from somewhere away in the basement1 calling me to myself1 ,i went downstairs and investigated4 ,again a shock--this time more sudden1 more acute4 ,pressed against the window-pane of one of the front reception-rooms was the face of a man--with corpse-like cheeks and pale1 malevolent eyes4 ,i was petrified--every drop of my blood was congealed4 ,my tongue glued to my mouth1 my arms hung helpless4 ,i stood in the doorway and stared at it4 ,this went on for what seemed to me an eternity4 ,then came a revelation4 ,the face was not that of a ghost but of ,mr4 ,baldwin1 who1 getting alarmed at my long absence1 had come to look for me4 ,we left the premises together4 ,all the way back to the town ,i thought--should ,i1 or should ,i not1 take the house8 ,seen as ,i had seen it1 it was a ghoulish-looking place--as weird as a ,paris catacomb--but then daylight makes all the difference4 ,viewed in the sunshine1 it would be just like any other house--plain bricks and mortar4 ,i liked the situation2 it was just far enough away from a town to enable me to escape all the smoke and traffic1 and near enough to make shopping easy4 ,the only obstacles were the shadows--the strange1 enigmatical shadows ,i had seen in the hall and passages1 and the figure of the walker4 ,dare ,i take a house that knew such visitors8 ,at first ,i said no1 and then yes4 ,something1 ,i could not tell what1 urged me to say yes4 ,i felt that a very grave issue was at stake--that a great wrong connected in some manner with the mysterious figure awaited righting1 and that the hand of ,fate pointed at me as the one and only person who could do it4 ,are you sure the house isn't haunted8 ,i demanded1 as we slowly rolled away from the iron gate1 and ,i leaned back in my seat to light my pipe4 ,haunted6 ,mr4 ,baldwin scoffed1 why1 ,i thought you didn't believe in ghosts--laughed at them4 ,no more ,i do believe in them1 ,i retorted1 but ,i have children1 and we know how imaginative children are4 ,i can't undertake to stop their imaginations4 ,no1 but you can tell me whether anyone else has imagined anything there4 ,imagination is sometimes very infectious4 ,as far as ,i know1 then1 no2 leastways1 ,i have not heard tell of it4 ,who was the last tenant8 ,mr4 ,jeremiah ,dance4 ,why did he leave8 ,how do ,i know8 ,got tired of being there1 ,i suppose4 ,how long was he there8 ,nearly three years4 ,where is he now8 ,that's more than ,i can say4 ,why do you wish to know8 ,why6 ,i repeated4 ,because it is more satisfactory to me to hear about the house from someone who has lived in it4 ,has he left no address8 ,not that ,i know of1 and it's more than two years since he was here4 ,what6 ,the house has been empty all that time8 ,two years is not very long4 ,houses--even town houses--are frequently unoccupied for longer than that4 ,i think you'll like it4 ,i did not speak again till the drive was over1 and we drew up outside the landlord's house4 ,i then said1 ,let me have an agreement4 ,i've made up my mind to take it4 ,three years and the option to stay on4 ,that was just like me4 ,whatever ,i did1 ,i did on the spur of the moment1 a mode of procedure that often led me into difficulties4 ,a month later and my wife1 children1 servants1 and ,i were all ensconced in the ,crow's ,nest4 ,that was in the beginning of ,october4 ,well1 the month passed by1 and ,november was fairly in before anything remarkable happened4 ,it then came about in this fashion4 ,jennie1 my eldest child1 a self-willed and rather bad-tempered girl of about twelve1 evading the vigilance of her mother1 who had forbidden her to go out as she had a cold1 ran to the gate one evening to see if ,i was anywhere in sight4 ,though barely five o'clock1 the moon was high in the sky1 and the shadows of the big trees had already commenced their gambols along the roadside4 ,jennie clambered up the gate as children do1 and peering over1 suddenly espied what she took to be me1 striding towards the house1 at a swinging pace1 and followed by two poodles4 ,poppa1 she cried1 how cute of you6 ,only to think of you bringing home two doggies6 ,oh1 ,poppa1 naughty ,poppa1 what will mum say8 and climbing over into the lane at imminent danger to life and limb1 she tore frantically towards the figure4 ,to her dismay1 however1 it was not me1 but a stranger with a horribly white face and big glassy eyes which he turned down at her and stared4 ,she was so frightened that she fainted1 and some ten minutes later ,i found her lying out there on the road4 ,from the description she gave me of the man and dogs1 ,i felt quite certain they were the figures ,i had seen2 though ,i pretended the man was a tramp1 and assured her she would never see him again4 ,a week passed1 and ,i was beginning to hope nothing would happen1 when one of the servants gave notice to leave4 ,at first she would not say why she did not like the house1 but when pressed made the following statement3-- ,it's haunted1 ,mrs4 ,b----4 ,i can put up with mice and beetles1 but not with ghosts4 ,i've had a queer sensation1 as if water was falling down my spine1 ever since ,i've been here1 but never saw anything till last night4 ,i was then in the kitchen getting ready to go to bed4 ,jane and ,emma had already gone up1 and ,i was preparing to follow them1 when1 all of a sudden1 ,i heard footsteps1 quick and heavy1 cross the gravel and approach the window4 ',the boss1' says ,i to myself2 'maybe he's forgot the key and can't get in at the front door4' ,well1 ,i went to the window and was about to throw it open1 when ,i got an awful shock4 ,pressed against the glass1 looking in at me1 was a face--not the boss's face1 not the face of anyone living1 but a horrid white thing with a drooping mouth and wide-open1 glassy eyes1 that had no more expression in them than a pig4 ,as sure as ,i'm standing here1 ,mrs4 ,b----1 it was the face of a corpse--the face of a man that had died no natural death4 ,and by its side1 standing on their hind-legs1 and staring in at me too were two dogs1 both poodles--also no living things1 but dead1 horribly dead4 ,well1 they stared at me1 all three of them1 for perhaps a minute1 certainly not less1 and then vanished4 ,that's why ,i'm leaving1 ,mrs4 ,b----4 ,my heart was never overstrong4 ,i always suffered with palpitations1 and if ,i saw those heads again1 it would kill me4 ,after this my wife spoke to me seriously4 ,jack1 she said1 are you sure there's nothing in it8 ,i don't think ,mary would leave us without a good cause1 and the description of what she saw tallies exactly with the figure that frightened ,jennie4 ,jennie assures me she never said a word about it to the servants4 ,they can't both have imagined it4 ,i did not know what to say4 ,my conscience pricked me4 ,without a doubt ,i ought to have told my wife of my own experience in the lane1 and have consulted her before taking the house4 ,supposing she1 or any of the children1 should die of fright1 it would be my fault4 ,i should never forgive myself4 ,you've something on your mind6 ,what is it8 my wife demanded4 ,i hesitated a moment or two and then told her4 ,the next quarter of an hour was one ,i do not care to recollect1 but when it was over1 and she had had her say1 it was decided ,i should make enquiries and see if there was any possible way of getting rid of the ghosts4 ,with this end in view1 ,i drove to the town1 and after several fruitless efforts was at length introduced to a ,mr4 ,marsden1 clerk of one of the banks1 who1 in reply to my questions1 said3 ,well1 ,mr4 ,b----1 it's just this way4 ,i do know something1 only--in a small place like this--one has to be so extra careful what one says4 ,some years ago a ,mr4 ,jeremiah ,dance occupied the ,crow's ,nest4 ,he came here apparently a total stranger1 and though often in the town1 was only seen in the company of one person--his landlord1 ,mr4 ,baldwin1 with whom--if local gossip is to be relied on--he appeared to be on terms of the greatest familiarity4 ,indeed1 they were seldom apart1 walked about the lanes arm-in-arm1 visited each other's houses on alternate evenings1 called each other ,teddy and ,leslie4 ,this state of things continued for nearly three years1 and then people suddenly began to comment on the fact that ,mr4 ,dance had gone1 or at least was no longer visible4 ,an errand-boy1 returning back to town1 late one evening1 swore to being passed on the way by a trap containing ,mr4 ,baldwin and ,mr4 ,dance1 who were speaking in very loud voices--just as if they were having a violent altercation4 ,on reaching that part of the road where the trees are thickest overhead1 the lad overtook them1 or rather ,mr4 ,baldwin1 preparing to mount into the trap4 ,mr4 ,dance was nowhere to be seen4 ,and from that day to this nothing has ever been heard of him4 ,as none of his friends or relations came forward to raise enquiries1 and all his bills were paid--several of them by ,mr4 ,baldwin--no one took the matter up4 ,mr4 ,baldwin pooh-poohed the errand-boy's story1 and declared that1 on the night in question1 he had been alone in an altogether different part of the county1 and knew nothing whatever of ,mr4 ,dance's movements1 further than that he had recently announced his intention of leaving the ,crow's ,nest before the expiration of the three years' lease4 ,he had not the remotest idea where he was4 ,he claimed the furniture in payment of the rent due to him4 ,did the matter end there8 ,i asked4 ,in one sense of the word1 yes--in another1 no4 ,within a few weeks of ,dance's disappearance rumours got afloat that his ghost had been seen on the road1 just where1 you may say1 you saw it4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i've seen it myself--and so have crowds of other people4 ,has anyone ever spoken to it8 ,yes--and it has vanished at once4 ,i went there one night with the purpose of laying it1 but1 on its appearing suddenly1 ,i confess ,i was so startled1 that ,i not only forgot what ,i had rehearsed to say1 but ran home1 without uttering as much as a word4 ,and what are your deductions of the case8 ,the same as everyone else's1 ,mr4 ,marsden whispered1 only1 like everyone else1 ,i dare not say4 ,had ,mr4 ,dance any dogs8 ,yes--two poodles1 of which1 much to ,mr4 ,baldwin's annoyance 7everyone noticed this71 he used to make the most ridiculous fuss4 ,humph6 ,i observed4 ,that settles it6 ,ghosts6 ,and to think ,i never believed in them before6 ,well1 ,i am going to try4 ,try what8 ,mr4 ,marsden said1 a note of alarm in his voice4 ,try laying it4 ,i have an idea ,i may succeed4 ,i wish you luck1 then4 ,may ,i come with you8 ,thanks1 no6 ,i rejoined4 ,i would rather go there alone4 ,i said this in a well-lighted room1 with the hum of a crowded thoroughfare in my ears4 ,twenty minutes later1 when ,i had left all that behind1 and was fast approaching the darkest part of an exceptionally dark road1 ,i wished ,i had not4 ,at the very spot1 where ,i had previously seen the figures1 ,i saw them now4 ,they suddenly appeared by my side1 and though ,i was going at a great rate--for the horse took fright--they kept easy pace with me4 ,twice ,i essayed to speak to them1 but could not ejaculate a syllable through sheer horror1 and it was only by nerving myself to the utmost1 and forcing my eyes away from them1 that ,i was able to stick to my seat and hold on to the reins4 ,on and on we dashed1 until trees1 road1 sky1 universe were obliterated in one blinding whirlwind that got up my nostrils1 choked my ears1 and deadened me to everything1 save the all-terrorizing1 instinctive knowledge1 that the figures by my side1 were still there1 stalking along as quietly and leisurely as if the horse had been going at a snail's pace4 ,at last1 to my intense relief--for never had the ride seemed longer--,i reached the ,crow's ,nest1 and as ,i hurriedly dismounted from the trap1 the figures shot past me and vanished4 ,once inside the house1 and in the bosom of my family1 where all was light and laughter1 courage returned1 and ,i upbraided myself bitterly for this cowardice4 ,i confessed to my wife1 and she insisted on accompanying me the following afternoon1 at twilight1 to the spot where the ghost appeared to originate4 ,to our intense dismay1 we had not been there more than three or four minutes1 before ,dora1 our youngest girl1 a pretty1 sweet-tempered child of eight1 came running up to us with a telegram1 which one of the servants had asked her to give us4 ,my wife1 snatching it from her1 and reading it1 was about to scold her severely1 when she suddenly paused1 and clutching hold of the child with one hand1 pointed hysterically at something on one side of her with the other4 ,i looked1 and ,dora looked1 and we both saw1 standing erect and staring at us1 the spare figure of a man1 with a ghastly white face and dull1 lifeless eyes1 clad in a panama hat1 albert coat1 and small1 patent-leather boots2 beside him were two glossy--abnormally glossy--poodles4 ,i tried to speak1 but1 as before1 was too frightened to articulate a sound1 and my wife was in the same plight4 ,with ,dora1 however1 it was otherwise1 and she electrified us by going up to the figure1 and exclaiming3 ,who are you8 ,you must feel very ill to look so white4 ,tell me your name4 ,the figure made no reply1 but gliding slowly forward1 moved up to a large1 isolated oak1 and pointing with the index finger of its left hand at the trunk of the tree1 seemingly sank into the earth and vanished from view4 ,for some seconds everyone was silent1 and then my wife exclaimed3 ,jack1 ,i shouldn't wonder if ,dora hasn't been the means of solving the mystery4 ,examine the tree closely4 ,i did so4 ,the tree was hollow1 and inside it were three skeletons6 99 99 99 99 99 ,here followed an extract from a local paper3 ,sensational ,discovery in a ,wood near ,marytown ,whilst exploring in a wood1 near ,marytown1 the other evening1 a party of the name of ,b---- discovered three skeletons--a human being and two dogs--in the trunk of an oak4 ,from the remnant of clothes still adhering to the human remains1 the latter were proved to be those of an individual known as ,mr4 ,jeremiah ,dance1 whose strange disappearance from the ,crow's ,nest--the house he rented in the neighbourhood--some two years ago1 was the occasion of much comment4 ,on closer examination1 extraordinary to relate1 the remains have been proved to be those of a ,,woman2 and from certain abrasions on the skull1 there is little doubt she met with a violent end4 ,a second extract taken from the same paper runs thus3-- ,suicide at ,marytown ,late last night ,percy ,baldwin1 the man who is under arrest on suspicion of having caused the death of the unknown woman1 whose skeleton was found on ,monday in the trunk of a tree1 committed suicide by hanging himself with his suspenders to the ceiling of his cell4 ,pinned on his coat was a slip of paper bearing these words3 ',she was my wife--,i loved her4 ,she took to drink--,i parted from her4 ,she became a dog-worshipper4 ,i killed her--and her dogs4' ,phantasms of ,living ,dogs ,i could quote innumerable cases of people who have either seen or heard the spirits of dead dogs4 ,however1 as space does not permit of this1 ,i proceed to the oft-raised question1 ,do animals as well as people project themselves8 ,my reply is--yes2 according to my experience they do4 ,some friends of mine have a big tabby that has frequently been seen in two places at the same time2 for example1 it has been observed by several people to be sitting on a chair in the dining-room1 and1 at the same moment1 it has been seen by two or more other persons extended at full length before the kitchen fire--the latter figure proving to be its immaterial1 or what some designate its astral body1 which vanishes the instant an attempt is made to touch it4 ,the only explanation of this phenomenon seems to me to lie in projection--the cat possessing the faculty of separating--in this instance1 unconsciously--its spiritual from its physical body--the former travelling anywhere1 regardless of space1 time and material obstacles4 ,i have often had experiences similar to this with a friend's dog4 ,i have been seated in a room1 either reading or writing1 and on looking up have distinctly seen the dog lying on the carpet in front of me4 ,a few minutes later a scraping at the door or window--both of which have been shut all the while--and on my rising to see what was there1 ,i have discovered the dog outside6 ,had ,i not been so positive ,i had seen the dog on the ground in front of me1 ,i might have thought it was an hallucination2 but hallucinations are never so vivid nor so lasting--moreover1 other people have had similar experiences with the same dog4 ,and why not8 ,dogs1 on the whole1 are every whit as reasoning and reflective as the bulk of human beings6 ,and how much nobler6 ,compare1 for a moment1 the dogs you know--no matter whether mastiffs1 retrievers1 dachshunds1 poodles1 or even ,pekinese1 with your acquaintances--with the people you see everywhere around you--false1 greedy1 spiteful1 scandal-loving women1 money-grubbing attorneys1 lying1 swindling tradesmen1 vulgar parvenus1 finicky curates1 brutal roughs1 spoilt1 cruel children1 hypocrites of both sexes--compare them carefully--and the comparison is entirely in favour of the dog6 ,and if the creating ,power 7or ,powers7 has favoured these wholly selfish and degenerate human beings with spirits1 and has conferred on certain of them the faculty of projecting those spirits1 can one imagine1 for one moment1 that similar gifts have been denied to dogs--their superiors in every respect8 ,pshaw6 ,out upon it6 ,to think so would mean to think the unthinkable1 to attribute to ,god qualities of partiality1 injustice and whimsicality1 which would render ,him little1 if anything1 better than a ,james the ,second of ,england1 or a ,louis the ,fifteenth of ,france4 ,besides1 from my own experience1 and the experiences of those with whom ,i have been brought in contact1 ,i can safely affirm that there are phantasms 7and therefore spirits7 of both living and dead dogs in just the same proportion as there are phantasms 7and therefore spirits7 of both living and dead human beings4 ,psychic ,properties of ,dogs ,some1 not all1 dogs--like cats--possess the psychic property of scenting the advent of death1 and they indicate their fear of it by the most dismal howling4 ,in my opinion there is very little doubt that dogs actually see some kind of phantasm that1 knowing when death is about to take place1 visits the house of the doomed and stands beside his1 or her1 couch4 ,i have had this phantasm described to me1 by those who declare they have seen it1 as a very tall1 hooded figure1 clad in a dark1 loose1 flowing costume--its face never discernible4 ,it would1 of course1 be foolish to say that a dog howling in a house is invariably the sign of death2 there are many other and obvious causes which produce something of a similar effect2 but ,i think one may be pretty well assured that1 when the howling is accompanied by unmistakable signs of terror1 then someone1 either in the house at the time1 or connected with someone in the house1 will shortly die4 ,dogs in ,haunted ,houses ,when ,i investigate a haunted house1 ,i generally take a dog with me1 because experience has taught me that a dog seldom fails to give notice1 in some way or another--either by whining1 or growling1 or crouching shivering at one's feet1 or springing on one's lap and trying to bury its head in one's coat--of the proximity of a ghost4 ,i had a dog with me1 when ghost-hunting1 not so very long ago1 in a well-known haunted house in ,gloucestershire4 ,the dog--my only companion--and ,i sat on the staircase leading from the hall to the first floor4 ,just about two o'clock the dog gave a loud growl4 ,i put my hand out and found it was shivering from head to foot4 ,almost directly afterwards ,i heard the loud clatter of fire-irons from somewhere away in the basement1 a door banged1 and then something1 or someone1 began to ascend the stairs4 ,up1 up1 up came the footsteps1 until ,i could see--first of all a bluish light1 then the top of a head1 then a face1 white and luminous1 staring up at me4 ,a few more steps1 and the whole thing was disclosed to view4 ,it was the figure of a girl of about sixteen1 with a shock head of red hair1 on which was stuck1 all awry1 a dirty little1 old-fashioned servant's cap4 ,she was clad in a cotton dress1 soiled and bedraggled1 and had on her feet a pair of elastic-sided boots1 that looked as if they would fall to pieces each step she took4 ,but it was her face that riveted my attention most4 ,it was startlingly white and full of an expression of the most hopeless misery4 ,the eyes1 wide open and glassy1 were turned direct on mine4 ,i was too appalled either to stir or utter a sound4 ,the phantasm came right up to where ,i stood1 paused for a second1 and then slowly went on2 up1 up1 up1 until a sudden bend in the staircase hid it from view4 ,for some seconds there was a continuation of the footsteps1 then there came a loud splash from somewhere outside and below--and then silence--sepulchral and omnipotent4 ,i did not wait to see if anything further would happen4 ,i fled1 and ,dick1 my dog friend1 who was apparently even more frightened than ,i1 fled with me4 ,we arrived home--panic-stricken4 ,over and over again1 on similar occasions1 ,i have had a dog with me1 and the same thing has occurred--the dog has made some noise indicative of great fear1 remaining in a state of stupor during the actual presence of the apparition4 ,psychic ,propensities of ,dogs compared with those of ,cats ,though dogs are1 perhaps1 rather more alarmed at the ,unknown than cats1 ,i do not think they have a keener sense of its proximity4 ,still1 for the very reason that they show greater--more unmistakable--indications of fear1 they make surer psychic barometers4 ,the psychic faculty of scent in dogs would seem to be more limited than that in cats2 for1 whereas cats can not only detect the advent and presence of pleasant and unpleasant phantoms by their smells1 few dogs can do more than detect the approach of death4 ,dogs make friends nearly1 if not quite1 as readily with cruel and brutal people as with kind ones1 simply because they cannot1 so easily as cats1 distinguish by their scent the unpleasant types of spirits cruel and brutal people attract2 in all probability1 they are not even aware of the presence of such spirits4 ,it would seem1 on the face of it1 that since dogs are1 on the whole1 of a gentler disposition than cats1 that is to say1 not quite so cruel and savage1 the phantasms of dogs would be less likely to be earth-bound than those of cats2 but1 then1 one must take into consideration the other qualities of the two animals1 and when these are put in the balance1 one may find little to choose--morally--between the cat and the dog4 ,anyhow1 after making allowance for the fact that many more cats die unnatural deaths than dogs1 there would seem to be small numerical difference in their hauntings--cases of dog ghosts appearing to be just as common as cases of cat ghosts4 ,apropos of phantom dogs1 my friend ,dr4 ,g4 ,west writes to me thus3-- ,of the older ,english ,universities many stories are told of bizarre happenings1--of duels1 raggings1 suicides and such-like--in olden times2 but of ,k41 venerable1 illustrious ,k4 of ,ireland1 few and far between are the accounts of similar occurrences4 ,this is one1 however1 and it deals with the phantom of a dog3-- ,one evening1 towards the end of the eighteenth century1 ,john ,kelly1 a ,dean of the ,college 7extremely unpopular on account of his supposed harsh treatment of some of the undergraduates71 was about to commence his supper1 when he heard a low whine1 and looking down1 saw a large yellow dog cross the floor in front of him1 and disappear immediately under the full-length portrait that hung over the antique chimney-piece4 ,something prompting him1 he glanced at the picture4 ,the eyes that looked into his blinked4 ',it must be the result of an overtaxed brain1' he said to himself4 ',those rascally undergraduates have got on my nerves4' ,he shut his eyes2 and re-opening them1 stared hard at the portrait4 ,it was not a delusion4 ,the eyes that gazed back at him were alive--alive with the spirit of mockery2 they smiled1 laughed1 jeered2 and1 as they did so1 the knowledge of his surroundings was brought forcibly home to him4 ,the room in which he was seated was situated at the end of a long1 cheerless1 stone passage in the western wing of the ,college4 ,away from all the other rooms of the building1 it was absolutely isolated2 and had long borne the reputation of being haunted by a dog1 which was said to appear only before some catastrophe4 ,the ,dean had hitherto committed the story to the category of fables4 ,but now1--now1 as he sat all alone in that big silent room1 lit only with the reddish rays of a fast-setting ,august sun1 and stared into the gleaming eyes before him--he was obliged to admit the extreme probability of spookdom4 ,never before had the ,college seemed so quiet4 ,not a sound--not even the creaking of a board or the far-away laugh of a student1 common enough noises on most nights--fell on his ears4 ,the hush was omnipotent1 depressing1 unnerving2 he could only associate it with the supernatural4 ,though he was too fascinated to remove his gaze from the thing before him1 he could feel the room fill with shadows1 and feel them steal through the half-open windows1 and1 uniting with those already in the corners1 glide noiselessly and surreptitiously towards him4 ,he felt1 too1 that he was under the surveillance of countless invisible visages1 all scanning him curiously1 and delighted beyond measure at the sight of his terror4 ,the moments passed in a breathless state of tension4 ,he stared at the eyes1 and the eyes stared back at him4 ,once he endeavoured to rise1 but a dead weight seemed to fall on his shoulders and hold him back2 and twice1 when he tried to speak--to make some sound1 no matter what1 to break the appalling silence--his throat closed as if under the pressure of cruel1 relentless fingers4 ,but the ,ultima ,thule of his emotions had yet to come4 ,there was a slight stir behind the canvas1 a thud1 a hollow groan that echoed and re-echoed throughout the room like the muffled clap of distant thunder1 and the eyes suddenly underwent a metamorphosis--they grew glazed and glassy like the eyes of a dead person4 ,a cold shudder ran through the ,dean1 his hair stood on end1 his blood turned to ice4 ,again he essayed to move1 to summon help2 again he failed4 ,the strain on his nerves proved more than he could bear4 ,a sudden sensation of nausea surged through him2 his eyes swam2 his brain reeled2 there was a loud buzzing in his ears2 he knew no more4 ,some moments later one of the ,college servants arrived at the door with a bundle of letters1 and on receiving no reply to his raps1 entered4 ',good heavens6 ,what's the matter8' he cried1 gazing at the figure of the ,dean1 lolling head downward on the table4 ',merciful ,prudence1 the gentleman is dead6 ,no1 he ain't--some of the young gents will be sorry enough for that--he's fainted4' ,the good fellow poured out some water in a tumbler1 and was proceeding to sprinkle the ,dean's face with it1 when1 a noise attracting his attention1 he peered round at the picture4 ,it was bulging from the wall2 it was falling6 ,and1 ,good ,god1 what was that that was falling with it--that huge black object8 ,a coffin8 ,no1 not a coffin1 but a corpse6 ,the servant ran to the door shrieking1 and1 in less than a minute1 passage and room were filled to overflowing with a scared crowd of enquiring officials and undergraduates4 ',what has happened8 ,what's the matter with the ,dean8 ,has he had a fit1 or what8 ,and the picture8 ,and--,anderson8 ,anderson lying on the floor6 ,hurt8 ,no1 not hurt1 dead6 ,murdered6' ,in an instant there was silence1 and the white-faced throng closed in on one another as if for protection4 ,in front of them1 beside the fallen picture1 lay the body of the most gay and popular student in the ,college--,bob ,anderson--,bob ,anderson with a stream of blood running from a deep incision in his back made with some sharp instrument1 that had been driven home with tremendous force4 ,he had1 without doubt1 been murdered4 ,but by whom8 ,then one of the undergraduates1 a bright1 boyish1 fair-haired giant1 named ,o',farroll1 immensely popular both on account of his prowess in sport and an untold number of the most audacious escapades1 spoke out3 ',i saw ,anderson1 about an hour ago1 crossing the quadrangle4 ,i asked him where he was going1 and he replied1 ,to old ,kelly4 ,i intend paying him out for 'gating' me last week4 ,i enquired how1 and he replied3 ,i've a glorious plan4 ,you know that portrait stuck over his mantel-shelf8 ,well6 ,in poking about the room the other day1 when the old man was out1 ,i had a great find4 ,directly behind the picture is the door of a secret room1 so neatly covered by the designs on the wall that it is not discernible4 ,it was only by the merest fluke ,i discovered it4 ,i was taking down the picture with the idea of touching up the face1 when my knuckles bumped against the panels of the wall1 touched a spring1 and the door flew open1 revealing an apartment about six by eight feet large4 ,i at once explored it1 and found it could be entered by the chimney4 ,an idea then struck me--,i would play a trick upon the ,dean by hiding in this secret chamber one evening while he was feeding1 cutting out the eyes of the portrait1 and peering through the cavities at him4 ,and this1' ,o',farroll continued1 pointing at the fallen picture1 'is what he evidently did after ,i left him4 ,you can see the eyes of the portrait have been removed4' ',that is so1 shure1' one of the other undergraduates1 ,mick ,maguire--six feet two in his socks1 every inch--exclaimed4 ',and1 what is more1 ,i knew all about it4 ,anderson told me yesterday what he was going to do1 and ,i wanted to join him1 but he said ,i would never get up the chimney1 ,i would stick there4 ,and1 bedad1 ,i think he was right4' ,at this remark1 despite the grimness of the moment1 several of those present laughed4 ',come1 come1 gentlemen6' one of the officials cried1 'this is no time for levity4 ,mr4 ,anderson has been murdered1 and the question is--by whom8' ',then1 if that's the only thing that is troubling you1' ,o',farroll put in1 ',i fancy the solution is right here at hand1' and he looked significantly at the ,dean4 ,an ominous silence followed1 during which all eyes were fixed on ,john ,kelly1 some anxiously1 some merely enquiringly1 but not a few angrily1 for ,kelly1 as ,i have said before1 had made himself particularly obnoxious just then by his behaviour to the rowdier students2 and1 as has ever been the case at ,k41 these formed no small portion of the community4 ,the ,dean hardly seemed to realize the situation4 ,the dignity of office blinded him to danger4 ',what do you mean8' he spluttered4 ',i know nothing of what happened to ,mr4 ,anderson6 ,really1 really1 ,o',farroll1 your presumption is preposterous4' ',there was no one else in here but you and he1 ,mr4 ,kelly1' ,o',farroll retorted coolly4 ',it's only natural we should think you know something of what happened6' ,on the arrival of the police who had been sent for somewhat reluctantly--for the prestige of the ,college at that date was very dear to all--the premises were thoroughly searched1 and1 no other culprit being found1 first of all ,dean ,kelly was apprehended1 and then1 to make a good job of it1 his accuser1 ,denis ,o',farroll4 ,all the ,college was agog with excitement4 ,no one could believe the ,dean was a murderer2 and it was just as inconceivable to think ,o',farroll had committed the deed4 ,and yet if neither of them had killed ,anderson1 who in ,god's name had killed him8 ,the night succeeding the affair1 whilst the ,dean and ,o',farroll were still in jail awaiting the inquest1 a party of undergraduates were discussing the situation in ,maguire's rooms1 when the door burst open1 and into their midst1 almost breathless with excitement1 came a measly1 bespectacled youth named ,brady--,patrick ,brady4 ',i'm awfully sorry to disturb you fellows1' he stammered1 'but there have been odd noises just outside my room all the evening1 and ,i've just seen a queer kind of dog1 that vanished1 ,god knows how4 ,i--,i--well1 you will call me an ass1 of course1 but ,i'm afraid to stay there alone1 and that's the long and short of it4' ',begorra6' ,maguire exclaimed1 'it can't be poor ,bob's ghost already6 ,what sort of noises were they8' ',noises like laughter6' ,brady said4 ',loud peals of horrid laughter4' ',someone trying to frighten you1' one of the undergrads observed1 'and faith1 he succeeded4 ,you are twice as white as any sheet4' ',it's ill-timed mirth1 anyhow1' someone else put in1 'with ,anderson's dead body upstairs4 ,i'm for making an example of the blackguard4' ',and ,i1'--',and ,i1' the others echoed4 ,a general movement followed1 and headed by ,brady the procession moved to the north wing of the ,college4 ,at that time1 be it remembered1 a large proportion of ,k4 undergrads were in residence--now it is otherwise4 ,on reaching ,brady's rooms the crowd halted outside and listened4 ,for some time there was silence2 and then a laugh--low1 monotonous1 unmirthful1 metallic--coming as it were from some adjacent chamber1 and so unnatural1 so abhorring1 that it held everyone spell-bound4 ,it died away in the reverberations of the stone corridor1 its echoes seeming to awake a chorus of other laughs hardly less dreadful4 ,again there was silence1 no one daring to express his thoughts4 ,then1 as if by common consent1 all turned precipitately into ,brady's room and slammed the door4 ',that is what ,i heard1' ,brady said4 ',what does it mean8' ',is it the meaning of it you're wanting to know8' ,maguire observed4 ',sure 'tis the devil1 for no one but him could make such a noise4 ,i've never heard the like of it before4 ,who has the rooms on either side of you8' ',these8' ,brady replied1 pointing to the right4 ',no one4 ,they were vacated at ,easter1 and are being repainted and decorated4 ,these on the left--,dobson1 who is1 ,i happen to know1 at the present moment in ,co4 ,mayo4 ,he won't be back till next week4' ',then we can search them1' a student called ,hartnoll intervened4 ',to be sure we can1' ,brady replied1 'but ,i doubt if you'll find anyone4' ,a search was made1 and ,brady proved to be correct4 ,not a vestige of anyone was discovered4 ,much mystified1 ,maguire's party was preparing to depart1 when ,hartnoll1 who had taken the keenest interest in the proceedings1 suddenly said1 ',who has the rooms over yours1 ,brady8 ,sound1 as you know1 plays curious tricks1 and it is just as likely as not that laugh came from above4' ',oh1 ,i don't think so1' ,brady answered4 ',the man overhead is ,belton1 a very decent sort4 ,he is going in for his finals shortly1 and is sweating fearfully hard at present4 ,we might certainly ask him if he heard the noise4' ,the students agreeing1 ,brady led the way upstairs1 and in response to their summons ,belton hastily opened the door4 ,he was a typical book-worm--thin1 pale and rather emaciated1 but with a pleasant expression in his eyes and mouth1 that all felt was assuring4 ',hulloa6' he exclaimed1 'it isn't often ,i'm favoured with a surprise party of this sort4 ,come in'2 and he pressed them so hard that they felt constrained to accept his hospitality1 and before long were all seated round the fire1 quaffing whisky and puffing cigars as if they meant to make a night of it4 ,at two o'clock someone suggested that it was high time they thought of bed1 and ,belton rose with them4 ',before we turn in1 let's have another search1' he said4 ',it's strange you should all hear that noise except me--unless1 of course1 it came from below4' ',but there's nothing under me1' ,brady remarked1 'except the ,dining ,hall4' ',then let's search that1' ,belton went on4 ',we ought to make a thorough job of it now we've once begun4 ,besides1 ,i don't relish being in this lonely place with that laugh knocking around1 any more than you do4' ,he went with them1 and they completely overhauled the ground floor--hall1 dining-room1 studies1 passages1 vestibules1 everywhere that was not barred to them2 but they were no wiser at the end of their search than at the beginning2 there was not the slightest clue as to the author of the laugh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,on the morrow there was a fresh shock4 ,one of the ,college servants1 on entering ,mr4 ,maguire's rooms to call him1 found that gentleman half dressed and lying on the floor4 ,terrified beyond measure1 the servant bent over him and discovered he was dead1 obviously stabbed with the same weapon that had put an end to ,bob ,anderson4 ,the factotum at once gave the alarm4 ,everyone in the ,college came trooping to the room1 and for the second time within three days a general hue and cry was raised4 ,all1 again1 to no purpose--the murderer had left no traces as to his identity4 ,however1 one thing at least was established1 and that was the innocence of ,dean ,kelly and ,denis ,o',farroll4 ,they were both liberated4 ,then ,hartnoll1 who seems to have been a regular ,sherlock ,holmes1 got to work in grim earnest4 ,on the floor in ,maguire's room he picked up a diminutive silver-topped pencil1 which had rolled under the fender and had so escaped observation4 ,he asked several of ,maguire's most intimate friends if they remembered seeing the pencil-case in ,maguire's possession1 but they shook their heads4 ,he enquired in other quarters1 too1 but with no better result1 and finally resolved to ask ,brady1 who belonged to quite a different set from himself4 ,with that object in view he set off to ,brady's room shortly after supper4 ,as there was no response to his raps1 he at length opened ,brady's door4 ,in front of the hearth in a big easy chair sat a figure4 ',brady1 by all that's holy1' ,hartnoll exclaimed4 ',by ,jupiter1 the beggar's asleep4 ,that's what comes of swotting too hard6 ,brady6' ,approaching the chair he called again1 ',brady6' and getting no reply1 patted the figure gently on the back4 ',be jabbers1 you sleep soundly1 old fellow6' he said4 ',how about that6' and he shook him heartily by the shoulder4 ,the instant he let go the figure collapsed4 ,in order to get a closer view ,hartnoll then struck a light with the tinder box4 ,the flickering of the candle flame fell on ,brady's face4 ,it was white--ghastly white2 there was no animation in it2 the jaw dropped4 ,with a cry of horror ,hartnoll sprang back1 and as he did so a great yellow dog dashed across the hearth in front of him1 whilst from somewhere close at hand came a laugh--long1 low and satirical4 ,a cold terror gripped ,hartnoll1 and for a moment or so he was on the verge of fainting4 ,however1 hearing voices in the quadrangle1 he pulled himself together1 approached the window on tiptoe1 and1 peering through the glass1 perceived to his utmost joy two of his friends directly beneath him4 ',i say1 you fellows1' he called in low tones1 'come up here quickly--,brady's rooms4 ,i've seen the phantom dog4 ,there's been another tragedy1 and the murderer is close at hand4 ,come quietly and we may catch him6' ,he then retraced his steps to the centre of the room and listened4 ,again there came the laugh--subtle1 protracted1 hellish--and it seemed to him as if it must originate in the room overhead4 ,a noise in the direction of the hearth made him look round4 ,some loose plaster had fallen1 and whilst he still gazed1 more fell4 ,the truth of the whole thing then dawned on him4 ,the murderer was in the chimney4 ,hartnoll was a creature of impulse4 ,in the excitement of the moment he forgot danger1 and the dastardly nature of the crimes gave him more than his usual amount of courage4 ,he rushed at the chimney1 and1 regardless of soot and darkness1 began an impromptu ascent4 ,half-way up something struck him--once1 twice1 thrice1--sharply1 and there was a soft1 malevolent chuckle4 ,at this juncture the two undergraduates arrived in ,brady's room4 ,no one was there--nothing save a hunched-up figure on a chair4 ',hartnoll6' they whispered4 ',hartnoll6' ,no reply4 ,they called again--still no reply4 ,again and again they called1 until at length1 through sheer fatigue1 they desisted1 and seized with a sudden panic fled precipitately downstairs and out into the quadrangle4 ,once more the alarm was given1 and once again the whole ,college1 wild with excitement1 hastened to the scene of the outrage4 ,this time there was a double mystery4 ,brady had been murdered--,hartnoll had disappeared4 ,the police were summoned and the whole building ransacked2 but no one thought of the chimney till the search was nearly over1 and half the throng--overcome with fatigue--had retired4 ,o',farroll was the discoverer4 ,happening to glance at the hearth he saw something drop4 ',for ,heaven's sake1 you fellows6' he shouted4 ',look6 ,blood6 ,you may take it from me there's a corpse in the chimney4' ,a dozen candles invaded the hearth1 and a herculean policeman undertook the ascent4 ,in breathless silence the crowd below waited1 and1 after a few seconds of intense suspense1 two helpless legs appeared on the hob4 ,bit by bit1 the rest of the body followed1 until1 at length1 the whole figure of ,hartnoll1 black1 bleeding1 bloodstained1 was disclosed to view4 ,at first it was thought that he was dead2 but the surgeon who had hurried to the scene pronouncing him still alive1 there arose a tremendous cheer4 ,the murderer had at all events been foiled this time4 ',begorrah6' cried ,o',farroll1 ',hartnoll was after the murderer when he was struck1 and shure ,i'll be after him the same way myself4' ,and before anyone could prevent him ,o',farroll was up the chimney4 ,up1 up1 up1 until he found himself going down1 down1 down2 and then--bedad--he stepped right out on to the floor of ,belton's room4 ',hulloa6' the latter exclaimed1 looking not a bit disconcerted1 'that's a curious mode of making your entrance into my domain6 ,why didn't you come by the door8' ',because1' ,o',farroll replied1 pointing to a patch of soot near the washstand1 ',i followed you4 ,own up1 ,dicky ,belton4 ,you're the culprit--you did for them all4' ,and ,belton laughed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,yes1 it was true2 overwork had turned ,belton's brain1 and he was subsequently sent to a ,criminal ,lunatic ,asylum for the rest of his life4 ,but there were moments when he was comparatively sane1 and in these interims he confessed everything4 ,anderson had told him that he was going to hoax the ,dean1 and filled with indignation at the idea of such a trick being played on a ,college official--for he1 ,belton1 was a great favourite with the ',beaks'--he had accompanied ,anderson on the plea of helping him1 intending1 in reality1 to frustrate him4 ,it was not till he was in the chimney1 crouching behind ,anderson1 that the thought of killing his fellow-students had entered his mind4 ,the heat of his hiding-place1 acting on an already overworked brain1 hastened on the madness2 and his fingers closing on a clasped knife in one of his pockets1 inspired him with a desire to kill4 ,the work once begun1 he had argued with himself1 would have to be continued1 and he had then and there decided that all unruly undergraduates should be exterminated4 ,with what measure of success this determination was carried out need not be recapitulated here2 but with regard to the phantom dog a few words may be added4 ,since it appeared immediately before the committal of each of the three murders ,i have just recorded 7it was seen by ,mr4 ,kelly before the death of ,bob ,anderson2 by ,brady1 before the murder of ,maguire2 and by ,hartnoll1 before ,brady was murdered71 ,i think there can neither be doubts as to its existence nor as to the purport of its visits4 ,moreover1 its latest appearance in the ,university1 reported to me quite recently1 preceded a serious outbreak of fire4 ,national ,ghosts in the form of ,dogs ,one of the most notorious dog ghosts is the ,gwyllgi in ,wales4 ,this apparition1 which is of a particularly terrifying appearance1 chiefly haunts the lane leading from ,mousiad to ,lisworney ,crossways4 ,belief in a spectral dog1 however1 is common all over the ,british ,isles4 ,the apparition does not belong to any one breed1 but appears equally often as a hound1 setter1 terrier1 shepherd dog1 ,newfoundland and retriever4 ,in ,lancashire it is called the ,trash or ,striker2 ,trash1 because the sound of its tread is thought to resemble a person walking along a miry1 sloppy road1 with heavy shoes2 ,striker1 because it is said to utter a curious screech which may be taken as a warning of the approaching death of some relative or friend4 ,when followed the phantom retreats1 glaring at its pursuer1 and either sinks into the ground with a harrowing shriek1 or disappears in some equally mysterious manner4 ,in ,norfolk and ,cambridgeshire this spectre is named the ,shuck1 the local name for ,shag--and is reported to haunt churchyards and other dreary spots4 ,in the parish of ,overstrand1 there used to be a lane called ,shuck's ,lane1 named after this phantasm4 ,round about ,leeds the spectre dog is called ,padfoot1 and is about the size of a donkey1 with shaggy hair and large eyes like saucers4 ,my friend ,mr4 ,barker tells me there was1 at one time1 a ghost in the ,hebrides called the ,lamper1 which was like a very big1 white dog with no tail4 ,it ran sometimes straight ahead1 but usually in circles1 and to see it was a prognostication of death4 ,mr4 ,barker1 going home by the sea-coast1 saw the ,lamper in the hedge4 ,he struck at it1 and his stick passed right through it4 ,the ,lamper rushed away1 whining and howling alternately1 and disappeared4 ,mr4 ,barker was so scared that he ran all the way home4 ,on the morrow1 he learned of his father's death4 ,in ,northumberland1 ,durham1 and various parts of ,yorkshire1 the ghost-dog1 which is firmly believed in1 is styled ,barguest1 ,bahrgeist1 or ,boguest2 whilst in ,lancashire it is termed the ,boggart4 ,its most common form in these counties is a large1 black dog with flaming eyes2 and its appearance is a certain prognostication of death4 ,according to tradition there was once a ,barguest in a glen between ,darlington and ,houghton1 near ,throstlenest4 ,another haunted a piece of waste land above a spring called the ,oxwells1 between ,wreghorn and ,headingley ,hill1 near ,leeds4 ,on the death of any person of local importance in the neighbourhood the creature would come forth1 followed by all the other dogs1 barking and howling4 7,henderson refers to these hauntings in his ,folk-lore of ,northern ,counties47 ,another form of this animal spectre is the ,capelthwaite1 which1 according to common report1 had the power of appearing in the form of any quadruped1 but usually chose that of a large1 black dog4 ,the ,mauthe ,doog ,one of the most famous canine apparitions is that of the ,mauthe ,doog1 once said--and1 ,i believe1 still said--to haunt ,peel ,castle1 ,isle of ,man4 ,its favourite place1 so ,i am told1 was the guard-chamber1 where it used to crouch by the fireside4 ,the sentry1 so the story runs1 got so accustomed to seeing it1 that they ceased to be afraid2 but1 as they believed it to be of evil origin1 waiting for an opportunity to seize them1 they were very particular what they said or did1 and refrained from swearing in its presence4 ,the ,mauthe ,doog used to come out and return by the passage through the church1 by which the sentry on duty had to go to deliver the keys every night to the captain4 ,these men1 however1 were far too nervous to go alone1 and were invariably accompanied by one of the retainers4 ,on one occasion1 however1 one of the sentinels1 in a fit of drunken bravado1 swore he was afraid of nothing1 and insisted on going alone4 ,his comrades tried to dissuade him1 upon which he became abusive1 cursed the ,mauthe ,doog1 and said he would d----d well strike it4 ,an hour later1 he returned absolutely mad with horror1 and speechless2 nor could he even make signs1 whereby his friends could understand what had happened to him4 ,he died soon after--his features distorted--in violent agony4 ,after this the apparition was never seen again4 ,as to what class of spirits the spectre dog belongs1 that is impossible to say4 ,at the most we can only surmise1 and ,i should think the chances of its being the actual phantasm of some dead dog or an elemental are about equal4 ,it is probably sometimes the one and sometimes the other2 and its origin is very possibly like that of the ,banshee4 ,spectral ,hounds ,as with the spectre dog1 so with packs of hounds1 stories of them come from all parts of the country4 ,gervase of ,tilbury states that as long ago as the thirteenth century a pack of spectral hounds was frequently witnessed1 on nights when the moon was full1 scampering across forest and downs4 ,in the twelfth century the pack was known as the ,herlething and haunted1 chiefly1 the banks of the ,wye4 ,roby1 in his ,traditions of ,lancashire2 ,hardwick1 in his ,traditions1 ,superstitions1 and ,folk-lore2 ,homerton1 in his ,isles of ,loch ,awe2 ,wirt ,sykes1 in his ,british ,goblins2 ,sir ,walter ,scott1 and others1 all refer to them4 ,in the ,north of ,england they are known as ,gabriel's ,hounds2 in ,devon as the ,wisk1 ,yesk1 ,yeth1 or ,heath ,hounds2 in ,wales as the ,cwn ,annwn or ,cyn y ,wybr2 in ,cornwall as the ,devil and his ,dandy-,dogs2 and in the neighbourhood of ,leeds as the ,gabble ,retchets4 ,they are common all over the ,continent4 ,in appearance they are usually described as monstrous1 human-headed dogs1 black1 with fiery eyes and teeth1 and sprinkled all over with blood4 ,they make a great howling noise1 which is very shrill and mournful1 and appear to be in hot pursuit of some unseen quarry4 ,when they approach a house1 it may be taken as a certain sign someone in that house will die very shortly4 ,according to ,mr4 ,roby1 a spectre huntsman known by the name ,gabriel ,ratchets1 accompanied by a pack of phantom hounds1 is said to hunt a milk-white doe round the ,eagle's ,crag in the ,vale of ,todmorden every ,all ,hallows ,eve4 ,these hounds were also seen in ,norfolk4 ,a famous ecclesiast1 when on his way to the coast1 was forced to spend the night in the ,king's ,lynn ,inn1 owing to a violent snowstorm4 ,retiring to bed directly after supper1 he tried to forget his disappointment in reading a volume of sermons he had bought at a second-hand shop in ,bury ,st4 ,edmunds4 ,i think ,i can use this one1 he said to himself4 ,it will do nicely for the people of ,aylesham4 ,they are so steeped in hypocrisy that nothing short of violent denunciation will bring it home to them4 ,this ,i think1 however1 will pierce even their skins4 ,a sudden noise made him spring up4 ,hounds6 he exclaimed4 ,and at this time of night6 ,good heavens6 ,he flew to the window1 and there1 careering through the yard1 baying as they ran1 were1 at least1 fifty luminous1 white hounds4 ,instead of leaping the stone wall1 they passed right through it1 and the bishop then realized that they were ,gabriel ,hounds4 ,the following evening he received tidings of his son's--his only son's--death4 ,i have heard that the ,yeth ,hounds were seen1 not so long ago1 in a parish in ,yorkshire by an old poacher called ,barnes4 ,barnes was walking in the fields one night1 when he suddenly heard the baying of the hounds1 and the hoarse shouts of the huntsman4 ,the next moment the whole pack hove in view and tore past him so close that he received a cut from the whip on his leg4 ,to his surprise1 however1 it did not hurt him1 it only felt icy cold4 ,he then knew that he had seen the ,yeth ,hounds4 ,a ,spectral ,pack of ,hounds in ,russia ,a gentleman of the name of ,rappaport whom ,i once met in ,southampton told me of an experience he had once had with a spectral pack of hounds on the slope of the ,urals4 ,it was about half-past eleven one winter's night1 he said1 and ,i was driving through a thick forest1 when my coachman suddenly leaned back in his seat and called out1 ',do you hear that8' ,i listened1 and from afar came a plaintive1 whining sound4 ',it's not ,volki1 is it8' ,i asked4 ',i'm afraid so1 master1' the coachman replied1 'they're coming on after us4' ',but they are some way off still6' ,i said4 ',that is so1' he responded1 'but wolves run quick1 and our horses are tired4 ,if we can reach the lake first we shall be all right1 but should they overtake us before we get there--' and he shrugged his great shoulders suggestively4 ',not another word1' ,i cried4 ',drive--drive as if 'twere the devil himself4 ,i have my rifle ready1 and will shoot the first wolf that shows itself4' ',very good1 master1' he answered4 ',i will do everything that can be done to save your skin and mine4' ,he cracked his whip1 and away flew the horses at a breakneck speed4 ,but fast as they went1 they could not outstrip the sound of the howling1 which gradually drew nearer and nearer1 until around the curve we had just passed shot into view a huge gaunt wolf4 ,i raised my rifle and fired4 ,the beast fell1 but another instantly took its place1 and then another and another1 till the whole pack came into sight1 and close behind us was an ocean of white1 tossing1 foam-flecked jaws and red gleaming eyes4 ,i emptied my rifle into them as fast as ,i could pull the trigger1 but it only checked them momentarily4 ,a few snaps1 and of their wounded brethren there was nothing left but a pile of glistening bones4 ,then1 hie away1 and they were once again in red-hot pursuit4 ,at last our pace slackened1 and still ,i could see no signs of the lake4 ,a great grey shape1 followed by others1 then rushed by us and tried to reach the horses' flanks with their sharp1 gleaming teeth4 ,a few more seconds1 and ,i knew we should be both fighting1 back to back1 the last great fight for existence4 ,indeed ,i had ceased firing1 and was already beginning to strike out furiously with the butt end of my rifle1 when a new sound arrested my attention4 ,the baying of dogs6 ',dogs6' ,i screamed1 ',dogs1 ,ivan6' 7that was the coachman's name7 ',dogs6' and1 in my mad joy1 ,i brained two wolves in as many blows4 ,the next moment a large pack of enormous white hounds came racing down on us4 ,the wolves did not wait to dispute the field2 they all turned tail and1 with loud howls of terror1 rushed off in the direction they had come4 ,on came the hounds--more beautiful dogs ,i had never seen2 as they swept by1 more than one brushed against my knees1 though ,i could feel nothing save intense cold4 ,when they were about twenty yards ahead of us1 they slowed down1 and maintained that distance in front of us till we arrived on the shores of the lake4 ,there they halted1 and throwing back their heads1 bayed as if in farewell1 and suddenly vanished4 ,we knew then that they were no earthly hounds1 but spirit ones1 sent by a merciful ,providence to save us from a cruel death4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,horses ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,as in my chapters on cats and dogs1 ,i will preface this chapter on horses with instances of alleged haunted localities4 ,i take my first case from ,mr4 ,w4,t4 ,stead's ,real ,ghost ,stories1 published in #ahia4 ,it is called ,a ,weird ,story from the ,indian ,hills1 and ,mr4 ,stead preludes it thus3 ,the tale is told by ,general ,barter1 ,c4,b41 of ,careystown1 ,whitegate1 ,co4 ,cork4 ,at the time he witnessed the spectral cavalcade he was living on the hills in ,india1 and when one evening he was returning home he caught sight of a rider and attendants coming towards him4 ,the rest of the story1 given in the ,general's own words1 is as follows3-- ,at this time the two dogs came1 and1 crouching at my side1 gave low1 frightened whimpers4 ,the moon was at the full--a tropical moon--so bright that you could see to read a newspaper by its light1 and--,i saw the party before me advance as plainly as it were noon day4 ,they were above me some eight or ten feet on the bridle-road1 the earth thrown down from which sloped to within a pace or two of my feet4 ,on the party came1 until almost in front of me1 and now ,i had better describe them4 ,the rider was in full dinner dress1 with white waistcoat1 and wearing a tall chimney-pot hat1 and he sat a powerful hill pony 7dark brown1 with mane and tail7 in a listless sort of way1 the reins hanging loosely from both hands4 ,a ,syce led the pony on each side1 but their faces ,i could not see1 the one next to me having his back to me and the one farthest off being hidden by the pony's head4 ,each held the bridle close by the bit1 the man next me with his right and the other with his left hand1 and the hands were on the thighs of the rider1 as if to steady him in his seat4 ,as they approached1 ,i knowing they could not get to any place other than my own1 called out in ,hindustani1 ',quon hai8' 7,who is it874 ,there was no answer1 and on they came until right in front of me1 when ,i said1 in ,english1 ',hullo1 what the d----l do you want here8' ,instantly the group came to a halt1 the rider gathering the bridle reins up in both hands1 turned his face1 which had hitherto been looking away from me1 towards me1 and looked down upon me4 ,the group was still as in a tableau1 with the bright moon shining upon it1 and ,i at once recognized the rider as ,lieutenant ,b41 whom ,i had formerly known4 ,the face1 however1 was different from what it used to be2 in the place of being clean-shaven1 as when ,i used to know it1 it was now surrounded by a fringe 7what used to be known as a ,newgate fringe71 and it was the face of a dead man1 the ghastly waxen pallor of it brought out more distinctly in the moonlight by the dark fringe of hair by which it was encircled2 the body1 too1 was much stouter than when ,i had known it in life4 ,i marked this in a moment2 and then resolved to lay hold of the thing1 whatever it might be4 ,i dashed up the bank1 and the earth which had been thrown on the side giving under my feet1 ,i fell forward up the bank on my hands1 recovering myself instantly4 ,i gained the road1 and stood in the exact spot where the group had been1 but which was now vacant1 there was not the trace of anything2 it was impossible for them to go on1 the road stopped at a precipice about twenty yards further on1 and it was impossible to turn and go back in a second4 ,all this flashed through my mind1 and ,i then ran along the road for about #ajj yards1 along which they had come1 until ,i had to stop for want of breath1 but there was no trace of anything1 and not a sound to be heard4 ,i then returned home1 where ,i found my dogs1 who1 on all other occasions my most faithful companions1 had not come with me along the road4 ,next morning ,i went up to ,d41 who belonged to the same regiment as ,b41 and gradually induced him to talk of him4 ,i said1 ',how very stout he had become lately1 and what possessed him to allow his beard to grow with that horrid fringe8' ,d4 replied1 ',yes1 he became very bloated before his death4 ,you know he led a very fast life1 and while on the sick list he allowed the fringe to grow1 in spite of all that we could say to him1 and ,i believe he was buried with it4' ,i asked him where he got the pony ,i had seen1 describing it minutely4 ',why1' said ,d41 'how do you know anything about all this8 ,you hadn't seen ,b4 for two or three years1 and the pony you never saw4 ,he bought him at ,peshawur1 and killed him one day riding in his reckless fashion down the hill to ,trete4' ,i then told him what ,i had seen the night before4 ,once1 when the galloping sound was very distinct1 ,i rushed to the door of my house4 ,there ,i found my ,hindoo bearer1 standing with a tattie in his hand4 ,i asked him what he was there for4 ,he said that there came a sound of riding down the hill1 and 'passed him like a typhoon1' and went round the corner of the house1 and he was determined to waylay it1 whatever it was4 ,in commenting on the case1 ,mr4 ,stead remarks1 ,that such a story as this1 gravely told by a ,british ,general in the present day1 helps us to understand how our ancestors came to believe in the wonderful story of ,herne the ,hunter4 ,i do not know about ,herne the ,hunter1 but it is at all events good testimony that horses as well as men have spirits1 for one of the ghosts the ,general saw was1 undoubtedly1 that of the pony murdered by ,b4 ,why it was still ridden by the phantom of its former master is another question4 ,the next case ,i narrate is also taken from ,mr4 ,stead's same work4 ,it was sent him by one of the leading townsmen of ,cowes1 in the ,isle of ,wight1 and runs thus3-- ,on a fine evening in ,april1 #ahei1 the writer was riding with a friend on a country road4 ,twilight was closing down on us1 when1 after a silence of some minutes1 my friend suddenly exclaimed3 ',no man knows me better than you do1 ,j4 ,do you think ,i am a nervous1 easily frightened sort of man8' ',far from it1' said ,i1 'among all the men ,i know in the wild country ,i have lived and worked in1 ,i know none more fearless or of more unhesitating nerve4' ',well1' said he1 ',i think ,i am that1 too1 and though ,i have travelled these roads all sorts of hours1 summer and winter1 for twenty years1 ,i never met anything to startle me1 or that ,i could not account for1 until last ,monday evening4 ,about this time it was4 ,riding old ,fan' 7a chestnut mare7 'here on this cross-' 7a four-way cross7 'road1 on my near side was a man on a grey horse1 coming from this left-hand road4 ,i had to pull my off-rein to give myself room to pass ahead of him2 he was coming at a right angle to me4 ,as ,i passed the head of the horse ,i called out ,good night4 ,hearing no reply1 ,i turned in my saddle to the off-side1 to see whether he appeared to be asleep as he rode1 but to my surprise ,i saw neither man nor horse4 ,so sure was ,i that ,i had seen such1 that ,i wheeled old ,fan round1 and rode back to the middle of the cross1 and on neither of the four roads could ,i see a man or horse1 though there was light enough to see two hundred or three hundred yards1 as we can now4 ,well1 ,i then rode over that gate' 7a gate at one corner opening into a grass field71 'thinking he might have gone that way2 looking down by each hedge1 ,i could see nothing of my man and horse2 and then--and not until then--,i felt myself thrill and start with a shuddering sense that ,i had seen something uncanny1 and1 ,jove6 ,i put the mare down this hill we are on now at her very best pace4 ,but the strangest part of my story is to come1' said he1 continuing4 ',after ,i had done my business at the farmhouse here1 at foot of this hill1 ,i told the old farmer and his wife what ,i had seen1 as ,i have now told you4 ,the old man said3 ',for many years ,i have known thee1 ,m----1 on this road1 and have you never seen the like before on that cross8 ',seen what before8 ,i said4 ',why1 a man in light-coloured clothes on a grey horse1 said he4 ',no1 never1 said ,i1 but ,i swear ,i have this evening4 ',the farmer asked1 ,had ,i never heard of what happened to the ,miller of ,l---- ,mills about forty years ago8 ',no1 never a word1 ,i told him4 ',well1 he said1 about forty years ago this miller1 returning from market1 was waylaid and murdered on that cross-road1 pockets rifled of money and watch4 ,the horse ran home1 about a mile away4 ,two serving-men set out with lanterns and found their master dead4 ,he was dressed1 as millers often do in this part of the country1 in light-coloured clothes1 and the horse was a grey horse4 ,the murderers were never found4 ,these are facts1 continued the farmer4 ,i took this farm soon after it all happened1 and1 though ,i have known all this1 and have passed over that cross several thousands of times1 ,i never knew anything unusual there myself1 but there have been a number of people who tell the same story you have told mother and me1 ,m----1 and describe the appearance as you have done to us to-night4' ,mr4 ,stead goes on to add3 ,four evenings after all this occurred my friend related it to me as we were riding along the same road4 ,he continued to pass there many times every year for ten years1 but never a day saw anything of that sort4 ,my next case1 a reproduction of a letter in the ,occult ,review of ,september1 #aijf1 reads thus3-- ,a ,phantom ,horse and ,rider--,mrs4 ,gaskin ,anderston's ,story ,the following story is1 ,i think1 very remarkable1 and ,i give it exactly as it was told to me1 and written down at the time4 ,a number of members of a gentleman's club were talking and discussing1 amongst other subjects1 the possibility of there being a future state for animals4 ,one of the members said3 ',i firmly believe there is4 ,in my early youth ,i had a practice as a medical man in one of the ,midland ,counties4 ,one of my patients was a very wealthy man1 who owned large tracts of land and had a stud composed entirely of bay horses with black points--this was a hobby of his1 and he would never have any others4 ,one day a messenger came summoning me to ,mr4 ,l----1 as he had just met with a very bad accident1 and was on the point of death4 ,i mounted my horse and started off without delay4 ,as ,i was riding through the front gates to the house1 ,i heard a shot1 and to my amazement the very man ,i was going to visit rode past at a furious pace1 riding a wretched-looking chestnut with one white forefoot and a white star on its forehead4 ,arrived at the house the butler said3 ',he has gone1 sir2 they had to shoot the horse--you would hear the shot--and at the same moment my master died4 ',he had had this horse sent on approval2 whilst riding it1 it backed over a precipice1 injuring ,mr4 ,l---- fatally1 and on being taken to the stables it was found necessary to shoot it4'--,alpha4 ,the next case ,i append 7,i published it in a weekly journal some years ago7 was related to me by a ,captain ,beauclerk4 ,the ,white ,horse of ,eastover ,when ,i came down to breakfast one morning ,i found amongst several letters awaiting me one from ,colonel ,onslow1 the ,commanding ,officer of my regiment when ,i first joined4 ,he had always been rather partial to me1 and the friendship between us continued after his retirement4 ,i heard from him regularly at more or less prolonged intervals1 and either at ,christmas or ,easter invariably received an invitation to spend a few days with him4 ,on this occasion he was most anxious that ,i should accept4 ,do come to us for ,easter1 he wrote4 ,i am sure this place will interest you--it is haunted4 ,the cunning fellow6 ,he knew ,i was very keen on ,psychical ,research work1 and would go almost anywhere on the bare chance of seeing a ghost4 ,at that time ,i was quite open-minded1 ,i had arrived at no definite conclusion as to the existence or non-existence of ghosts4 ,but to tell the truth1 ,i doubted very much if the ,colonel's word1 in these circumstances1 could be relied upon4 ,i had grave suspicions that this haunting was but an invention for the purpose of getting me to ,eastover4 ,however1 as it was just possible that ,i might be mistaken--that there really was a ghost1 and as ,i had not seen ,colonel ,onslow for a long time1 and indulged in feelings of the warmest regard both for him and his wife1 ,i resolved to go4 ,accordingly ,i set out early in the afternoon of the ,good ,friday4 ,the weather1 which had been muggy in ,london1 grew colder and colder the further we advanced along the line1 and by the time we reached ,eastover there was every prospect of a storm4 ,as ,i expected1 a closed carriage had been sent to meet me2 for the ,colonel1 carrying conservatism--with more conservatism than sense1 perhaps--to a fine point1 cherished a deep-rooted aversion to innovations of any sort1 and consequently abhorred motors4 ,his house1 ,eastover ,hall1 is three miles from the station1 and lies at the foot of a steep spine of the ,chilterns4 ,the grounds of ,eastover ,hall were extensive2 but1 in the ordinary sense1 far from beautiful4 ,to me1 however1 they were more than beautiful2 there was a grandeur in them--a grandeur that appealed to me far more than mere beauty--the grandeur of desolation1 the grandeur of the ,unknown4 ,as we passed through the massive iron gates of the lodge1 ,i looked upon countless acres of withered1 undulating grass2 upon a few rank sedges2 upon a score or so of decayed trees2 upon a house--huge1 bare1 grey and massive2 upon bleak walls2 upon vacant1 eye-like windows2 upon crude1 scenic inhospitality1 the very magnitude of which overpowered me4 ,i have said it was cold2 but there hung over the estate of ,eastover an iciness that brought with it a quickening1 a sickening of the heart1 and a dreariness that1 whilst being depressing in the extreme1 was1 withal1 sublime4 ,sublime and mysterious2 mysterious and insoluble4 ,a thousand fancies swarmed through my mind2 yet ,i could grapple with none2 and ,i was loth to acknowledge that1 although there are combinations of very simple material objects which might have had the power of affecting me thus1 yet any attempt to analyse that power was beyond--far beyond--my mental capability4 ,the house1 though old--and its black oak panellings1 silent staircases1 dark corridors1 and general air of gloom were certainly suggestive of ghosts--did not affect me in the same degree4 ,the fear it inspired was the ordinary fear inspired by the ordinary superphysical1 but the fear ,i felt in the grounds was a fear created by something out of the way--something far more bizarre than a mere phantom of the dead4 ,the ,colonel asked me if ,i had experienced any unusual sensations the moment ,i entered the house1 and ,i told him1 ,yes4 ,nearly everyone does1 he replied1 and yet1 so far as ,i know1 no one has ever seen anything4 ,the noises we hear all round the house have lately been more frequent4 ,i won't describe them2 ,i want to learn your unbiassed opinion of them first4 ,we then had tea1 and whilst the rest--there was a large house-party--indulged in music and cards1 the ,colonel and ,i had a delightful chat about old times4 ,i went to bed in the firm resolution of keeping awake till at least two2 but ,i was very tired1 and the excessive cold had made me extremely sleepy2 consequently1 despite my heroic efforts1 ,i gradually dozed off1 and knew no more till it was broad daylight and the butler entered my room with a cup of tea4 ,when ,i came down to breakfast ,i found everyone in the best of spirits4 ,the ,onslows are great hands at original entertainments1 and the announcement that there would be a masked ball that evening was received with tremendous enthusiasm4 ,to-night we dance1 to-morrow we feed on ,easter eggs and fancy cakes1 one of the guests laughingly whispered4 ,what a nicely ordered programme6 ,i hear1 too1 we are to have a real old-fashioned ,easter ,day--heaving and lifting1 and stool-ball4 ,egad6 ,the ,colonel deserves knighthood6 ,soon after breakfast there was a general stampede to ,seeton and ,dinstable to buy gifts2 for in that respect again the ,onslows stuck to old customs1 and there was a general interchange of presents on ,easter morning4 ,my purchases made1 ,i joined one or two of the house-party at lunch in ,seeton1 cycled back alone to ,eastover in time for tea2 and1 at five o'clock1 commenced my first explorations of the grounds4 ,the sky having become clouded my progress was somewhat slow4 ,i did the ,park first1 and ,i had not gone very far before ,i detected the same presence ,i had so acutely felt the previous afternoon4 ,like the scent of a wild beast1 it had a certain defined track which ,i followed astutely1 eventually coming to a full stop in front of a wall of rock4 ,i then perceived by the aid of a few fitful rays of suppressed light1 which at intervals struggled successfully through a black bank of clouds1 the yawning mouth of a big cavern1 from the roof of which hung innumerable stalactites4 ,i now suddenly realized that ,i was in a very lonely1 isolated spot1 and became immeasurably perturbed4 ,the ,unknown ,something in the atmosphere which had inspired me with so much fear was here conglomerated--it was no longer the mere essence--it was the whole ,thing4 ,the whole ,thing1 but what was that ,thing8 ,a hideous fascination made me keep my gaze riveted on the gaping hole opposite me4 ,at first ,i could make out nothing--nothing but jagged walls and roof1 and empty darkness2 then there suddenly appeared in the very innermost recesses of the cave a faint glow of crimson light which grew and grew1 until with startling abruptness it resolved itself into two huge eyes1 red and menacing4 ,the sight was so unexpected1 and1 by reason of its intense malignity1 so appalling1 that ,i was simply dumbfounded4 ,i could do nothing but stare at the ,thing--paralysed and speechless4 ,i made a desperate effort to get back my self-possession2 ,i strove with all my might to reason with myself1 to assure myself that this was the supreme moment of my life1 the moment ,i had so long and earnestly desired4 ,but it was in vain2 ,i was terrified--helplessly1 hopelessly terrified4 ,the eyes moved1 they drew nearer and nearer to me1 and as they did so they became more and more hostile4 ,i opened my mouth to shout for help1 ,i could feel my lungs bursting under the tension2 not a sound came2 and then--then1 as the eyes closed on me1 and ,i could feel the cold1 clammy weight pressing me down1 there rang out1 loud and clear1 in the keen and cutting air of the spring evening1 a whole choir of voices--the village choral society4 ,i am not particularly fond of music--certainly not of village music1 however well trained it may be2 but ,i can honestly affirm that1 at that moment1 no sounds could have been more welcome to me than those old folk-songs piped by the rustics1 for the instant they commenced the spell that so closely held me prisoner was broken1 my faculties returned1 and reeling back out of the clutches of the hateful ,thing1 ,i joyfully turned and fled4 ,i related my adventure to the ,colonel1 and he told me that the cave was generally deemed to be the most haunted spot in the grounds1 that no one cared to venture there alone after dark4 ,i have myself many times visited the cave at night--in the company of others1 he said1 and we have invariably experienced sensations of the utmost horror and repulsion1 though we have seen nothing4 ,it must be a devil4 ,i thought so1 too1 and exclaimed with some vehemence that the proper course for him to pursue was to have the cave filled in or blasted4 ,that night ,i awoke at about one o'clock with the feeling very strong on me that something was prowling about under my window4 ,for some time ,i fought against the impulse to get out of bed and look1 but at last ,i yielded4 ,it was bright moonlight--every obstacle in the grounds stood out with wonderful clearness--and directly beneath the window1 peering up at me1 were the eyes--red1 lurid1 satanical4 ,a dog barked1 and they vanished4 ,i did not sleep again that night1 not until the daylight broke1 when ,i had barely shut my eyes before ,i was aroused by decidedly material bangings on the doors and hyper-boisterous ,easter greetings4 ,after breakfast a few of the party went to church1 a few into the nursery to romp with the children1 whilst the rest dispersed in different directions4 ,at luncheon all met again1 and there was much merry-making over the tansy cakes--very foolish1 no doubt1 but to me at least very delightful1 and perhaps a wise practice1 at times1 even for the most prosaic4 ,in the afternoon the ,colonel took me for a drive to a charmingly picturesque village in the ,chilterns1 whence we did not set out on our way back till it was twilight4 ,the ,colonel was a good whip1 and the horse1 though young and rather high-spirited1 was1 he said1 very dependable on the whole1 and had never caused him any trouble4 ,we spun along at a brisk trot--the last village separating us from the ,hall was past1 and we were on a high eminence1 almost within sight of home1 when a startling change in the atmosphere suddenly became apparent--it turned icy cold4 ,i made some sort of comment to the ,colonel1 and as ,i did so the horse shied4 ,hulloa6 ,i exclaimed4 ,does she often do this8 ,no1 not often1 only when we are on this road about this time1 was the grim rejoinder4 ,keep your eyes open and sit tight4 ,we were now amid scenery of the same desolate type that had so impressed me the day of my arrival4 ,gaunt1 barren hills1 wild1 uncultivated levels1 sombre valleys1 inhabited only by grotesque enigmatical shadows that came from ,heaven knows where1 and hemmed us in on all sides4 ,a large quarry1 half full of water and partly overgrown with brambles1 riveted my attention1 and as ,i gazed fixedly at it ,i saw1 or fancied ,i saw1 the shape of something large and white--vividly white--rise from the bottom4 ,the glimpse ,i caught of it was1 however1 only momentary1 for we were moving along at a great pace1 and ,i had hardly seen the last of it before the quarry was left behind and we were descending a long and gradual declivity4 ,there was but little wind1 but the cold was benumbing2 neither of us spoke1 and the silence was unbroken save by the monotonous patter1 patter of the horse's hoofs on the hard road4 ,we were1 ,i should say1 about half-way down the hill1 when away in our rear1 from the direction of the quarry1 came a loud protracted neigh4 ,i at once looked round1 and saw standing on the crest of the eminence we had just quitted1 and most vividly outlined against the enveloping darkness1 a gigantic horse1 white and luminous4 ,at that moment our own mare took fright2 we were abruptly swung forward1 and1 had ,i not--mindful of the ,colonel's warning--been sitting tight1 ,i should undoubtedly have been thrown out4 ,we dashed downhill at a terrific rate1 our mare mad with terror1 and on peering over my shoulder ,i saw1 to my horror1 the white steed tearing along not fifty yards behind us4 ,i was now able to get a vivid impression of the monstrous beast4 ,although the night was dark1 a strong1 lurid glow1 which seemed to emanate from all over it1 enabled me to see distinctly its broad1 muscular breast2 its panting1 steaming flanks2 its long1 graceful legs with their hairy fetlocks and shoeless1 shining hoofs2 its powerful but arched back2 its lofty1 colossal head with waving forelock and broad1 massive forehead2 its snorting nostrils2 its distended1 foaming jaws2 its huge1 glistening teeth2 and its lips1 wreathed in a savage grin4 ,on and on it raced1 its strides prodigious1 its mighty mane rising and falling1 and blowing all around it in unrestrained confusion4 ,a slip--a single slip1 and we should be entirely at its mercy4 ,our own horse was now out of control4 ,a series of violent plunges1 which nearly succeeded in unseating me1 had enabled her to get the check of the bit between her teeth so as to render it utterly useless2 and she had then started off at a speed ,i can only liken to flying4 ,fortunately we were now on a more or less level ground1 and the road1 every inch of which our horse knew1 was smooth and broad4 ,i glanced at the ,colonel convulsively clutching the reins2 he was clinging to his seat for dear life1 his hat gone4 ,i wanted to speak1 but ,i knew it was useless--the shrieking of the air as it roared past us deadened all sounds4 ,once or twice ,i glanced over the side of the trap4 ,the rapidity with which we were moving caused a hideous delusion--the ground appeared to be gliding from beneath us2 and ,i experienced the sensation of resting on nothing4 ,despite our danger1 however1 from natural causes--a danger which1 ,i knew1 could not have been more acute--my fears were wholly of the superphysical4 ,it was not the horror of being dashed to pieces ,i dreaded--it was the horror of the phantom horse--of its sinister1 hostile appearance--of its unknown powers4 ,what would it do if it overtook us8 ,with each successive breath ,i drew ,i felt sure the fateful event--the long-anticipated crisis--had come4 ,at last my expectations were realized4 ,the teeth of the gigantic steed closed down on me1 its nostrils hissed resistance out of me--,i swerved1 tottered1 fell2 and as ,i sank on the ground my senses left me4 ,on coming to ,i found myself in a propped-up position on the floor of a tiny room with someone pouring brandy down my throat4 ,happily1 beyond a severe shock1 ,i had sustained no injury--a sufficiently miraculous circumstance1 as the trap had come to grief in failing to clear the lodge gates1 the horse had skinned its knees1 and the ,colonel had fractured his shoulder4 ,of the phantom horse not a glimpse had been seen4 ,even the ,colonel1 strange to relate1 though he had managed to peep round1 had not seen it4 ,he had heard and felt a ,presence1 that was all2 and after listening to my experience1 he owned he was truly thankful he was only clair-audient4 ,a gift like yours1 he said1 with more candour than kindness1 is a curse1 not a blessing4 ,and now ,i have your corroboration1 ,i might as well tell you that we have long suspected the ghost to be a horse1 and have attributed its hauntings to the fact that1 some time ago1 when exploring in the cave1 several prehistoric remains of horses were found1 one of which we kept1 whilst we presented the others to a neighbouring museum4 ,i dare say there are heaps more4 ,undoubtedly there are1 ,i said1 but take my advice and leave them alone--re-inter the remains you have already unearthed--and thus put a stop to the hauntings4 ,if you go on excavating and keep the bones you find1 the disturbances will1 in all probability1 increase1 and the hauntings will become not only many but multiform4 ,needless to say the ,colonel carried out my injunctions to the letter4 ,far from continuing his work of excavation he lost no time in restoring the bones he had kept to their original resting-place2 after which1 as ,i predicted1 the hauntings ceased4 ,this case1 to me1 is very satisfactory1 as it testifies to what was unquestionably an actual phantasm of the dead--of a dead horse--albeit that horse was prehistoric2 and such horses are all the more likely to be earth-bound on account of their wild1 untamed natures4 ,here is another account of a phantom horse taken from ,mr4 ,stead's ,real ,ghost ,stories4 ,it is written by an ,afrikander who1 in a letter to ,mr4 ,stead1 says3 ,i am not a believer in ghosts1 nor never was2 but seeing you wanted a census of them1 ,i can't help giving you a remarkable experience of mine4 ,it was some three summers back1 and ,i was out with a party of ,boer hunters4 ,we had crossed the ,northern boundary of the ,transvaal1 and were camped on the ridges of the ,sembombo4 ,i had been out from sunrise1 and was returning about dusk with the skin of a fine black ostrich thrown across the saddle in front of me1 in the best of spirits at my good luck4 ,making straight for the camp1 ,i had hardly entered a thick bush when ,i thought that ,i heard somebody behind me4 ,looking behind1 ,i saw a man mounted on a white horse4 ,you can imagine my surprise1 for my horse was the only one in camp1 and we were the only party in the country4 ,without considering ,i quickened my pace into a canter1 and on doing so my follower appeared to do the same4 ,at this ,i lost all confidence1 and made a run for it1 with my follower in hot pursuit1 as it appeared to my imagination2 and ,i did race for it 7the skin went flying in about two minutes1 and my rifle would have done the same had it not been strapped over my shoulders74 ,this ,i kept up until ,i rode into camp right among the pals cooking the evening meal4 ,the ,boers about the camp were quick in their enquiries as to my distressed condition1 and regaining confidence1 ,i was putting them off as best ,i could1 when the old boss 7an old ,boer of some sixty-eight or seventy years71 looking up from the fire1 said3 ',the white horse6 ,the ,englishman has seen the white horse4' ,this ,i denied1 but to no purpose4 ,and that night round the camp fire ,i took the trouble to make enquiries as to the antecedents of the white horse4 ,and the old ,boer1 after he had commanded silence1 began4 ,he said3 ',the ,english are not brave1 but foolish4 ,we beat them at ,majuba1 some twenty-five seasons back4 ,there was an ,englishman here like you2 he had brought a horse with him1 against our advice1 to be killed with the fly1 the same as yours will be in a day or two4 ,and he1 like you1 would go where he was told not to go2 and one day he went into a bush 7that very bush you rode through to-night71 and he shot seven elephants1 and the next day he went in to fetch the ivory1 and about night his horse came into camp riderless1 and was dead from the fly before the sun went down4 ,the ,englishman is in that bush now2 anyway1 he never came back4 ,and now anybody who ventures into that bush is chased by the white horse4 ,i wouldn't go into that bush for all the ivory in the land4 ,the ,english are not brave1 but foolish2 we beat them at ,majuba4' ,here he ran into a torrent of abuse of all ,englishmen in general1 and in particular4 ,and ,i took the opportunity of rolling myself up in my blankets for the night1 sleeping all the better for my adventure4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,stead1 ,i don't believe in ghosts1 but ,i was firmly convinced during that run of mine1 and can vouch for the accuracy of it1 not having heard a word of the ,englishman or his white horse before my headlong return to the camp that night4 ,i shortly hope to be near that bush again1 but1 like the old ,boer1 ,i can say ,i wouldn't go into that bush again for all the ivory in the land4 ,p4,s4--,a few days after we dropped across a troop of elephants without entering the fatal bush1 and managed to bag seven1 photographs of which ,i took1 and shall be pleased to send for your inspection1 if desired4 ,there can be very little doubt that the phantom the ,afrikander saw was the actual spirit of a dead horse4 ,another experience of haunting by the same animal was told me by a ,chelsea artist who assured me it was absolutely true4 ,i append it as nearly as possible in his own words4 ,heralds of ,death ,it is many years ago1 he began1 since ,i came into my property1 ,heatherleigh ,hall1 near ,carlisle1 ,cumberland4 ,it was left me by my great-uncle1 ,general ,wimpole1 whom ,i had never seen1 but who had made me his heir in preference to his other nephews1 owing to my reputed likeness to an aunt1 to whom he was greatly attached4 ,of course ,i was much envied1 and ,i dare say a good many unkind things were said about me1 but ,i did not care--,heatherleigh ,hall was mine1 and ,i had as much right to it as anyone else4 ,i came there all alone--my two brothers1 ,dick and ,hal1 the one a soldier and the other a sailor1 were both away on foreign service1 whilst ,beryl1 my one and only sister1 was staying with her fiance's family in ,bath4 ,never shall ,i forget my first impressions4 ,depict the day--an ,october afternoon4 ,the air mellow1 the leaves yellow1 and the sun a golden red4 ,not a trace of clouds or wind anywhere4 ,everything serene and still4 ,a broad highway2 a wood2 a lodge in the midst of the wood2 large iron gates2 a broad carriage drive1 planted on either side with lofty pines and elms1 whose gnarled and forked branches threw grotesque and not altogether pleasing shadows on the pale gravel4 ,at the end of the avenue1 at least a quarter of a mile long1 wide expanses of soft1 velvety grass1 interspersed at regular intervals with plots of flowers--dahlias1 michaelmas daisies--no longer in their first bloom--chrysanthemums1 etc4 ,beyond the lawn1 the house1 and beyond that again1 and on either side1 big1 old-fashioned gardens full of fruit--fruit of all kinds1 some1 such as grapes and peaches1 in monster green-houses1 and others--luscious pears1 blenheim oranges1 golden pippins1 etc4--in rich profusion in the open1 the whole encompassed by a high and solid brick wall1 topped with a bed of mortar and broken glass4 ,the house1 which was built1 or1 rather1 faced with split flints1 and edged and buttressed with cut grey stone1 had a majestic but gloomy appearance4 ,its front1 lofty and handsome1 was somewhat castellated in style1 two semicircular bows1 or half-moons1 placed at a suitable distance from each other1 rising from the base to the summit of the edifice2 these were pierced1 at every floor1 with rows of stone-mullioned windows1 rising to the height of four or five stories4 ,the flat wall between had larger windows1 lighting the great hall1 gallery1 and upper apartments4 ,these windows were abundantly ornamented with stained glass1 representing the arms1 honours1 and alms-deeds of the ,wimpole family4 ,the towers1 half included in the building1 were completely circular within1 and contained the winding stair of the mansion2 and whoso ascended them1 when the winter wind was blowing1 seemed rising by a tornado to the clouds4 ,midway between the towers was a heavy stone porch1 with a ,gothic gateway1 surmounted by a battlemented parapet1 made gable fashion1 the apex of which was garnished by a pair of dolphins1 rampant and antagonistic1 whose corkscrew tails seemed contorted by the last agonies of rage convulsed4 ,the porch doors thrown open to receive me1 led into a hall1 wide1 vaulted and lofty1 and decorated here and there with remnants of tapestry and grim portraits of the ,wimpoles4 ,one picture in particular riveted my attention4 ,hung in an obscure corner1 where the light rarely penetrated1 it represented the head and shoulders of a young man with a strikingly beautiful face--the features small and regular like those of a woman--the hair yellow and curly4 ,it was the eyes that struck me most--they followed me everywhere ,i went with a persistency that was positively alarming4 ,there was something in them ,i had never seen in canvas eyes before1 something deeper and infinitely more intricate than could be produced by mere paint--something human and yet not human1 friendly and yet not friendly2 something baffling1 enigmatical1 haunting4 ,i enquired of my deceased relative's aged housekeeper1 ,mrs4 ,grimstone--whom ,i had retained--whose portrait it was1 and she replied with a scared look1 ',horace1 youngest son of ,sir ,algernon ,wimpole1 who died here in #agde4' ',the face fascinates me1' ,i said4 ',is there any history attached to it8' ',why1 yes1 sir6' she responded1 her eyes fixed on the floor1 'but the late master never liked referring to it4' ',is it as bad as that8' ,i said1 laughing4 ',tell me6' ',well1 sir1' she began1 'they do say as how ,sir ,algernon1 who was a thorough country squire--very fond of hunting and shooting and all sorts of manly exercises--never liked ,mr4 ,horace1 who was delicate and dandified--what the folk in those days used to style a macaroni4 ,the climax came when ,mr4 ,horace took up with the ,jacobites4 ,sir ,algernon would have nothing more to do with him then and turned him adrift4 ,one day there was a great commotion in the neighbourhood1 the ,government troops were hunting the place in search of rebels1 and who should come galloping up the avenue with a couple of troopers in hot pursuit but ,mr4 ,horace4 ,the noise brought out ,sir ,algernon1 and he was so infuriated to think that his son was the cause of the disturbance1 a disgraceful young cub1 he called him1 that despite ,mr4 ,horace's entreaties for protection1 he ran him through with his sword4 ,it was a dreadful thing for a father to do1 and ,sir ,algernon bitterly repented it4 ,his wife1 who had been devoted to ,mr4 ,horace1 left him1 and at last1 in a fit of despondency1 he hanged himself--out there1 on one of the elms lining the avenue4 ,it is still standing4 ,ever since then they do say that the wood is haunted1 and that before the death of any member of the family ,mr4 ,horace is seen galloping along the old carriage drive4' ',pleasant1' ,i grunted4 ',and how about the house--is it haunted too8' ',i daresn't say1' she murmured4 ',some will tell you it is1 and some will tell you it isn't4' ',in which category are you included8' ,i asked4 ',well6' she said ',i have lived here happy and comfortable forty-five years the day after to-morrow1 and that speaks for itself1 don't it8' ,and with that she hobbled off and showed me the way to the dining-room4 ,what a house it was6 ,from the hall proceeded doorways and passages1 more than the ordinary memory could retain4 ,of these portals1 one at each end conducted to the tower stairs1 others1 to the reception-rooms and domestic offices4 ,in the right wing1 besides bedrooms galore1 was a lofty and spacious picture gallery2 in the left--a chapel2 for the ,wimpoles were1 formerly1 ,roman ,catholics4 ,the general fittings and furniture1 both of the hall and house in general1 were substantial1 venerable and strongly corroborative of what ,mrs4 ,grimstone hinted at--they suggested ghosts4 ,the walls1 lined with black oak panels1 or dark hangings that fluttered mysteriously each time the wind blew1 were funereal indeed2 and so high and narrow were the windows1 that little was to be discerned through them but cross-barred portions of the sky4 ,one spot in particular appealed to my nerves--and that1 a long1 vaulted stone passage leading from a morning room to the foot of the back staircase4 ,here the voice and even the footsteps echoed with a hollow1 low response1 and often when ,i have been hurrying along it--,i never dared walk slowly--,i have fancied--and maybe it was more than fancy--,i have been pursued4 ,time passed1 and from being merely used to my new environments1 ,i grew to take a pride in them1 to love them4 ,i made the acquaintance of several of my neighbours1 those ,i deemed the most desirable1 and on returning from wintering abroad1 brought home a bride1 a young ,polish girl1 who added lustre to the surroundings1 and in no small degree helped to dissipate the gloom4 ,indeed1 had it not been for the picture in the hall1 and for the twilight shadows and twilight footsteps in the stone passage1 ,i should soon have ceased to think of ghosts4 ,ghosts1 forsooth6 ,when all around me vibrated with the sounds of girlish laughter1 and the summer sunshine1 sparkling on the golden curls of my child-wife1 saw itself reflected a millionfold in the alluring depths of her azure eyes4 ,in halcyon days like these who thinks of ghosts and death8 ,and yet6 ,it is in just such times as these that hell is nearest4 ,there came a night in ,august when the air was so hot and sultry that ,i could scarcely breathe1 and unable to bear the atmosphere of the house and gardens any longer1 ,i sought the coolness of the wood4 ,olga--my wife--did not accompany me1 as she was suffering from a slight--thank ,god1 it was only slight--sunstroke4 ,it was close on midnight1 and there was a dead stillness abroad that seemed as if it must be universal--as if it enveloped the whole of nature4 ,i tried to realize ,london--to depict the ,strand and ,piccadilly1 aglow with artificial light and reverberating with the roll of countless traffic and the tread of millions of feet4 ,i failed4 ,the incongruity of such imaginings here--here amidst omnipotent silence--rendered such thoughts impossible4 ,a leaf rustled1 and its rustling sounded to my ears like the gentle closing of some giant door4 ,a twig fell1 and ,i turned sharply round1 convinced ,i should see a pile of broken debris4 ,i love all trees1 but ,i love them best by day--to me it seems that night utterly metamorphizes them--brings out in them a subtler1 darker side one would little suspect4 ,here1 in this oak1 for instance1 was an example4 ,in the morning one sees in it nought but quiet dignity1 venerable old age1 benevolence1 and1 by reason of the ample protection its branches afford from the sun1 charity and philanthropy4 ,its leaves are bright1 dainty1 pretty2 its trunk suggests nothing but a cosy and soothing retreat for students and lovers4 ,but now--see how different6 ,these great spreading1 gnarled branches are hands1 claws--monstrous and menacing2 those leaves no longer bright remind me of a hearse's plumes2 their rustling--of the rustling and switching of a pall or winding-sheet4 ,the trunk1 black1 sinuous1 towering1 is assuredly no piece of timber1 but something pulpy1 something intangible1 something antagonistic1 mystic1 devilish4 ,i turn from it and shudder4 ,then my mind reverts to the elm--the elm on which ,sir ,algernon hanged himself4 ,i remember it is not more than twenty yards from where ,i stand4 ,i stare down at the soil1 at the clumps of crested dog's-tail and stray blades of succulent darnel2 ,i force my attention on a toadstool1 whose soft and lowly head gleams sickly white in the moonbeams4 ,i glance from it to a sleeping close-capped dandelion1 from it to a thistle1 from it again to a late bush vetch1 and then1 willy-nilly1 to the accursed elm4 ,my ,god6 ,what a change4 ,it wasn't like that when ,i passed it at noon4 ,it was just an ordinary tree then1 but now1 now--and what is that--that sinister bundle--suspended from one of its curling branches8 ,a cold sweat bursts out on me1 my knees tremble1 my hair begins to rise on end4 ,swinging round1 ,i am about to rush away--blindly rush away--hither1 thither1 anywhere--anywhere out of sight of that tree and of all the hideous possibilities it promises to materialize for me4 ,i have not taken five strides1 however1 before ,i am pulled sharply up by the sounds of horse's hoofs--of hoofs on the hard gravel1 away in the distance4 ,they speedily grow nearer4 ,a horse is galloping1 galloping towards me along the broad carriage drive4 ,nearer1 nearer and nearer it comes6 ,who is it8 ,,what is it8 ,a deadly nausea seizes me1 ,i swerve1 totter1 reel1 and am only prevented from falling by the timely interference of a pine4 ,the concussion with its leviathan trunk clears my senses4 ,all my faculties become wonderfully and painfully alert4 ,i would give my very soul if it were not so--if ,i could but fall asleep or faint4 ,the sound of the hoofs is very much nearer now1 so near indeed that ,i may see the man--,heaven grant it may be only a man after all--any moment4 ,ah6 my heart gives a great sickly jerk4 ,something has shot into view4 ,there1 not fifty yards from me1 where the road curves1 and the break in the foliage overhead admits a great flood of moonlight4 ,i recognize the thing at once2 it's not a man1 it's nothing human1 it's the picture ,i know so well and dread so much1 the portrait of ,horace ,wimpole1 that hangs in the main hall--and it's mounted on a coal-black horse with wildly flying mane and foaming mouth4 ,on and on they come1 thud1 thud1 thud6 ,the man is not dressed as a rider1 but is wearing the costume in the picture--i4e4 that of a macaroni6 ,a nut6 ,more fit for a lady's seminary than a fine1 old ,english mansion4 ,something beside me rustles--rustles angrily1 and ,i know1 ,i can feel1 it is the bundle on the branch--the ghastly1 groaning1 creaking1 croaking caricature of ,sir ,algernon4 ,the horseman comes up to me--our eyes meet--,i am looking in those of a dead--of a long since dead man--my blood freezes4 ,he flashes past me--thud1 thud1 thud6 ,a bend in the road1 and he vanishes from sight4 ,but ,i can still hear him1 still hear the mad patter of his horse's hoofs as they bear him onward1 lifeless1 fleshless1 weightless1 to his ancient home4 ,god pity the souls that know no rest4 ,how ,i got back to the house ,i hardly know4 ,i believe it was with my eyes shut1 and ,i am certain ,i ran all the way4 ,about four o'clock the following afternoon ,i received a cablegram from ,malta4 ,intuition warned me to prepare for the worst4 ,its contents were unpleasantly short and pithy--',hal drowned at two o'clock this morning4--,dick4' ,two years passed--again an ,august night1 hot and oppressive as before1 and again--though surely against my will1 my better judgment1 if you like--,i visited the wood4 ,horse's hoofs just the same as before4 ,the same galloping1 the same figure1 the same ,,eyes6 the same mad1 panic-stricken flight home1 and1 early in the succeeding afternoon1 a similar cablegram--this time from ,sicily4 ',dick died at midnight4 ,dysentery4--,andrews4' ,jack ,andrews was ,dick's pal--his bosom friend4 ,so once again the phantom rider had brought its grisly message--played its ghoulish role4 ,my brothers were both dead now1 and only ,beryl remained4 ,another year sped by and the last night in ,october--a ,monday--saw me1 impelled by a fascination ,i could not resist1 once again in the wood4 ,up to a point everything happened as before4 ,as the monotonous church clock struck twelve1 from afar came the sound of hoofs4 ,nearer1 nearer1 nearer1 and then with startling abruptness the rider shot into view4 ,and now1 mixed with the awful1 indescribable terror the figure always conveyed with it1 came a feeling of intense rage and indignation4 ,should ,beryl--,beryl whom ,i loved next best to my wife--be torn from me even as ,dick and ,hal had been8 ,no6 ,ten thousand times no6 ,sooner than that ,i would risk anything4 ,a sudden inspiration1 coming maybe from the whispering leaves1 or from the elm1 or from the mysterious flickering moonbeams1 flashed through me4 ,could ,i not intercept the figures1 drive them back8 ,by doing so something told me ,beryl might be saved4 ,a terrible struggle at once took place within me1 and it was only after the most desperate efforts that ,i at length succeeded in fighting back my terror and flung myself out into the middle of the drive4 ,no words of mine can describe all ,i went through as ,i stood there anticipating the arrival of the phantoms4 ,at length they came1 right up to me2 and as1 with frantic resolution1 ,i screwed up courage to plant myself directly in their path1 and stared up into the rider's eyes1 the huge steed halted1 gave one shrill neigh1 and turning round1 galloped back again1 disappearing whither it had emerged4 ,two days afterwards ,i received a letter from my brother-in-law4 ',i have been having an awful time1' he wrote4 ',my darling ,beryl has been frightfully ill4 ,on ,monday night we gave up all hope of her recovery1 but at twelve o'clock1 when the doctor bid us prepare for the end1 the most extraordinary thing happened4 ,turning over in bed1 she distinctly called out your name1 and rallied4 ,and now1 thank ,god1 she is completely out of danger4 ,the doctor says it is the most astonishing recovery he has ever known4' 99 99 99 99 99 ,that is twenty years ago1 and ,i've not seen the phantom rider since4 ,nor do ,i fancy he will appear again1 for when ,i look into the eyes of the picture in the hall1 they are no longer wandering1 but at rest4 99 99 99 99 99 ,perhaps1 one of the most interesting accounts of the phantasm of a horse in my possession is that recorded by ,c4,e4 ,g----1 a friend of my boyhood4 ,writing to me from the ,united ,states some months ago1 he says3 ,knowing how interested you are in all cases of hauntings1 and in those relating to animal ghosts especially1 ,i am sending you an account of an 'experience' that happened to my uncle1 ,mr4 ,john ,dale1 about six months ago4 ,he was returning to his home in ,bishopstone1 near ,helena1 ,montana1 shortly after dark1 and had arrived at a particularly lonely part of the road where the trees almost meet overhead1 when his horse showed signs of restlessness4 ,it slackened down1 halted1 shivered1 whinnied1 and kept up such a series of antics1 that my uncle descended from the trap to see if anything was wrong with it4 ,he thought that1 perhaps1 it was going to have some kind of fit1 or an attack of ague1 which is not an uncommon complaint among animals in his part of the country1 and he was preparing to give it a dose of quinine1 when suddenly it reared up violently1 and before he could stop it1 was careering along the road at lightning speed4 ,my uncle was now in a pretty mess4 ,he was stranded in a forest without a lantern1 ten miles1 at least1 from home4 ,feeling too depressed to do anything1 he sat down by the roadside1 and seriously thought of remaining there till daybreak4 ,a twinge of rheumatism1 however1 reminded him the ground was little warmer than ice1 and made him realize that lying on it would be courting death4 ,consequently1 he got up1 and setting his lips grimly1 struck out in the direction of ,bishopstone4 ,at every step he took the track grew darker4 ,shadows of trees and countless other things1 for which he could see no counterpart1 crept out and rendered it almost impossible for him to tell where to tread4 ,a peculiar1 indefinable dread also began to make itself felt1 and the darkness seemed to him to assume an entirely new character4 ,he plodded on1 breaking into a jog-trot every now and then1 and whistling by way of companionship4 ,the stillness was sepulchral--he strained his ears1 but could not even catch the sound of those tiny animals that are usually heard in the thickets and furze-bushes at night2 and all his movements were exaggerated1 until their echoes seemed to reverberate through the whole forest4 ,a turn of the road brought him into view of something that made his heart throb with delight4 ,standing by the wayside was an enormous coach with four huge horses pawing the ground impatiently4 ,my uncle rushed up to the driver1 who was so enveloped in wraps1 he could not see his face1 and in a voice trembling with emotion begged for the favour of a lift--if not to ,helena itself1 as far in that direction as the coach was going4 ,the driver made no reply1 but with his hand motioned my uncle to get in4 ,the latter did not need a second bidding1 and the moment he was seated1 the vehicle started off4 ,it was a large1 roomy conveyance1 but had a stifling atmosphere about it that struck my uncle as most unpleasant2 and although he could see no one1 he intuitively felt he was not alone1 and that more than one pair of eyes were watching him4 ,the coach did not go as fast as my uncle expected1 but moved with a curious gliding motion1 and the wheels made no noise whatever4 ,this added to my uncle's apprehensions1 and he almost made up his mind to open the carriage door and jump out4 ,something1 however1 which he could not account for restrained him1 and he maintained his seat4 ,outside1 all was still profoundly dark4 ,the trees were scarcely distinguishable as deeper masses of shadow1 and were recognizable only by the resinous odour1 that1 from time to time1 sluggishly flowed in at the open window as the coach rolled on4 ,at length they overtook some other vehicle1 and for the first time for some hours my uncle heard the sound of solid wheels1 which were as welcome to him as any joy bells4 ,just as they were passing the conveyance--a small wagonette drawn by a pair of horses1 the latter took fright2 there were loud shouts and a great stampede1 and my uncle1 who leaned out of the coach window1 caught a glimpse of the vehicle dashing along ahead of them at a frightful speed4 ,the driver of the coach1 apparently totally unconcerned1 continued his journey at the same regular1 mechanical pace4 ,presently my uncle heard the sound of rushing water1 and knew they must be nearing the ,usk1 a tributary of the ,battle1 which was only five miles from his house4 ,the forest now ceased1 and they crossed the road over the bridge in a brilliant burst of moonlight4 ,about a mile or so further on the coach halted1 and1 to my uncle's surprise1 he found himself in front of a house he had no recollection of seeing before4 ,he got out1 and to his horror saw that instead of riding in a coach he had been riding in a hearse1 and that the horses had on their heads gigantic sable plumes4 ,while he was standing gazing at the extraordinary equipage1 the door of the house slowly opened1 and two figures came out carrying a small coffin1 which they placed inside the vehicle4 ,he then heard loud peals of mad1 hilarious laughter1 and coach and horses immediately vanished4 ,my uncle arrived home safely1 but the shock of what he had experienced kept him in bed for some days4 ,he learned that a phantom coach similar to the one he had ridden in had been seen in the forest twenty years previously1 and that it was supposed to be a prognostication of some great misfortune1 which supposition1 in my uncle's case at least1 proved true1 as his wife died of apoplexy a few days after this adventure4 ,yet another case of haunting by the phantasms of a horse comes to me from a gentleman in ,marseilles1 who told it me thus3-- ,it was #i p4m4 when ,i left my friend ,maitland's hotel in ,chateauborne1 and1 facing north1 set out on my way to ,liffre1 where my headquarters had been for the past fortnight4 ,liffre is in the hills1 and the road which separated it from ,chateauborne1 wild and lonely enough in daylight and when the weather is fair1 is almost untraversable in winter4 ,the night in question was ,christmas ,eve2 the snow had fallen heavily during the day1 and with the wind blowing in icy draughts from the north-east1 there was every prospect of another downfall4 ,maitland pressed me to stay in his hotel4 ',it is sheer folly1' he said1 'for you to attempt to get home in weather like this4 ,it is pitch dark1 you are not familiar with the route1 and if you don't wander off the track and tumble over a precipice1 you will walk into a snowdrift4 ,be sensible--sleep here6' ,much1 however1 as ,i should have liked to follow his counsel1 ,i did not feel justified in doing so1 as ,i had a lot of correspondence to attend to1 and ,i realized it was most necessary for me to get back to ,liffre without any further delay4 ,it was true the night was inky black2 but1 with the aid of a lamp1 ,i hadn't the slightest doubt ,i could find my way4 ,maitland bartered for a candle lantern with his host1 and armed with this1 a flagon of brandy and water and a thick stick1 ,i said good-bye to ,chateauborne4 ,a couple of hundred yards saw me beyond the outskirts of the town1 wherein ,i was the sole pedestrian1 and silence reigned supreme4 ,on and on ,i plodded1 the feeble1 yellow light of my lantern just preventing me--but only just--from wandering from the track4 ,the road1 which for the first mile or so was tolerably level1 gradually began to rise1 and1 as it did so1 ,i noticed for the first time indistinct images of gigantic1 naked trees that becoming more and more numerous1 and closer and closer together1 at length united their long and grotesquely shaped branches overhead1 and ,i found myself in the depths of a vast forest4 ,the snow1 which had up to the present held off1 now recommenced to fall1 and presently the wind1 which had for some time been slowly acquiring strength1 came howling through the trees with the utmost fury1 the first blast swishing the lantern out of my hands and hurling me with considerable force into an undergrowth of thorns and brambles1 out of which ,i extricated myself with no little difficulty4 ,i was now in the sorriest of plights--enveloped on all sides in ,stygian darkness ,i was unable to discover my lantern1 and was thus totally at the mercy of the ruthless elements4 ,there were only two courses before me--either ,i must remain where ,i was and be frozen to death1 or1 making a guess at the route1 ,i must push on ahead and run the risk of ending my life at the bottom of a ravine4 ,i chose the latter4 ,groping about with my feet1 until ,i at length discovered what ,i thought must be the right track1 ,i pushed ahead1 and1 staggering and stumbling forward1 managed to make some sort of progress1 terribly slow though it was4 ,the blinding darkness of the snowy night1 the intense silence and utter solitude of the place1 combined with the knowledge that on all sides of me lay holes and chasms1 dampened my spirits and raised strange phantoms in my imagination4 ,the wind now rose1 and the dismal sighing of the trees speedily grew into a series of the most perturbing screeches1 as the branches and trunks swayed to and fro like reeds before the violence of the hurricane4 ,at this juncture ,i gave myself up for lost1 and1 coming to a standstill up to my knees in snow1 was preparing to lie down and die1 when1 to my great joy1 a light suddenly appeared ahead of me1 and the next moment a man1 mounted on a big white horse1 rode noiselessly up to me4 ,he was wrapped in a shaggy great-coat1 and a slouch hat worn low over his eyes completely hid his face from me4 ,in his disengaged hand he carried a lantern4 ',by ,jove6' ,i exclaimed1 ',i am glad to see you1 for ,i've lost the track to ,liffre4 ,can you tell me1 or1 better still1 show me1 the way to some house where ,i can put up for the remainder of the night8' ,the stranger made no reply1 but bidding me follow with a wave of his hand1 rode silently in front of me1 and although ,i tried to keep up with him1 ,i could not2 and the odd thing was1 that without apparently increasing his pace1 he always maintained his distance4 ,after proceeding in this manner for possibly ten minutes1 we suddenly turned to the left1 and ,i found myself in a big clearing in the wood1 with a long1 low-built house opposite me4 ,my guide then paused1 and indicating the front door of the house with an emphatic gesture of his hand1 seemed suddenly to melt away into thin air1 for although ,i peered about me on all sides to try to find some indications of him1 neither he nor his horse was anywhere to be seen4 ,thinking this was rather queer1 but quite ready to attribute it to natural causes1 ,i approached the building1 and1 making use of my knuckles in lieu of a knocker1 beat a loud tattoo on the woodwork4 ,there was no response4 ,again ,i rapped1 and the door slowly opening revealed a pair of gleaming1 dark eyes4 ',what do you want8' enquired a harsh voice in barbarous accents4 ',a night's lodging1' ,i replied2 'and ,i'm willing to pay a good price for it1 for ,i'm more than half frozen4' ,at this the door opened wider1 and ,i found myself confronted by a woman with a candle4 ,she had not the most prepossessing of expressions1 though her hair1 eyes and features were decidedly good4 ,she was dressed with tawdry smartness--earrings1 necklace1 and rings1 and very high-heeled buckle shoes4 ,indeed1 her costume was so out of keeping with the rusticity of her surroundings as to be quite extraordinary4 ,this fact struck me at once1 as did her fingers1 which1 though spatulate and ugly1 had been manicured1 and of course very much over-manicured1 for effect4 ,had this not been the case1 ,i probably should not have noticed them4 ,but the unnatural gloss on them1 exaggerated by the candlelight1 made me look1 and ,i was at once impressed with the criminal formation of the fingers--the club-shaped ends denoted something very bad--something homicidal--and as my eyes wandered from the hands to the face1 ,i saw with a thrill of horror that the ears were set low down and far back on the head1 and that the eyes gleamed with the sinister glitter of the wolf4 ,still1 ,i must take my chance--the woman or the wood--it had to be one of the two4 ',if you'll step inside1 monsieur1' she said1 ',i'll see what can be done for you4 ,we have only recently come here1 and the house is anyhow at present4 ,still1 if you don't mind roughing it a little1 we can let you have a bed1 and you can rely upon me that it is clean and well-aired4' ,i followed her eagerly1 and she led me down a narrow passage into a big room with a low ceiling1 traversed with a ponderous oak beam1 blackened with the smoke of endless peat fires4 ,before the blazing faggots on the hearth sat a burly-looking individual in a blue blouse4 ,on our arrival he arose1 and as his huge form towered above me1 ,i thought ,i had never seen anyone quite so hideous1 nor so utterly unlike the orthodox ,frenchman4 ,obeying his injunction--for ,i can scarcely call it an invitation--to sit down1 ,i took a seat by the fire1 and warming my half-frozen limbs1 waited impatiently whilst the woman made up my bed and prepared supper4 ,the storm had now reached cyclonic dimensions1 and under its stupendous fury the whole house--stoutly built though it was--swayed on its foundations4 ,the howling of the wind in the rude1 old-fashioned chimney and along the passage1 and the frenzied beating of the snow against the diamond window-panes1 deadened all other noises1 and rendered any attempt at conversation absolutely abortive4 ,so ,i ate my meal in silence1 pretending not to notice the subtle interchange of glances that constantly took place between the strangely assorted pair4 ,whether they were husband and wife1 what the man did for a living1 were questions that continually occurred to me1 and ,i found my eyes incessantly wandering to the numerous packing-cases1 piles of carpets1 casks and other articles1 which corroborated the woman's statement that they had but recently 'moved in4' ,once ,i attempted to empty the coffee 7which was black and peculiarly bitter7 under the table1 but had to desist1 as ,i saw the man's devilish eyes fixed searchingly on me4 ,i then pushed aside the cup1 and on the woman asking if it was not to my liking1 ,i shouted out that ,i was not in the least thirsty4 ,after this incident the covert looks became more numerous1 and my suspicions increased accordingly4 ,at the first opportunity ,i got up1 and signalling my intention to go to bed1 was preparing to leave my seat1 when my host1 walking to a cupboard1 fetched out a bottle of cognac1 and pouring out a tumbler1 handed it me with a mien that ,i dare not refuse4 ,the woman then led me up a flight of rickety1 wooden steps and into a sepulchral-looking chamber with no other furniture in it save a long1 narrow1 iron bedstead1 a dilapidated washstand1 a very unsteady1 common deal table1 on which was a looking-glass and a collar stud1 and a rush-bottomed chair4 ,setting the candlestick on the dressing-table1 and assuring me again that the bed was well aired1 my hostess withdrew1 observing as she left the room that she would get me a nice breakfast and call me at seven4 ,at seven6 ,how ,i wished it was seven now6 ,as ,i stood in the midst of the floor shivering--for the room was icy cold1 ,i suddenly saw a dark shadow emerge from a remote corner of the room and slide surreptitiously towards the door1 where it halted4 ,my eyes then fell on the lock1 and ,i perceived that there was no key4 ,no key6 ,and that evil-looking pair below6 ,i must barricade the door somehow4 ,yet with what8 ,there was nothing of any weight in the room6 ,nothing6 ,i began to feel horribly tired and sleepy--so sleepy that it was only with supreme effort ,i could prevent my eyelids closing4 ,ah6 ,i had it--a wedge6 ,i had a knife4 ,of wood there was plenty--a piece off the washstand1 table1 or chair4 ,anything would suffice4 ,i essayed to struggle to the chair1 my limbs tottered1 my eyelids closed4 ,then the shadow from the doorway moved towards and ,,through me1 and with the coldness of its passage ,i revived6 ,with desperate energy ,i cut a couple of chunks off the washstand1 and paring them down1 eventually succeeded in slipping them in the crack of the door1 and rendering it impossible to open from the outside4 ,that done1 ,i staggered to the bed1 and falling1 dressed as ,i was1 on the counterpane1 sank into a deep sleep4 ,how long ,i slept ,i cannot say4 ,i suddenly heard the loud neighing of a horse which seemed to come from just under my window1 and1 as in a vision1 saw by my side in the bed a something which gradually developed into the figure of a man1 the counterpart of the mysterious being in the shaggy coat who had guided me to the house4 ,he was fully dressed1 sound asleep and breathing heavily4 ,as ,i was looking a dark shadow fell across the sleeper's face1 and on glancing up ,i perceived1 to my horror1 a black something crawling on the floor4 ,nearer and nearer it came1 until it reached the side of the bed1 when ,i immediately recognized the evil1 smirking face of my hostess4 ,in one hand she held a lamp and in the other a horn-handled knife4 ,setting the lamp on the floor1 she coolly undid the collar of the sleeping man1 and ,i saw a stud1 the counterpart of the one on the dressing-table1 fall on the bare boards with a sharp tap1 and disappear in the surrounding darkness4 ,then the woman felt the edge of the knife with her repulsive thumb1 and calmly cut the helpless man's throat4 ,i screamed--and the murderess and her victim instantly vanished--and ,i realized ,i was alone in the room and very much awake4 ,whether all that had occurred was a dream1 ,i cannot say with certainty1 though ,i am inclined to think not4 ,for some minutes my heart pulsated painfully1 and then as the sound of its throbbing grew fainter and fainter1 ,i heard a curious noise outside my room--someone was ascending the stairs4 ,i endeavoured to rise1 but could not--fear1 an awful1 ungovernable fear1 held me spellbound4 ,the steps paused outside the door1 the handle of which was gently turned4 ,then there was a suggestive silence1 then whispering1 then another turning of the handle1 and then--my state of coma abruptly ended1 and ,i stepped noiselessly out of bed and crept to the window4 ,i was heard4 ',stop him1' the woman cried out1 'he's trying to escape4 ,use the gun4' ,she hurled herself against the door as she spoke1 whilst the man tore downstairs4 ,it was now a matter of seconds1 the slightest accident1 a hesitation1 and ,i was lost4 ,swinging open the window1 ,i scrambled on the ledge1 and without the slightest idea of the distance--dropped6 ,there was a brief rushing through air and ,i alighted--safe and sound--on the snow4 ,blessed snow6 ,had it not been for the snow ,i should in all probability have hurt myself6 ,i alighted not an instant too soon1 for hardly had ,i touched the ground before my gigantic host came tearing round the angle of the wall with a lantern in one hand and gun in the other4 ,i immediately dashed away1 and1 thanks to the intense darkness of the morning--for it must have been two o'clock--had no difficulty in evading my pursuer1 who fired twice in rapid succession4 ,on and on ,i went1 sometimes falling up to my armpits in the snowdrift1 and sometimes stunning myself against a low-hanging branch of a tree4 ,with the first rays of sunlight1 however1 my troubles came to an end4 ,the snow had ceased falling1 and ,i quickly alighted on a track1 which brought me to a village1 whence ,i obtained a conveyance into ,liffre4 ,i reported the affair to the local police1 and a party of gendarmes at once set off to arrest the miscreants4 ,but1 alas1 they had fled4 ,the house was pulled down1 and1 on the soil being excavated1 a dozen or more skeletons of men and women--all showing unmistakable signs of foul play--together with the remains of a horse1 were found in various parts of the premises4 ,the place was a veritable ,golgotha4 ,i suppose the phantom horse and rider had appeared to me with the sole purpose of making their fate known4 ,if so1 they at all events partly achieved their end1 though the mystery surrounding their identity was never solved4 ,all the remains1 both human and animal1 were removed elsewhere1 and accorded a decent burial4 ,the site of their original interment1 however1 is1 ,i believe1 still haunted1 and maybe will remain so till the miscreants are brought to book4 ,brief ,summary ,after a little consideration ,i am inclined to think there are quite as many authentic cases of hauntings by the phantasms of horses as by the phantasms of cats and dogs4 ,innumerable horses die unnatural deaths4 ,apart from those killed in war1 many1--more particularly1 it is true1 in the olden times1--have been murdered in the highways along with their masters2 whilst all but the comparative few1 when no longer of use to their owners1 are butchered in the slaughter-house1 and subsequently despatched to the ,zoological ,gardens1 to be eaten by lions and tigers4 ,so much for ,christianity1 and for man's gratitude4 ,how much better would the promoters of the ,white ,slave ,traffic ,act be employed1 if1--instead of trying to pass a bill which obviously cannot cure the evil it aims at1 but can only1 by diverting the course of that evil1 drive from pillar to post thousands of defenceless1 albeit erring women1--they were to labour to secure a peaceful ending for our four-footed toilers1 who work for us all their lives1 never strike1 never think of a pension for old age1 and never even dream of a vote4 ,alas6 ,if only our poor horses could vote1 what a different attitude would our pharisaical politicians at once adopt towards them6 ,phantasms of ,living ,horses ,from what ,i have experienced and have been told1 ,i am of the opinion that horses possess the same faculty of separating their immaterial from their material bodies1 as cats and dogs4 ,i knew a ,virginian lady who had a piebald horse that frequently appeared simultaneously in two places4 ,she lived in an old country house near ,winchfield1 and one morning when she went into the breakfast-room1 she was surprised to see the piebald horse standing on the gravel path1 outside the window1 looking in at her4 ,when she called it by name1 it immediately melted into fine air4 ,going round to the stables she found the horse in its stall1 and on enquiry was informed that it had been there all the time4 ,the same thing frequently occurred1 other members of the household besides herself witnessing it1 and so like1 in all its details1 was the immaterial horse to the material1 that they were often at a loss to tell which was which4 ,the phenomenon sometimes occurring when the real horse was awake1 and sometimes when it was asleep1 proves that the animal possessed the faculty of projecting its spiritual ego--astral body1 or whatever you like to call it--both consciously and unconsciously4 ,i know of many similar instances4 ,horses and the ,psychic ,faculty of ,scent ,horses1 in a rather less degree than cats1 and in much the same degree as dogs1 possess the property of scenting the advent and presence of spirits4 ,on more than one occasion1 when ,i have been riding after dusk1 my horse has suddenly come to an abrupt halt and shown unmistakable signs of terror4 ,i have not been able to see anything to account for its conduct1 but on subsequent enquiry have learned1 either that a tragedy was actually known to have taken place there1 or that the spot had long borne a reputation for being haunted4 ,and my experiences are the experiences of countless other people4 ,before a death a horse will often neigh repeatedly outside the house of the doomed person1 and not infrequently show evidences of terror in passing close to it1 from which ,i deduce the horse can at all events scent the proximity of the phantom of death4 ,like the dog1 however1 ,i think it only possesses this peculiar psychic property in a limited degree4 ,it can1 for example1 readily detect the whereabouts of phantasms haunting localities1 but not so easily those haunting people4 ,it shows little or no discrimination on sight1 between cruel and brutal people and those who are kind1 giving the same amount of passing space to the one as it does to the other4 ,yet1 on the other hand1 ,i have watched horses at night1 standing in the fields1 their heads thrown back1 a transfixed1 far-off expression in their eyes1 sniffing the atmosphere--and snuffling it in a manner that strongly suggested to me they were carrying on1 by means of some silent1 secret code1 a conversation with some superphysical presence1 which they either saw or scented1 very likely both4 ,scent1 ,i am convinced1 is the medium of conversation1 not only between superphysical animals1 but between material animals1 and if we ever wish to converse with spirits we must employ cats1 dogs1 and horses to teach us4 ,phantom ,coaches ,there are few parts of the ,british ,isles--few countries in ,europe--which have not their phantom coaches4 ,perhaps the most famous are those that haunt a road near ,newport1 ,south ,wales1 and an old highway in ,devon4 ,a ,spectre ,coach and ,horses in ,pembrokeshire ,miss ,mary ,l4 ,lewes1 in an article called ,some ,more ,welsh ,ghosts1 that appeared in the ,occult ,review for ,december1 #aijg1 writes thus3-- ,in common with several other districts in ,great ,britain and ,ireland1 ,pembrokeshire possesses a good 'phantom coach' legend1 localized in the southern part of the county1 at a place where four roads meet1 called ,sampson ,cross4 ,in old days the belated farmer driving home in his gig from market was apt to cast a nervous glance over his shoulder as his pony slowly climbed the last pitch leading up to the ,cross4 ,for tradition says that every night a certain ,lady ,z4 7who lived in the seventeenth century1 and whose monument is in the church close by7 drives over from ,tenby1 ten miles distant1 in a coach drawn by headless horses1 guided by a headless coachman4 ,she also has no head1 and arriving by midnight at ,sampson ,cross1 the whole equipage is said to disappear in a flame of fire1 with a loud noise of explosion4 ,miss ,mary ,l4 ,lewes goes on to add3-- ,a clergyman living in the immediate neighbourhood1 who told the writer the story1 said that some people believed the ghostly traveller had been safely 'laid' many years ago in the waters of the lake not far off4 ,he added1 however that might be1 it was an odd fact that his sedate and elderly cob1 when driven home past the ,cross after nightfall1 would invariably start as if frightened there1 a thing which never happened by daylight4 ,what these kinds of spectral horses are no one can say4 ,at the most--despite what theosophists and occultists may declare to the contrary--one can only theorize--and the speculations of one person1 be he who he may1 seem to me to be of no more consequence than those of another4 ,for my own part ,i am inclined to think that whereas1 in some cases1 the ghostly coach horses are the phantoms of horses that were killed on the highways1 in others they are either ,vice-,elementals1 or ,elementals whose particular function it is to prognosticate death1--either the death of those who see them1 or the death of someone connected with those who see them4 ,a ,phantom ,horse and ,policeman ,according to one of my correspondents1 ,mr4 ,t---- ,p----1 a comparatively modern phantom rider has been seen in ,canada4 ,writing to me from ,c----1 where he lives1 he says3 ,it is stated that this town is periodically haunted by the phantom of a tall1 fair policeman mounted on a white horse and clothed in the uniform of the 'forties--namely1 tail coat1 tight trousers1 and tall hat4 ,his 'phantom' beat extends from a gateway at the commencement of ,cod ,hill1 along the ,park side of ,pablo ,street to ,sutton ,street1 and ,adam ,street1 down ,dane ,street1 and back1 through ,pablo ,street1 to the gateway on ,cod ,hill4 ,a gentleman well known in the art world1 who1 in order to avoid publicity1 wishes to be designated ,mr4 ,bates1 gave me his experience of the phenomena as follows3-- ,yes1 ,i have seen the ghostly policeman and his milk-white horse4 ,i was walking along ,pablo ,street on the ,park side1 one grey afternoon in ,november1 with the express intention of meeting a friend at my ,club in ,royal ,street1 when to my surprise1 just as ,i was about a hundred yards from the gateway on ,cod ,hill1 ,i was overtaken by a tall1 fair-haired man1 riding a white horse4 ,he was so dressed that ,i stared in astonishment4 ,he was wearing the costume of seventy or eighty years ago1 and reminded me of the policemen in ,cruikshank's illustrations of ,dickens4 ,i was not frightened1 because ,i thought he must be someone masquerading2 and1 in my curiosity to see his face1 ,i hastened my steps to overtake him4 ,i failed2 for although he appeared to be riding slowly1 hardly moving at all1 ,i could not draw an inch nearer to him4 ,this made me think1 and ,i examined him more critically4 ,then ,i noticed several things about him1 that1 at first1 had escaped my notice4 ,they were these3 7one7 that although he was mounted he was wearing walking clothes--he had on long trousers and thick1 clumsy boots2 7two7 that his ears and neck were perfectly colourless1 of an unnatural and startling white2 7three7 that despite the incongruity of his attire1 no one but myself seemed to see him4 ,on he rode1 neither looking to the left nor to the right1 until he came to ,sutton ,street1 when1 without paying the slightest attention to the traffic1 he began to cross over4 ,there were crowds of vehicles passing at the time1 and one of them rushed right on him4 ,making sure he would be killed1 ,i uttered an ejaculation of horror4 ,judge1 then1 of my amazement1 when1 instead of seeing him lying on the ground1 crushed out of all shape1 ,i saw him still riding on1 as leisurely and unconcernedly as if he had been on a country road4 ,,the ,,vehicle ,,had ,,passed ,,right ,,through ,,him4 ,though ,i had hitherto scoffed at ghosts1 ,i was now certain ,i had seen one1 and suddenly becoming conscious how very cold it was1 ,i tore on1 not feeling at all comfortable till ,i had reached the warm1 cheery1 and thoroughly material quarters of my ,club4 ,to corroborate the evidence of ,mr4 ,bates1 ,i append a narrative given me verbally by ,miss ,hartly1 who1 like ,mr4 ,bates1 had1 up to the time of her experience1 posed as a pronounced and somewhat bitter sceptic4 ,she was an emphatic freethinker1 and had then no belief whatsoever in a future life4 ,now she believes a sight more than most people4 ,one afternoon1 in ,february1 #aiaa1 she stated1 just as twilight was commencing1 ,i left the ,park1 where ,i had been exercising my dog1 and turning into ,pablo ,street1 made for ,bright ,street4 ,at the corner of ,wolf ,street ,i saw something so strange that ,i involuntarily halted4 ,riding slowly along on a big white horse1 a few paces ahead of me1 was an enormous policeman in the quaint attire of the 'forties--top hat1 tail coat1 tight trousers1 just as ,i had so often seen portrayed in old books4 ,he was riding stiffly1 as if unaccustomed to the saddle1 and kept looking rigidly in front of him4 ,thinking it was someone doing it either for a joke or a wager1 ,i was greatly tickled1 and kept saying to myself1 ',well1 you are a sport1 an ,a#a sport4' ,i tried to catch him up1 to see how he made up his face1 but could not1 for although the horse never seemed to quicken its pace--a mere crawl--and ,i ran1 it nevertheless maintained precisely the same distance in front of me4 ,when we had progressed in this fashion some hundred or so yards1 ,i perceived a ,city policeman advancing towards us4 ',come1 now1' ,i said to myself1 'we shall see some fun--the #aiaa copper meeting the peeler of #ahdj4 ,i wonder what he will think of him4' ,to my intense astonishment1 however1 neither even as much as gave the other a fleeting glance1 but passed by unmoved1 and1 to all appearance1 wholly unconscious of each other4 ,a few yards further1 ,i espied a negro looking intently in a store window4 ,just as the strange policeman came up to him1 he gave a violent start1 turned round and stared at him1 gasped1 his cheeks ashy pale1 his eyes bulging1 made some exclamation ,i could not catch1 and1 dashing past me1 fled4 ,then1 and not till then1 did ,i begin to feel funny4 ,further on still we came to a crossing4 ,a carriage and pair with a coronet on the panels of the door was standing waiting4 ,directly the policeman approached1 both the horses reared so violently1 they all but threw the coachman off the box4 ,one of the men cried out1 ',heavens1 ,bill1 what's that8' ,but the other and older of the two1 who was clinging to the reins with all his might1 merely swore4 ,convinced now that ,i was on the trail of something not human--something in all probability superphysical1 and1 impelled by a fascination ,i could not resist1 ,i followed4 ,at the top of ,wolf ,street the policeman paused1 then crossing slowly over1 turned into ,dane ,street1 down which he continued to ride with the same mechanical and automatic tread4 ,at length1 when within a few feet of a certain shop1 over which is a flat that has long borne a reputation for being haunted1 the horse came to a dead halt1 and horse and rider1 veering slowly round1 looked at me4 ,what ,i saw ,i shall never forget4 ,i saw the faces of the ,,dead--the ,,long ,,since dead4 ,for some moments they confronted me1 and then--vanished1 vanished where they stood4 ,i saw them again1 under precisely the same conditions1 two days later1 and ,i have seen them once since4 ,i am not an imaginative or highly-strung person1 but am1 on the contrary1 exceedingly practical and matter-of-fact1 no better proof of which ,i can give than this fact--,i am engaged to be married to a ,quebec solicitor6 ,an ,irish ,haunting ,mr4 ,reginald ,b4 ,span1 in a most interesting article called ,some ,glimpses of the ,unseen1 that appeared in the ,occult ,review for ,february1 #aijf1 writes as follows3-- ,another strange incident1 which also occurred in ,ireland1 was told me by a coachman in my cousin's employ at ,kilpeacon1 near ,limerick4 ,this man had previously been a park-keeper to ,lord ,doneraile in ,co4 ,cork4 ,one bright moonlight night1 he was coming across ,lord ,doneraile's park1 having been round to see that the gates were shut1 when his attention was drawn to the distant baying of hounds1 and he stopped to listen1 as the sounds seemed to proceed from within the park walls1 and he knew there were no hounds kept on the estate4 ,his young son was with him1 and also heard the noise1 which was getting louder and clearer1 and was evidently moving rapidly in their direction4 ,his first idea was that a pack of hounds which were kept in the hunting kennels a few miles away1 had escaped and had somehow got into the park1 although he had seen that the gates were closed1 and there was really no way by which they could have entered4 ,the baying of hounds1 as if in 'full cry1' sounded closer and closer1 and suddenly1 out of the shadow of some trees1 a number of foxhounds1 running at full speed1 appeared in the clear light of the moon4 ,they raced past the amazed spectators 7a whole pack of them71 followed closely by an elderly man on a large horse4 ,although they came very near1 no sound could be heard but the baying of one or two of the hounds4 ,the galloping of the horse was not heard at all4 ,they swung across the grass at a tremendous pace1 and were lost to view round the end of a plantation4 ,the park-keeper knew that all the gates were shut1 and that it would be impossible for a pack of hounds to pass out1 and he thought the mystery might be solved the next day4 ,however1 it never was explained--by any natural cause4 ,no hounds or horseman had been in the park4 ,the mansion was closed1 ,lord ,doneraile being away1 and no one had the right of entering the grounds within the park walls4 ,he heard later that there was a story in the neighbourhood about 'the ghost' of a former ,lord ,doneraile 'haunting' the park--and possibly the spectral horseman was he4 ,i questioned the man and his son closely about it1 and am convinced they were not deceived by hallucination1 and that their account is perfectly true4 ,to this account ,mr4 ,span adds this note3-- ,the apparition of hounds and huntsman was witnessed on an estate belonging to ,lord ,doneraile1 in the ,south of ,ireland 7,doneraile ,park72 the man who told me the incident was coachman in the service of my cousin1 near ,limerick4 ,his young son confirmed his father's account1 as he also saw it4 ,yours faithfully1 ,,reginald ,b4 ,,span4 ,to throw additional light on the matter ,mr4 ,ralph ,shirley1 editor of the ,occult ,review1 published the following letter1 written to him by ,lord ,doneraile3-- ,,dear ,,shirley1 ,it is rather a curious thing that neither ,lady ,castletown nor ,lady ,doneraile has ever heard of the story of the moonlight vision of ,lord ,doneraile and the pack of hounds4 ,however1 there is a man at ,doneraile called ,jones1 a chemist1 who is a most enthusiastic antiquarian and a dabbler in the occult sciences1 and he takes the greatest interest in all that concerns the ,st4 ,legers4 ,lady ,castletown wrote to him1 and the reply comes from his brother 7,i suppose he is away71 and that ,i send you4 ,lady ,doneraile says it must refer to the third ,lord ,doneraile of the first creation1 who was killed in a duel afterwards2 and there appear to be a lot of stories which ,jones has ferreted out or been told4 ,of course1 ,i don't know how far you could say ,jones was authentic4 ,all ,i can say is that he believes the things himself4 ,yours sincerely1 ,,doneraile4 ,dec4 #bg1 #aije4 ,i should explain1 adds ,mr4 ,shirley1 that ,lady ,castletown is daughter to the late ,lord ,doneraile1 and present owner of ,doneraile ,house4 ,here follows the enclosure1 i4e4 the extract made by ,walter ,a4 ,jones1 ,doneraile1 from his ,,ms4 notes on the ,legends of ,peasantry in connection with ,doneraile branch of the ,st4 ,leger family4 ,dated ,december #ba1 #aije4 ,i have heard1 so it runs1 the following story respecting the ,lord ,doneraile1 who pursues the chase from ,ballydineen through ,gloun-na-goth ,wilkinson's ,lawn1 through ,byblox1 across the ford of ,shanagh aha ,keel-ahboobleen into ,waskin's ,glen into the old ,deer ,park at ,old ,court1 thence into the ,horse ,close1 and from thence into the park4 ,he appears to take particular delight in ,wilkinson's ,lawn according to tradition1 for it was there that the noble stag was lost sight of1 and of course it was there he was most searched for4 ,it was only last autumn that two gentlemen were going to a fair1 as ,i heard1 and leading a very fine horse behind the trap4 ,the night being fine and moonlight1 they stopped at the iron gate there to light their pipes1 when a gentleman dressed in old style1 with buckskin leggings1 walked through the iron gate1 though closed1 and patted the led horse on the neck4 ,they both agreed that he was most like to gentlemen of the ,st4 ,leger family whom they had known4 ,the ,radiant ,boy also appears here1 and for years in the early part of last century no one would pass there after nightfall4 ,the ,lord ,doneraile1 who is believed by the peasantry to stand under ,lord ,doneraile's ,oak1 it has been told me positively1 was third ,viscount4 ,there is an old man called ,reardon here now who saw a gentleman riding a powerful black horse along ,lord ,doneraile's route in the middle of the day1 and his sister who was with him failed to see the horseman1 though her brother had to pull her out of his way4 ,i went up to ,saffron ,hill last winter to see the ostrich-like ghost which is there1 and ,i heard a great sweep as of hounds and horses going past me4 ,paddy ,shea1 late herd to ,lord ,doneraile1 also would swear he saw the phantom ,lord ,doneraile pursuing the chase often4 ,i have heard that ,james ,mullaine also saw him in ,wilkinson's ,lawn1 but have not any further proof4 ,it is very few people will admit having seen these things4 ,george ,buckley1 present keeper of the ,doneraile ,park1 got a great fright one night which might have been from the same cause4 ,in this case it seems more than likely the huntsman1 horse and hounds were all bona fide phantasms of the dead4 ,wild ,darrell ,littlecote1 as everyone knows1 is haunted by the spirits of the notorious ,wild ,will ,darrell and the horse he invariably rode1 and which eventually broke his neck4 ,but there are many ,wild ,darrells2 all ,europe is overrun by them4 ,they nightly tear1 on their phantom horses1 over the ,german and ,norwegian forests and moor-lands that echo and re-echo with their hoarse shouts and the mournful baying of their grisly hounds4 ,many travellers in ,russia and ,germany journeying through the forests at night have caught the sound of wails1--of moans that1 starting from the far distance1 have gradually come nearer and nearer4 ,then they have heard the winding of a horn1 the shouting and cursing of the huntsman1 and in a biting cold wind have seen the whole cavalcade sweep by4 ,according to various authorities on the subject this spectral chase goes by different names4 ,in ,thuringia and elsewhere1 it is ,hakelnberg or ,hackelnbarend1--the story being that ,hakelnberg1 a ,german knight1 who had devoted his whole life to the chase1 on his death-bed had told the officiating priest that he cared not a jot for heaven1 but only for hunting2 the priest losing patience and exclaiming1 ,then hunt till ,doomsday4 ,so1 in all weathers1 in snow and ice1 ,hakelnberg1 his horse and hounds1 are seen careering after imaginary game4 ,there are similar stories current in the ,netherlands1 ,denmark1 ,russia1 and practically all over ,europe1 and not only ,europe1 but in many of the states and departments of the ,new ,world4 ,this being so1 ,i think there must be a substantial substratum of truth underlying the beliefs1 phantastic as they may appear1 and yet1 are no more phantastic than many of the stories we are asked to give absolute credence to in the ,bible4 ,in ,old ,castile the spirit of a ,moorish leader who won many victories over the ,spaniards1 and was drowned by reason of his heavy armour in a swamp of the ,river ,duero1 still haunts his burial-place1 a piece of marshy ground1 near ,burgos4 ,there1 weird noises1 such as the winding of a huntsman's horn and the neighing of a horse1 are heard1 and the phantasm of the dead ,moor is seen mounted on a white horse followed by twelve huge1 black hounds4 ,in ,sweden many of the peasants say1 when a noise like that of a coach and horses is heard rumbling past in the dead of night1 ,it is the ,white ,rider1 whilst in ,norway they say of the same sounds1 ,it is the hunt of the ,devil and his four horses4 ,in ,saxony the rider is believed to be ,barbarossa1 the celebrated hero of olden days4 ,near ,fontainebleau1 ,hugh ,capet is stated to ride a gigantic sable horse to the palace1 where he hunted before the assassination of ,henry ,,iv2 and in the ,landes the rider is thought to be ,judas ,iscariot4 ,in other parts of ,france the wild huntsman is known as ,harlequin or ,henequin1 and in some parts of ,brittany he is ,herod in pursuit of the ,holy ,innocents4 7,alas1 that no such ,herod visits ,london6 ,how welcome would he be1 were he only to flout a few of the brawling brats who1 allowed to go anywhere they please1 make an inferno of every road they choose to play in47 ,here my notes on horses end2 and although the evidence ,i have offered may have failed to convince many1 ,i myself am fully satisfied that these noble and indispensable animals do not terminate their existence in this world1 but pass on to another1 and1 let us all sincerely hope1 far happier1 plane4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,bulls1 ,,cows1 ,,pigs1 ,,etc4 ,from the ,hebrides there comes to me a case of the phantasm of a black bull1 that1 on certain nights in the year1 is heard bellowing inside the shed where it was killed4 ,there are many accounts of ghostly cows heard mooing in the moors and bog-lands of ,scotland and ,ireland respectively1 and not a few cases of whole herds of phantom cattle seen1 gliding along1 one behind the other1 with silent1 noiseless tread4 ,though ,i have never had the opportunity of experimenting with cows to see if they are sensitive to the superphysical1 ,i see no reason why they should not be1 and ,i feel quite certain they will participate in the future life4 ,apropos of pigs1 ,mr4 ,dyer1 in his ,ghost ,world1 says1 ,another form of spectre animal is the kirk-grim1 which is believed to haunt many churches4 ,sometimes it is a pig1 sometimes a horse1 the haunting spectre being the spirit of an animal buried alive in the churchyard for the purpose of scaring away the sacrilegious4 ,mr4 ,dyer goes on to say that it was the custom of the old ,christian churches to bury a lamb under the altar2 and that if anyone entered a church out of service time and happened to see a little lamb spring across the choir and vanish1 it was a sure prognostication of the death of some child2 and if this apparition was seen by the grave-digger the death would take place immediately4 ,mr4 ,dyer also tells us that the ,danish kirk-grim was thought to hide itself in the tower of a church in preference to any other place1 and that it was thought to protect the sacred buildings4 ,according to the same writer1 in the streets of ,kroskjoberg1 a grave sow1 or1 as it was called1 a gray-sow1 was frequently seen1 and it was said to be the apparition of a sow formerly buried alive2 its appearance foretelling death or calamity4 ,phantasm of a ,goat ,mrs4 ,crowe1 in her ,night ,side of ,nature1 relates one case of a house near ,philadelphia1 ,u4,s4,a41 that was haunted by a variety of phenomena1 among others that of a spectre resembling a goat4 ,other extraordinary things happened in the house1 she writes1 which had the reputation of being haunted1 although the son had not believed it1 and had thereupon not mentioned the report to the father4 ,one day the children said they had been running after 'such a queer thing in the cellar2 it was like a goat1 and not like a goat1 but it seemed to be like a shadow4' ,this explanation does not appear to be very satisfactory1 but as ,i have heard of one or two other cases of premises being haunted by what1 undoubtedly1 were the phantasms of goats1 ,i think it highly probable it was the ghost of a goat in this instance1 too4 ,the ,phantom ,pigs of the ,chiltern ,hills ,a good many years ago there was a story current of an extraordinary haunting by a herd of pigs4 ,the chief authority on the subject was a farmer1 who was an eye-witness of the phenomena4 ,i will call him ,mr4 ,b4 ,mr4 ,b41 as a boy1 lived in a small house called the ,moat ,grange1 which was situated in a very lonely spot near four cross-roads1 connecting four towns4 ,the house1 deriving its name from the fact that a moat surrounded it1 stood near the meeting point of the four roads1 which was the site of a gibbet1 the bodies of the criminals being buried in the moat4 ,well1 the ,b----s had not been living long on the farm1 before they were awakened one night by hearing the most dreadful noises1 partly human and partly animal1 seemingly proceeding from a neighbouring spinney1 and on going to a long front window overlooking the cross-roads1 they saw a number of spotted creatures like pigs1 screaming1 fighting and tearing up the soil on the site of the criminals' cemetery4 ,the sight was so unexpected and alarming that the ,b----s were appalled1 and ,mr4 ,b4 was about to strike a light on the tinder-box1 when the most diabolical white face was pressed against the outside of the window-pane and stared in at them4 ,this was the climax1 the children shrieked with terror1 and ,mrs4 ,b41 falling on her knees1 began to pray1 whereupon the face at the window vanished1 and the herd of pigs1 ceasing their disturbance1 tore frantically down one of the high roads1 and disappeared from view4 ,similar phenomena were seen and heard so frequently afterwards1 that the ,b----s eventually had to leave the farm1 and subsequent enquiries led to their learning that the place had long borne the reputation of being haunted1 the ghosts being supposed to be the earth-bound spirits of the executed criminals4 ,whether this was so or not must1 of course1 be a matter of conjecture--the herd of hogs may well have been the phantasms of actual earth-bound pigs--attracted to the spot by a sort of fellow-feeling for the criminals1 whose gross and carnal natures would no doubt appeal to them4 ,a lane in ,hertfordshire was--and1 perhaps1 still is--haunted by the phantasm of a big white sow which had accidentally been run over and killed4 ,it was occasionally heard grunting1 and had the unpleasant knack of approaching one noiselessly from the rear1 and of making the most unearthly noise just behind one's back4 ,sheep ,lambs and sheep1 possessing finer natures than goats and pigs1 would appear to be less earth-bound1 and1 in all probability1 only temporarily haunt the spots that witnessed their usually barbarous ends4 ,most slaughter-houses are haunted by them--as1 indeed1 by many other animals4 ,a ,scottish moor long bore the reputation for being haunted by a phantom flock of sheep1 which were always heard baaing plaintively before a big storm4 ,it was supposed they were the ghosts of a flock that had perished in the memorable severe weather of ,christmas1 #ahhj4 ,here is a case that may be regarded as typical of hauntings by sheep1 presumably the earth-bound spirits of sheep1 overwhelmed in some great storm or unexpected catastrophe4 ,the ,spectre ,flock of ,sheep in ,germany ,during the seven years' war in ,germany1 writes ,mrs4 ,crowe1 in her ,night ,side of ,nature1 a drover lost his life in a drunken squabble on the high road4 ,for some time there was a sort of rude tombstone1 with a cross on it1 to mark the spot where his body was interred1 but this has long fallen1 and a milestone now fills its place4 ,nevertheless1 it continues to be commonly asserted by the country people1 and also by various travellers1 that they have been deluded on that spot by seeing1 as they imagine1 herds of beasts1 which on investigation prove to be merely visionary4 ,of course1 many people look upon this as a superstition2 but a very regular confirmation of the story occurred in the year #ahbf1 when two gentlemen and two ladies were passing the spot in a post-carriage4 ,one of these was a clergyman1 and none of them had ever heard of the phenomenon said to be attached to the place4 ,they had been discussing the prospects of the minister1 who was on his way to a vicarage1 to which he had just been appointed1 when they saw a large flock of sheep1 which stretched quite across the road1 and was accompanied by a shepherd and a long-haired black dog4 ,as to meet cattle on that road was nothing uncommon1 and indeed they had met several droves in the course of one day1 no remark was made at the moment1 till suddenly each looked at the other1 and said1 ',what's become of the sheep8' ,quite perplexed at their sudden disappearance1 they called to the postilion to stop1 and all got out1 in order to mount the little elevation and look around1 but still unable to discover them1 they now bethought themselves of asking the postilion where they were2 when1 to their infinite surprise1 they learned that he had not seen them4 ,upon this1 they bade him quicken his pace1 that they might overtake a carriage that had passed them shortly before1 and enquire if that party had seen the sheep2 but they had not4 ,four years later a postmaster1 named ,j41 was on the same road1 driving a carriage1 in which were a clergyman and his wife1 when he saw a large flock of sheep near the same spot4 ,seeing they were very fine wethers1 and supposing them to have been bought at a sheep-fair that was then taking place a few miles off1 ,j4 drew up his reins and stopped his horses1 turning at the same time to the clergyman to say that he wanted to enquire the price of the sheep1 as he intended going next day to the fair himself4 ,whilst the minister was asking him what sheep he meant1 ,j4 got down and found himself in the midst of the animals1 the size and beauty of which astonished him4 ,they passed him at an unusual rate1 whilst he made his way through them to find the shepherd2 when1 on getting to the end of the flock1 they suddenly disappeared4 ,he then first learnt that his fellow-travellers had not seen them at all4 ,so writes ,mrs4 ,crowe1 and ,i quote the case in support of my argument that sheep1 like horses1 cats1 dogs and all other kinds of animals1 possess spirits1 and consequently have a future state of existence4 ,i have not yet experimented with sheep1 goats1 or pigs1 but ,i do not doubt but that they are more or less sensitive to superphysical influences1 and possess the psychic faculty of scenting the ,unknown--though not1 perhaps1 in so great a degree as any of the other animals ,i have enumerated4 ,,part ,,ii ,,wild ,,animals ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,,chapter ,v ,,wild ,,animals ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,apes ,the following case of animal hauntings was recorded in automatic writing3-- ,i sank wearily into my easy chair before the fire1 which burned with a fitful and sullen glow in the tiny grate of my one room--bare and desolate as only the room of an unsuccessful author can be4 ,my condition was pitiable4 ,for the past twelve months ,i had not earned a cent1 and of my small capital there now remained but two pounds to ward the hound of starvation from my door4 ,in the moonlight ,i could perceive all the bareness of the apartment4 ,would to ,god ,fancy would ride to me on this moonbeam and give me inspiration6 ',twas indeed weird--this silver ethereal path connecting the moon with the earth1 and the more ,i gazed along it1 the more ,i wished to leave my body and escape to the star-lighted vaults4 ,certainly1 from a conversation ,i had once had with a member of the ,new ,occult ,society1 ,i believed it possible by concentrating all the mental activities in one channel1 so to overcome the barriers which prevent the soul visiting scenes of the ethereal world1 as to pass materialized to the spot upon which the ideas are fixed4 ,but although ,i had essayed--how many times ,i do not like to confess--to gain that amount of concentration necessary for the separation of the soul from the body1 up to the present all my attempts had been fruitless4 ,doubtless there had been a something--too minute even for definition--that had interrupted my self-abstraction--a something that had wrecked my venture1 just when ,i felt it to be on the verge of completion4 ,and was it likely that now1 when my ideas were misty and vague1 ,i should be more successful8 ,i wanted to quit the cruel bonds of nature and be free--free to roam and ramble4 ,but where8 ,at length1 as ,i gazed into the moonlight1 ,i lost all cognizance of the objects around me1 and my eyes became fixed on the mountains of the moon1 which ,i discovered1 with a start1 were no longer specks4 ,i found1 to my amazement1 ,i had left my body and was careering swiftly through space--infinite space4 ,the range opened up in front of me1 spreading out far and wide1 winding1 black and awful--their solemn grandeur lost in that terrible desolation which makes the moon appear like a hideous nightmare4 ,i could see with amazing clearness the sides of the mountains2 there were enormous black fissures1 some of them hundreds of feet in width--and the more ,i gazed the more impressed ,i grew with the silence4 ,there was no life4 ,there were no seas1 no lakes1 no trees1 no grass1 no sighing nor moaning of the wind1 nothing to remind me of the earth ,i now found to my terror ,i had actually quitted4 ,everything around me was black--the sky1 the mountains1 the vast pits1 the dried-up mouths of which gaped dismally4 ,with the movements of a man in a fit1 ,i essayed to hinder the finis of my mad plunge4 ,i waved my limbs violently1 kicking out and shrieking in the agonies of fear4 ,i cursed and prayed1 wept and laughed alternately1 did everything1 yet nothing1 that could save me from contact with the lone desert so horribly close4 ,nearer and nearer ,i approached1 until at last my feet rested on the hard caked soil4 ,for the first few minutes after my arrival ,i was too overwhelmed with fear to do other than remain stationary4 ,the ground beneath my feet swarmed with myriads of foul and long-legged insects1 things with unwieldy pincers and protruding eyes2 things covered with scaly armour2 hybrids of beetles and scorpions4 ,i have a distinct recollection of one huge-jointed centipede making a vicious grab at my leg2 he failed to make his teeth meet in anything tangible1 and emitting a venomous hiss disappeared in a circular pit4 ,whilst ,i was the victim of this insect's ferocity the horizon had become darkened by the shadowy outline of an enormous apish form4 ,i wanted to run away1 but could not1 and was compelled1 sorely against my will1 to witness its approach4 ,never shall ,i forget the agonies of doubt ,i endured during its advance4 ,no man in a tiger's den1 nor deer tied to a tree awaiting its destroyer1 could have suffered more than ,i did then1 and my terror increased tenfold when ,i recognized in the monster--,neppon--a young gorilla that had been under my charge and had given me no end of trouble when ,i was head keeper in the ,zoological ,gardens at ,berne4 ,i never hated anything so much as ,i had hated that baboon4 ,at my hands it had undergone a thousand subtle torments4 ,i had pinched it1 poked it1 pulled its hair1 frightened it by putting on masks and making all sorts of queer noises1 and finally ,i had secretly poisoned it4 ,and now we stood face to face without any bars between us4 ,never shall ,i forget the look of intense satisfaction in its hideous eyes1 as its gaze encountered mine4 ,in that strange forlorn world we faced each other2 ,i1 the tyrant once1 now the quarry4 ,in the wildness of its glee it capered about like a mad thing1 executing the most exaggerated antics that augmented my terror4 ,every second ,i anticipated an assault1 and the knowledge of my fears lent additional fierceness to its gambols4 ,a sudden change in my attitude at length made it cease4 ,the use had returned to my limbs2 my muscles were quivering1 and before it could stop me ,i had fled6 ,the wildest of chases then ensued4 ,i ran with a speed that would have shamed a record-beater on earth4 ,with extraordinary nimbleness ,i vaulted over titanic boulders of rocks2 jumped across dykes of infinite depth1 scurried like lightning over tracts of rough1 lacerating ground1 and never for one instant felt like flagging4 ,suddenly1 to my horror1 ,i came to an abrupt standstill1 and the cry of some hunted animal burst from my lips4 ,unwittingly ,i had run against a huge wall of granite1 and escape was now impossible4 ,again and again ,i clawed the hard rock1 until the skin hung in shreds from my fingers1 and the blood pattered on the dark soil1 that in all probability had never tasted moisture before4 ,all this amused my pursuer vastly2 it watched with the leisure of one who knows its fish will be landed in safety1 and there suddenly came to me1 through my olfactory nerves1 a knowledge that it was speaking to me in the language of scents--the language ,i never understood till now was the language of all animals4 ',reach1 a little higher1' it said2 'there are niches up there1 and you must stretch your limbs4 ,ha6 ha6 ,do you remember how you used to make me stretch mine8 ,you do6 ,well1 you needn't shiver4 ,explain to me how it is ,i find you here4' ',i cannot comprehend1' ,i gasped with a gesticulation that was grotesque4 ,the great beast laughed in my face4 ',how so8' it queried4 ',you used to quibble me upon my dull wits2 must ,i now return the compliment8 ,ha6 ,there's blood on your hands4 ,blood6 ,i will lick it up4' ,and with a mocking grin it advanced4 ',keep off6 ,keep off6' ,i shouted4 ',my ,god1 will this dream never cease8' ',the dream1 as you call it1' the gorilla jeered1 'has only just begun2 the climax of your horrors has yet to come4 ,if you cannot tell me the purport of your visit ,i will tell you mine4 ,can your lordship spare the time to listen8' ,i gave no answer4 ,i clutched the wall and uttered incoherent cries like some frightened madman4 ,the gorilla felt the muscles in its hairy fingers1 and showed its huge teeth4 ,i looked eagerly at my enemy4 ',come1 you haven't yet guessed my riddle2 you are dull to-night1' it said lightly4 ',that old wine of yours made you sleep too soundly4 ,don't let me disturb you4 ,i will explain4 ,this moon is now my home--,i share it with the spirits of all the animals and insects that were once on your earth4 ,and now that we are free from such as you--free to wander anywhere we like without fear of being shot1 or caught and caged--we are happy4 ,and what makes us still happier is the knowledge that the majority of men and women will never have a joyous after-state like ours4 ,they will be earth-bound in that miserable world of theirs1 and compelled to keep to their old haunts1 scaring to death with their ugly faces all who have the misfortune to see them4 ,there is another fate in store for you1 however4 ,do you know what it is8' ,it paused4 ,no sound other than that occasioned by his bumping on the soil broke the impressive hush4 ',do you know8' it said again4 ',well1 ,i will tell you4 ,i'm going to kill you right away1 so that your spirit--it's all nonsense to talk about souls1 such as you have no soul--will be earth-bound here--here for ever--and will be a perpetual source of amusement to all of us animal ghosts4' ,it then began to jabber ferociously1 and1 crouching down1 prepared to spring4 ',for ,heaven's sake1' ,i shrieked1 'for ,heaven's sake4' ,but ,i might as well have appealed to the wind4 ,it had no sense of mercy4 ',he1 he6' it screamed4 ',what a joke--what a splendid joke4 ,your wit never seems to degenerate1 ,hugesson6 ,i'm wondering if you will be as funny when you're a ghost4 ,get ready4 ,i'm coming1 coming1' and as the sky deepened to an awe-inspiring black1 and the stars grew larger1 brighter1 fiercer2 and the great lone deserts appealed to me with a force unequalled before1 it sprang through the air4 ,a singing in my ears and a great bloody mist rose before my eyes4 ,the wailing and screeching of a million souls was borne in loud protracted echoings through the drum of my ears4 ,men and women with evil faces rose up from crag and boulder to spit and tear at me4 ,i saw creatures of such damning ugliness that my soul screamed aloud with terror4 ,and then from the mountain tops the bolt of heaven was let loose4 ,every spirit was swept away like chaff before the burst of wind that1 hurling and shrieking1 bore down upon me4 ,i gave myself up for lost4 ,i felt all the agonies of suffocation1 my lungs were torn from my palpitating body2 my legs wrenched round in their sockets2 my feet whirled upwards in that gust of devilish air4 ,all--excruciating1 damning pain--and pro tempore--,i knew no more4 99 99 99 99 99 ,n4,b4--,it was subsequently ascertained1 by my friend the late ,mr4 ,supton1 that a man named ,hugesson1 who had been for a short time head keeper at the ,zoological ,gardens1 had been found dead1 in bed1 by his landlady1 with a look on his face so awful that she had fled shrieking from the room4 ,the death was1 of course1 attributed to syncope1 but my friend--who1 by the way1 had never heard of ,hugesson before he received the foregoing account through the medium of planchette--told me1 and ,i agreed with him1 that from similar cases that had come within his experience1 it was most probable that ,hugesson had in reality projected himself1 and had perished in the manner described4 ,no more improbable than the above story is that sent me by my old school friend ,martin ,tristram1 who died last year4 ,i style it ,the ,case of ,martin ,tristram4 ,it is reproduced from a magazine published some three years ago4 ,after ,martin ,tristram once took up spiritualism his visits to me became most erratic1 and ,i not only never knew when to expect him1 but ,i was not always sure1 when he did come1 that it was he4 ,this sounds extraordinary--to see a man is assuredly to recognize him6 ,not always--by no means always6 ,there are circumstances in which a man loses his identity1 when his ego is supplanted by another ego1 when he ceases to be himself1 and assumes an individuality which is entirely different from himself4 ,this is undoubtedly the case in madness1 imbecility1 epilepsy1 so-called total loss of memory through cerebral injury1 hypnotism1 sometimes in projection when the astral body gets detained1 and also not infrequently in investigating peculiar instances of psychic phenomena4 ,but if the astral body has been evicted from its carnal home1 whither has it gone8 and what is the nature of the thing that has taken its place8 ,ah6 ,these are indeed puzzles--puzzles ,i am devoting a lifetime to solve4 ,there have been moments when unseen hands have gradually begun to pull aside the obscuring veil1 when the identity of the usurping spirit has seemed on the verge of being disclosed to me1 and ,i have been about to be initiated into the greatest and most zealously guarded of all secrets4 ,there have been times1 ,i say1 when my occult researches have actually brought me to this climax2 but up to the present ,i have invariably been disappointed--the curtain has suddenly fallen1 the esoteric ego has shrunk into its shell1 and the mystery surrounding it has remained impenetrable4 ,this is but one1 albeit perhaps the most striking1 of the many methods through which the superphysical endeavours to get in immediate contact with the physical4 ,i was unpleasantly reminded of it when ,martin ,tristram's carnal body came to visit me one night several years ago4 ,i was aware that it was not ,tristram4 ,his mannerisms were the same1 his voice had not altered2 but there was an expression in his eyes that told of a very different spirit from ,martin's dwelling within that body4 ,the night being cold1 he closed the door carefully1 and crossing the room to where ,i sat by the fire1 threw himself in an easy chair1 and gazed meditatively at me4 ,my rooms in ,bloomsbury were not lonely4 ,they had more than their share of brawling brats on either side2 there were no gloomy recesses or ghost-suggestive cupboards1 and ,i never once experienced in them the slightest apprehension of sudden superphysical manifestations1 yet ,i cannot help saying that as ,i met that glance from the pseudo-,tristram's eyes ,i felt my flesh begin to creep4 ,he sat for so long in silence that ,i began to wonder if he ever meant to speak4 ,the secret of success in seeing certain classes of apparitions1 he said at length1 to a very great extent lies in sympathy4 ,sympathy6 ,and now for my story4 ,i will tell it to you in the 'third person4' ,i looked at ,tristram's face in dismay4 ,the third person6 ,yes1 the third person1 he gravely rejoined1 and under the circumstances the only person4 ,you see it is now close on midnight4 ,i looked at the clock4 ,great heavens6 ,what he said was correct4 ,a whole evening had slipped by without my knowledge4 ,he would1 of course1 have to stay the night4 ,i suggested it to him4 ,my dear fellow1 he replied1 with an odd smile1 don't worry about me4 ,i am not dependent on any trains4 ,i shall be home by two o'clock4 ,i shivered--a draught of cold air had in all probability stolen through the cracks of the ill-fitting window-frames4 ,you have on one of your queer moods1 ,martin1 ,i expostulated4 ,to be home by two o'clock you must fly6 ,but proceed--at all costs1 the story4 ,tristram raised an eyebrow1 a true sign that something of special interest would follow4 ,you know ,bruges8 he began4 ,i nodded4 ,very well1 then1 he went on4 ,exactly a week ago ,martin ,tristram arrived there from ,antwerp4 ,the hour was late1 the weather boisterous1 ,tristram was tired1 and any lodging was better than none4 ,hailing a four-wheeler1 he asked the ,jehu to drive him to some decent hostel where the sheets were clean and the tariff moderate2 and the fellow1 gathering up the reins1 took him at a snail's pace to a mediaeval-looking tavern in ,la ,rue ,croissante4 ,you remember that street8 ,perhaps not6 ,it is quite a back street1 extremely narrow1 very tortuous1 and miserably lighted with a few gas-lamps of the usual antique ,belgian order4 ,tristram was too tired1 however1 to be fastidious2 he felt he could lie down and go to sleep anywhere1 and what scruples he might have had were entirely dissipated by the appearance of the charming girl who answered the door4 ,it is not expedient to dwell upon her--she plays a very minor part1 if1 indeed1 any1 in the story4 ,martin ,tristram merely thought her pretty1 and that1 as ,i have said1 fully reconciled him to taking up his quarters in the house4 ,he has1 as you are doubtless aware1 a weakness for vivid colouring1 and her bright yellow hair1 carmine lips1 and scarlet stockings struck him impressively as she led the way to his bed-chamber1 where she somewhat reluctantly parted from him with a subtly attractive smile4 ,left to himself1 ,martin sleepily examined his surroundings4 ,the room1 oak-panelled throughout1 was long1 low1 and gloomy2 an enormous1 old-fashioned1 empty fireplace occupied the centre of one of the walls2 on the one side of it was an oak settee1 on the other an equally ponderous black oak chest4 ,heavy oaken beams traversed the ceiling1 and the sombre1 funereal character of the room was further increased by a colossal and antique four-poster which1 placed in the exact middle of the chamber1 faced a gigantic mirror attached to grotesquely carved and excessively lofty sable supports4 ,viewed in the feeble1 fluctuating candlelight1 the latter seemed endowed with some peculiar and emphatically weird life--their glistening1 polished surfaces threw a dozen and one fantastic but oddly human shadows on the boards1 as at the same time they appeared in bewildering alternation to increase and diminish in stature4 ,tristram hastily undressed1 and stretching himself between the blankets1 prepared to go to sleep4 ,like yourself1 and for a similar reason1 he never sleeps on his left side4 ,accordingly he occupied the right portion only of the enormous bed4 ,why he did not fall asleep at once he could not explain2 he fancied that it might be because he was overtired4 ,this undoubtedly had something to do with it1 as also had the remarkable noises--footfalls1 creaks1 and sighs--that came from every corner of the apartment the moment the light was out4 ,he listened to these inexplicable sounds with increasing alarm until the sonorous clock from somewhere outside boomed 'one1' when1 quite unaccountably1 he fell asleep1 awaking on the stroke of two from a dreadful nightmare4 ,to his intense astonishment and consternation he was no longer alone in the bed--someone1 or something1 was lying by his side on the left-hand side of the bed4 ,at first his thoughts reverted to the young lady with the scarlet stockings2 then1 a sensation of icy coldness1 whilst speedily reassuring him with regard to her1 struck him with the utmost terror4 ,who or what could it be8 ,for some seconds he lay in breathless silence1 too frightened even to stir1 and panic-stricken lest the violent beating of his heart should arouse the mysterious visitor4 ,but at length1 impelled by an irresistible impulse1 he sat up in bed and opened his eyes4 ,the room was aglow with a phosphorescent light1 and in the depths of the glittering mirror he saw a startling reproduction of the phantasmagoric four-poster4 ,he instinctively felt that there was some extraordinary change in the supports1 and that the suspicions he had at first entertained as to their semi-human properties had become verified2 but1 mercifully for his sanity1 he found it impossible to look4 ,his attention was immediately riveted on the object by his side1 which he recognized with a thrill of surprise was a bronzed and bearded man of rather more than middle age1 who appeared to be buried in the most profound sleep4 ,the picture was so vividly portrayed in the glass that ,tristram could see the gentle heaving of the bedclothes each time the sleeper breathed4 ,fascinated beyond measure at such an unlooked-for spectacle1 and desirous of a closer inspection1 ,tristram1 with a supreme effort1 managed to tear away his eyes from the mirror and to glance at the bed1 where1 to his unmitigated astonishment1 he saw no one4 ,quite unable to know what to make of the phenomenon1 he again directed his gaze to the glass1 and there right enough lay the sleeper4 ,a cold shudder now ran through ,tristram--he could no longer disguise from himself what he had in reality thought all along1 that the room was haunted6 ,the usual symptoms accompanying occult manifestations rapidly made themselves known4 ,tristram was constrained to stare at the luminous glitter before him in helpless expectation2 to save his soul he could neither have stirred nor uttered the faintest ejaculation4 ,he saw in the mirror the door of the bedroom slowly open1 and a hideous1 apish face peep stealthily in1 not at him1 but at the sleeper4 ,next he watched a figure1 brown1 hairy and lurid--the figure of some huge monkey--come crawling into the room on all-fours1 and followed each of its tell-tale movements as1 sidling up to its sleeping victim1 it suddenly hurled itself at him1 choking him to death with its long fingers4 ,this was the climax--,tristram saw no more4 ,the phosphorescent light died out1 the mirror darkened1 and on sinking back on his pillow1 he realized with the wildest delight he was once again alone--his bedfellow had gone6 ,tristram was so unnerved by all that had happened that he made up his mind to leave the house at daybreak1 a decision which1 however1 was altered on the appearance of the sun and the charming little girl in the red stockings4 ,after breakfasting1 ,tristram strolled about the town1 chancing to meet an old school-fellow1 named ,heriot1 in the ,rue de ,mermadotte4 ,heriot had only recently come to ,bruges2 he was dissatisfied with his lodgings1 and readily fell in with ,tristram's suggestion that they should 'dig' together4 ,the maid with the yellow hair was more pleasing than ever1 ,heriot fell desperately in love with her1 and it was close on midnight before he could be persuaded to bid her good night and accompany ,tristram to the bed-chamber4 ',i wonder why she told me not to sleep on the left side of the bed8' he said to ,martin1 as they began to undress4 ,tristram glanced guiltily at the mirror4 ,for reasons of his own he hadn't as much as hinted to ,heriot what he had seen there the previous night1 and he was not at all sure now that it might not have been a nightmare or an hallucination2 anyhow1 he would like to put it to the test before mentioning it to anyone1 and ,heriot1 whom he knew to be a sceptic with regard to ghosts1 was so strong and hale a man physically that1 happen what might1 he had no apprehensions whatever concerning him4 ,regretting that he was obliged to disobey the wishes of a lady1 ,heriot declared his preference for the left side of the bed1 adding that if the maiden was so highly enamoured of him1 she must put herself to the inconvenience of a few extra yards4 ',infatuation like hers1' he maintained1 'should surely overcome all obstacles4' ,nothing loth1 ,tristram gave in to him1 and before many minutes had elapsed both men had fallen into a deep sleep4 ,on the stroke of two ,tristram awoke1 perspiring horribly4 ,the room was once again aglow with a phosphorescent light1 and he felt the presence next to him of something cold and clammy4 ,unable to look elsewhere1 he was again compelled to gaze in the mirror1 where he saw1 to his consternation and horror1 no ,heriot1 but in his place the man with the bronzed face and bushy beard4 ,he had hardly recovered from the shock occasioned by this discovery when the door surreptitiously opened1 and the figure of the ape glided noiselessly in4 ,again he was temporarily paralysed1 his limbs losing all their power of action and his tongue cleaving to the roof of his mouth4 ,the movements of the phantasm were entirely repetitionary of the previous night4 ,approaching the bed on 'all-fours1' it leapt on its victim1 the tragedy being accompanied this time by the most realistic chokings and gurgles1 to all of which ,tristram was obliged to listen in an agony of doubt and terror4 ,the drama ended1 ,tristram was overcome by a sudden fit of drowsiness1 and sinking back on to his pillow1 slept till broad daylight4 ,anxious to question ,heriot as to whether he1 too1 had been a witness of the ghostly transaction he touched him lightly on the shoulder4 ,there was no reply4 ,he touched him again1 and still no answer4 ,he touched him yet a third time1 and as there was still no response1 he leaned over his shoulder and peered into his face4 ,heriot was dead6 99 99 99 99 99 ',this is the fourth death in that bed within the last twelve months that ,i can swear to1' the ,english doctor remarked to ,tristram1 as they walked down the street together1 'and always from the same cause1 failure of the heart due to a sudden shock4 ,if you take my advice1 you'll clear out of the place at once4' ,tristram thought so too1 but before he went he had a talk with the girl in the red stockings4 ',i can't tell you all ,i know1' she said to him1 as he kissed her2 'but ,i wouldn't sleep a night in that room for a fortune1 though ,i believe it's quite safe if you keep on the right side of the bed4 ,i wish your friend had done so1 he was so handsome1' and ,tristram1 not a little hurt1 let go her hand1 and made arrangements for the funeral4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and is that all8 ,i asked1 as ,tristram's material body paused4 ,it may be1 was the reply1 but that is why ,i've come to you4 ,don't be gulled by ,tristram into any investigations in that house4 ,enthusiasm for his research work makes him unconsciously callous1 and if he once got you there he might1 even against your better judgment1 persuade you to sleep on the left side6 ,good night6 ,i shook hands with him and he departed4 ,the following evening ,i heard it all again from ,tristram himself--the real ,tristram4 ,needless to say1 his concluding remarks differed essentially4 ,with unbounded cordiality he urged me to accompany him back again to ,bruges1 and ,i--declined6 99 99 99 99 99 ,he wrote to me afterwards to say that he had discovered the history of the house--a man1 a music-hall artist1 answering to the description of the figure in the bed--had once lived there with a performing ape1 an orang-outang1 and happening to annoy the animal one day1 the latter had killed him4 ,the brute was eventually shot6 ,this experience of mine1 ,tristram added1 is of the greatest value1 for it has thoroughly convinced me of one thing at least--and that--that apes have spirits6 ,and if that be so1 so must all other kinds of animals4 ,of course they must4 ,phantasms of ,cat and ,baboon ,a sister of a well-known author tells me there used to be a house called ,the ,swallows1 standing in two acres of land1 close to a village near ,basingstoke4 ,in #ahdj a ,mr4 ,bishop of ,tring bought the house1 which had long stood empty1 and went to live there in #ahda4 ,after being there a fortnight two servants gave notice to leave1 stating that the place was haunted by a large cat and a big baboon1 which they constantly saw stealing down the staircases and passages4 ,they also testified to hearing sounds as of somebody being strangled1 proceeding from an empty attic near where they slept1 and of the screams and groans of a number of people being horribly tortured in the cellars just underneath the dairy4 ,on going to see what was the cause of the disturbances1 nothing was ever visible4 ,by and by other members of the household began to be harassed by similar manifestations4 ,the news spread through the village1 and crowds of people came to the house with lights and sticks1 to see if they could witness anything4 ,one night1 at about twelve o'clock1 when several of the watchers were stationed on guard in the empty courtyard1 they all saw the forms of a huge cat and a baboon rise from the closed grating of the large cellar under the old dairy1 rush past them1 and disappear in a dark angle of the walls4 ,the same figures were repeatedly seen afterwards by many other persons4 ,early in ,december1 #ahda1 ,mr4 ,bishop1 hearing fearful screams1 accompanied by deep and hoarse jabberings1 apparently coming from the top of the house1 rushed upstairs1 whereupon all was instantly silent1 and he could discover nothing4 ,after that1 ,mr4 ,bishop set to work to get rid of the house1 and was fortunate enough to find as a purchaser a retired colonel1 who was soon1 however1 scared out of it4 ,this was in #ahdb2 it was soon after pulled down4 ,the ground was used for the erection of cottages2 but the hauntings being transferred to them1 they were speedily vacated1 and no one ever daring to inhabit them1 they were eventually demolished1 the site on which they stood being converted into allotments4 ,there were many theories as to the history of ,the ,swallows2 one being that a highwayman1 known as ,steeplechase ,jock1 the son of a ,scottish chieftain1 had once plied his trade there and murdered many people1 whose bodies were supposed to be buried somewhere on or near the premises4 ,he was said to have had a terrible though decidedly unorthodox ending--falling into a vat of boiling tar1 a raving madman4 ,but what were the phantasms of the ape and cat8 ,were they the earth-bound spirits of the highwayman and his horse1 or simply the spirits of two animals8 ,though either theory is possible1 ,i am inclined to favour the former4 ,psychic ,bears ,edmund ,lenthal ,swifte1 appointed in #ahad ,keeper of the ,crown ,jewels in the ,tower of ,london1 refers in an article in ,notes and ,queries1 #ahfj1 to various unaccountable phenomena happening in the ,tower during his residence there4 ,he says that one night in the ,jewel ,office1 one of the sentries was alarmed by a figure like a huge bear issuing from underneath the ,jewel ,room door4 ,he thrust at it with his bayonet1 which1 going right through it1 stuck in the doorway1 whereupon he dropped in a fit1 and was carried senseless to the guard-room4 ,when on the morrow ,mr4 ,swifte saw the soldier in the guard-room1 his fellow-sentinel was also there1 and the latter testified to having seen his comrade1 before the alarm1 quiet and active1 and in full possession of his faculties4 ,he was now1 so ,mr4 ,swifte added1 changed almost beyond recognition1 and died the following day4 ,mr4 ,george ,offer1 in referring to this incident1 alludes to queer noises having been heard at the time the figure appeared4 ,presuming that the sentinel was not the victim of an hallucination1 the question arises as to the kind of spirit that he saw4 ,the bear1 judging by cases that have been told me1 is by no means an uncommon occult phenomenon4 ,the difficulty is how to classify it1 since1 upon no question appertaining to the psychic1 can one dogmatize4 ,to quote from a clever poem that appeared in the ,january number of the ,occult ,review1 to pretend one knows anything definite about the immaterial world is all swank4 ,at the most we--,parsons1 ,priests1 ,theosophists1 ,christian ,scientists1 ,psychical ,research ,professors1--at the most can only speculate4 ,nothing--nothing whatsoever1 beyond the bare fact that there are phenomena1 unaccountable by physical laws1 has as yet been discovered4 ,all the time and energy and space that have been devoted by scientists to the investigation of spiritualism and to making tests in automatic writing are1 in my opinion--and1 ,i believe1 ,i speak for the man in the street--hopelessly futile4 ,no one1 who has ever really experienced spontaneous ghostly manifestations1 could for one moment believe in the genuineness of the phenomena produced at seances4 ,they have never deceived me1 and ,i am of the opinion spirits cannot be convoked to order1 either through a so-called medium falling into a so-called trance1 through table-turning1 automatic writing1 or anything else4 ,if a spirit comes1 it will come either voluntarily1 or in obedience to some ,unknown ,power--and certainly neither to satisfy the curiosity of a crowd of sensation-loving men and women1 nor to be analysed by some cold1 calculating1 presumptuous ,professor of ,physics whose proper sphere is the laboratory4 ,but to proceed4 ,the phenomenon of the big bear1 provided again it was really objective1 may have been the phantasm of some prehistoric creature whose bones lie interred beneath the ,tower2 for we know the ,valley of the ,thames was infested with giant reptiles and quadrupeds of all kinds 7,i incline to this theory72 or it may have been a ,vice-,elemental1 or--the phantasm of a human being who lived a purely animal life1 and whose spirit would naturally take the form most closely resembling it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,judging by the number of experiences related to me1 hauntings by phantom hares and rabbits would appear to be far from uncommon4 ,there is this difference1 however1 between the hauntings by the two species of animal--phantom hares usually portend death or some grave catastrophe1 either to the witness himself1 or to someone immediately associated with him2 whereas phantom rabbits are seldom prophetic1 and may generally be looked upon merely as the earth-bound spirits of some poor rabbits that have met with untimely ends4 ,hauntings by a ,white ,rabbit ,mr4 ,w4,t4 ,stead1 in his ,real ,ghost ,stories1 gives an account of the hauntings by a phantom rabbit in a house in ---- ,road4 ,he does not1 however1 mention any locality4 ,after describing several of the phenomena which disturbed various occupants of the place1 he goes on to say1 in the language of ,mrs4 ,a41 who narrates the incident3-- ,a dog which lay on the rug also heard the sounds1 for he pricked up his ears and barked4 ,without a moment's delay she flew to the door1 calling the dog to follow her1 intending as she did so to open the hall door and call for assistance1 but the dog1 though an excellent house dog1 crouched at her feet and whined1 but would not follow her up the stairs1 so she carried him up in her arms1 and reaching the door1 called for assistance2 when1 however1 the dining-room doors were opened1 the rooms were in perfect quiet and destitute of any signs of life4 ,the behaviour of the dog here accords exactly with the behaviour of dogs ,i have had in haunted houses1 and substantiates my theory that dogs are excellent psychic barometers4 ,after the family had been in the house a few weeks1 a white rabbit made its appearance4 ,this uncanny animal would suddenly appear in a room in which members of the family were seated1 and after gliding round and slipping under chairs and tables1 would disappear through a brick wall as easily as through an open door4 ,this is the invariable trick of ghosts2 they seldom1 however1 open doors4 ,mrs4 ,a4 adds3-- ,some years have now elapsed since the incident ,i have now related took place1 and again1 in response to orders given by the enterprising landlord of the property1 long-closed doors and windows have been thrown open1 and painters and paperhangers have brought their skill to bear upon gruesome rooms and halls2 the house is once more inhabited1 this time by a widow lady and some grown-up sons4 ,these tenants come from a distance1 and are entirely strangers both to the neighbourhood and the former history of the house1 but1 to use her own words1 the mistress 'cannot understand what ails the house1' her sons insist on sleeping together in one room1 and the quiet of the house is constantly being broken by the erratic appearances of a large white rabbit1 which the inmates are frequently engaged chasing1 but are never able to find4 ,mr4 ,stead offers no explanation4 ,i can see no other conclusion1 however1 than that this ghost was the actual phantasm of some rabbit that had been done to death in the house1 probably by the boy whose apparition was among the other manifestations seen there4 ,john ,wesley's ,ghost ,in his article ,more ,glimpses of the ,unseen 7,occult ,review1 ,october1 #aijf71 ,mr4 ,reginald ,b4 ,span writes3-- ,during the extraordinary manifestations which occurred in the house of ,john ,wesley at ,epworth1 the phantom forms of two animals appeared1 one being a large white rabbit1 and the other an animal like a badger1 which used to appear in the bedrooms and run about and then disappear1 whilst the various bangings and rappings were at their loudest4 ,this is the only case ,i have ever come across of the ghost of a badger4 ,i think it must be unique4 ,mr4 ,span adds3 ,many strange and inexplicable things occurred in that house which were not due to any natural cause or reason4 ,i remember that loud rappings used to sound round my room at nights1 even when ,i had a light burning4 ,i was often awakened by rappings on the floor of my bedroom1 which would then sound on the walls and furniture1 and were heard by others occupying rooms some distance off4 ,this1 again1 is most interesting1 as ghosts seldom visit lighted rooms4 ,mr4 ,span continues3-- ,it was in the afternoon in broad daylight when my brother saw this mysterious animal4 ,he was in the drawing-room alone1 and as he was standing at one side of the room looking at a picture on the walls1 he heard a noise behind him1 and found1 on looking round1 that a sofa which generally lay against one of the walls had been lifted by some unknown power into the middle of the room1 at the same time he saw an animal like a rabbit run from under the sofa across the room and disappear into the wall4 ,he searched everywhere for the animal1 which could not have escaped from the room1 as the doors and window were closed1 but was unable to find any sign of one or any hole whereby one might have passed out4 ,the ,psychic ,faculty in ,hares and ,rabbits ,hares and rabbits are very susceptible to the superphysical1 the presence of which they scent in the same manner as do horses and dogs4 ,i have known them to evince the greatest symptoms of terror when brought into a haunted house4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,inhabitants ,,of ,,the ,,jungle ,elephants1 ,lions1 ,tigers1 etc4 ,elephants undoubtedly possess the faculty of scenting spirits in a very marked degree4 ,it is most difficult to get an elephant to pass a spot where any phantasm is known to appear4 ,the big beast at once comes to a halt1 trembles1 trumpets1 and turning round1 can only be urged forward by the gentlest coaxing4 ,jungles are full of the ghosts of slain men and animals1 and afford more variety in hauntings than any other localities4 ,the spirits of such cruel creatures as lions1 tigers1 leopards1 are very much earth-bound1 and may be seen or heard night after night haunting the sites of their former depredations4 ,the following case of a tiger ghost was narrated to me years ago by a gentleman whom ,i will style ,mr4 ,de ,silva1 ,p4,w4,d4 ,i published his account in a popular weekly journal1 as follows3-- ,the ,white ,tiger ,tap6 tap6 tap4 ,someone was coming behind me4 ,i halted1 and in the brilliant moonlight saw a figure hobbling along--first one thin leg1 then the other1 always with the same measured stride--accompanied with the same tapping of the stick4 ,i had no wish for his company1 though the road was lonely1 and ,i feared the presence of tigers1 so ,i hurried on1 and the faster ,i went1 the nearer he seemed to come4 ,tap6 tap6 tap6 ,the man was blind and a leper1 and so repulsively ugly that the niggers on the settlement regarded him with superstitious awe4 ,i had a horror of tigers1 but of lepers even greater4 ,and ,i loved my wife with no ordinary love4 ,so ,i hurried on1 and he followed quickly after me4 ,the night was brilliant1 even more so1 ,i thought1 than was ordinary1 and the very brilliancy made me fear1 for my shadow1 the shadow of the trees1 shadows for which ,i had no name1 flickered across the road1 were lost to sight to return again1 and the jungle was getting nearer4 ,the open country on either side ceased1 one by one tall blades of jungle grass shook their heads in the gentle breeze1 and the silence of the darkness beyond began to make itself felt4 ,a night bird whizzed past me1 croaking out a dismal incantation from its black throat2 something at which ,i did not care to look clattered from under a stone ,i loosened with my foot1 and sped into the shade1 and ,i hastened on4 ,tap6 tap6 tap6 ,faster and faster1 and faster came the blind man4 ,i could smell the oil on his body1 hear his breathing4 ',whoever you are1 sahib1 stop6' ,there was fear in his voice as he whined out these words1 a fear which increased my own2 but ,i pretended not to hear1 and pressed on faster4 ,the darkness grew2 high over my head at either side of the road waved the grass1 rustling to and fro1 and singing to sleep the insects nestling on its green stalks with its old-time song of the jungle4 ,the grass ahead of me slowly parted2 my heart beat quicker1 the tapping behind me ceased--it was only some small animal4 ,what was it8 ,a small hyaena8 ,no4 ,a jackal1 a lame jackal1 and it looked at me from out of eyes that for some reason or other made me shiver4 ,i did not know what there was about the jackal that was different from what ,i had seen in any other jackal1 but there was a something4 ,and as ,i looked at it in awe1 it vanished--melted into thin air4 ,the moment after a second jackal appeared just where the other one had been standing1 but there was nothing remarkable about this one1 and on my bending down1 pretending to look for a stone to throw at it1 it slunk back silently and stealthily whence it had come1 and ,i hurried on faster than ever1 knowing a tiger was near at hand4 ,tap6 tap6 tap6 ,i blessed the presence of the blind man4 ',for ,god's sake1 sahib1 stop6 ,for the love of ,allah1 sahib1 stop6' 7,you know how they talk1 ,o',donnell47 ',the jackals1 did you see them8 ,i knew them by their smell1 the smell of the living and of the dead4 ,walk with me1 sahib1 for ,allah's sake4' ,presently1 ,o',donnell1 ,i heard a heavier rustling in the grass than the wind makes2 a rustling that kept pace with me and went along by my side1 never halting1 but faster and faster1 and faster4 ,a short distance ahead of me was a patch of bright light1 where the cross-roads met4 ,a few yards more and the jungle grass would end4 ,i thought of this1 ,o',donnell--the beggar might not know the road so well as ,i4 ,he had no wife1 no child2 he was a leper1 only a leper--and my teeth chattered4 ,here the ,colonel paused and wiped his forehead4 ,i slackened my speed1 the rustling by my side slowing down1 and the tapping grew faster4 ,i was close to the whitened road4 ',sahib1 the blessing of ,allah be on you for stopping4 ,sahib1 let me walk by your side4' 7,to the end of my days1 ,o',donnell1 ,i shall never forgive myself1 and yet ,i want you to understand it was for my wife--and child47 ,i slunk into the shade4 ,two steps more and the tapping would pass me4 ,the stick struck the ground within one inch of my foot2 my heart almost ceased to beat2 ,i gazed in fascination at the spot in the jungle opposite4 ,the heavy rustling had stopped2 only the gentle sighing of the wind went on4 ,the two steps were taken1 the blind man paused on the cross-roads4 ,he was ghastly in the moonlight4 ,i shuddered4 ,his eyes peered enquiringly round on all sides2 he was looking for me2 he had lost his way2 he feared the tiger4 ,suddenly something huge shot like an arrow from the darkness opposite me4 ,i bowed my head1 ,o',donnell1 and muttered a prayer1 for ,i thought my end had come4 ,a terrible scream rang out in the clear night air4 ,i was saved4 ',allah curse you and yours1 sahib4' ,i opened my eyes2 an enormous tiger was bending over the leper1 searching for the most convenient spot in his body to afford a tight grip4 ,the man's sightless eyes were turned towards the moon1 his teeth shone white and even2 with the striped horror purring in his face1 he thought of vengeance on me4 ,i dared not move4 ,i could not pass1 ,o',donnell4 ,i had no gun4 ,the big brute found a nice place to catch hold4 ,it opened its mouth so that ,i could see its glistening teeth4 ,it looked down at its paws1 where the cruel claws glittered1 and they seemed to afford it keen satisfaction--it was a tigress and vain--then it lowered its head1 and the leper shrieked4 ,i watched it pick him up as if he were one of its cubs2 saw the blood trickle down its soft white throat into the dusty road1 and then it trotted gracefully away1 and was lost in the darkness of the jungle4 ,there was a deathlike silence after this4 ,i waited a few minutes1 and then ,i got up4 ,i had only a short distance to go1 and ,i no longer feared the presence of man-eaters--there was not likely to be another4 ,hours afterwards1 ,o',donnell1 when ,i lay in my hammock as safe as a fortress1 ,i fancied ,i heard the dead man's cry1 fancied ,i heard his curse4 ,no one was more devoted to a wife than ,i was to mine4 ,ours had been purely a love match1 and it was against my wish that she had accompanied me to such an out-of-the-way place as ,seconee4 ,i told her about my adventure1 suppressing the leper's curse2 and ,i was glad ,i did so1 as she was greatly distressed4 ',thank goodness you escaped1 ,charlie1' she said4 ',i am so sorry for the poor leper4 ,i suppose you couldn't have helped him4' ',i might have fetched my rifle1' ,i replied1 'and tried to rescue him1 of course4 ,but ,i fear it wouldn't have been of much avail1 as he would have been badly mauled by then4' ,my wife sighed4 ',ah1 well1' she said1 'love is selfish6 ,it makes one forget others4 ,still1 ,i wouldn't have it otherwise4' ',i wish this railway job here was over1' ,i murmured1 sitting with my elbows on my knees and looking over the flat ground1 sun-baked and barren1 away towards the dark jungles and the still darker mountains towering above them2 and as ,i gazed a shadow seemed to blur my vision and a voice to whisper in my ears1 ',beware of my curse4' ,i took ,cushai1 one of the native servants1 into confidence4 ',now1 ,cushai1' ,i said1 'you know all the superstitions of the country--the evil eye and the rest of them4 ,tell me1 what can the dying curse of a leper do8' ,cushai turned pale under his skin4 ',not of ,nahra6' he stuttered1 swinging the knife with which he had been cutting maize in his hand1 'not of ,nahra1 the leper of ,futtebah4 ,sahib1 if you were cursed by him1 beware4 ,he was learned in the black arts2 he could heal ulcers by repeating a prayer1 he could bring on fever4' ,at this1 ,o',donnell1 ,i turned cold4 ,i had lived long in ,india4 ,i had seen their so-called juggling1 had experienced also strange cases of telepathy1 and knew quite sufficient of their intimacy with the supernatural elements to be afraid4 ',you must keep the young sahib safe1' ,cushai said1 'and the white lady4 ,i wish it hadn't been ,nahra4' ,i took his advice4 ,my boy1 ,eric1 was more closely supervised than ever1 and as to my wife1 ,i begged and entreated her not to move from the house until the tiger was dead1 and ,i searched for it everywhere4 ,the dry season passed1 the wet came1 and my work still kept me in ,seconee4 ,at times there came to us rumours of the man-eater--of another victim--but it never visited our bungalow1 where the bright rifle leaned against the wall waiting for it4 ,i certainly did meet with slight misfortunes1 which the more timid might have put down to the working of the curse4 ,my little finger was squashed in the laying down of a rail1 and ,eric had several bouts of sickness4 ,it was nearly a year after the leper's death that alarming rumours of a man-eater having been at work again were spread about us4 ,several niggers were carried off or badly bitten1 and the wounded showed symptoms of the loathsome disease so well known and feared by us all--leprosy4 ,i knew from that it must be the same tiger4 ',the tiger is near1' someone would cry out1 and a stampede among the native workmen would ensue4 ',why the white tiger8' ,i asked ,cushai4 ',because1 sahib1' he replied1 'the leprosy has made it so6 ,tigers1 like men1 and all other animals1 go white even to their hair4 ,i have not told them the story1 sahib2 they only know it must have caught the leprosy4 ,to them ,nahra is still living4' ,then1 ,o',donnell1 when ,i thought of what was at stake1 and of all the hideous possibilities the presence of this brute created1 ,i took my rifle and went out to search for it4 ,in the evenings1 when the dark clouds from the mountains descended and the wind hissed through the jungle grass1 ,i plodded along with no other companion than my ,winchester repeater--searching1 always searching for the damned tiger4 ,i found it1 ,o',donnell1 came upon it just as it was in the midst of a meal--dining off a native--and ,i shot it twice before it recovered from its astonishment at seeing me4 ,the second shot took effect--,i can swear to that1 for ,i took particular note of the red splash of blood on its forehead where the bullet entered1 and ,i went right up to it to make sure4 ,as ,god is above us1 no animal was more dead4 ',the curse won't come now1 ,cushai1' ,i said1 laughing4 ',i've killed the white tiger4' ',killed the white tiger1 sahib6 ,allah bless you for that6' ,cushai replied4 ',but don't laugh too soon4 ,nahra was a clever man1 wonderfully clever2 he did not speak empty words1' and as his eyes wandered to the dark hills again ,i fancied a shadow darted along the sky1 and the curse came back to my ears4 ,i was superintending the line one afternoon2 the backs of the niggers were bending double under the burden of the great iron rods when ,i heard a terrible cry4 ',the white tiger6 the white tiger6' ,rods fell with a crash1 spades followed suit1 a chorus of shrieks filled the air1 and legs scampered off in all directions4 ,i was fifty yards from my rifle1 and a huge creature was slowly approaching between it and me4 ,i could hardly believe my eyes--the white tiger1 the tiger ,i knew ,i had killed6 ,here it was6 ,here before me6 ,the same in every detail1 and yet in some strange1 indefinable manner not the same4 ,on it came1 a huge patch of luminous white1 noiselessly1 stealthily--the mark of the bullet plainly visible on its big1 flat forehead4 ,step by step it approached me1 its paws no longer with the colouring of health1 but dull and worn4 ,and as it came1 the cold shadow of desolation seemed to fall around it4 ,nothing stirred2 there was no noise whatever1 not even the sound of its feet crushing the loosened soil4 ,on1 on1 on nearer1 nearer and nearer4 ,shunned by all1 avoided by its fellow-creatures of the jungle1 a blight to all and everything1 it drew in a line with me4 ,not once did its eyes meet mine1 ,o',donnell2 not once did it glare at the natives who were hiding on the banks of the cutting2 but it stole silently on its way with a something in its movements that left no doubt but that it was engaged in no casual venture4 ,i remembered1 ,o',donnell1 that my wife had promised to come with ,eric to meet me along the cutting1 as she was sure no tiger would be there4 ,i ran as fast as ,i could1 and yet somehow my feet seemed weighted down4 ,i cursed my folly for not forbidding my wife to come4 ,it was uphill till ,i got to the bend1 and it might have been a mountain1 it seemed so steep4 ,i knew if the thing ,i had seen met them a little farther on1 they would be cornered1 as the cutting narrowed very much1 leaving not more than twenty yards1 and that was a generous estimate4 ,at last1 after what seemed an eternity1 ,i reached the summit of the slope2 the tiger was a mere speck along the line4 ,i rushed after it as fast as ,i could go1 stumbling1 half falling1 pulling myself together1 and tearing on1 and the faster ,i went the quicker moved the great white figure4 ,a feeling of despair seized me2 all my fondness for my wife became intensified tenfold1 and was revealed to me then in its true nature2 she was the one great tie that made life dear to me4 ,even my love for ,eric paled away before the blinding affection ,i bore her4 ,i tore madly on1 shouting at the same time1 anything to make the white tiger aware of my presence1 to keep it from seeing her4 ,another bend in the road hid it from view4 ,the same hideous fears gripped me hard and fast1 as ,i strained every muscle in the mad pursuit4 ,at last ,i ran round the curve1 and saw before me the tableau ,i had dreaded4 ,the tiger was crouching1 ready to spring on the group of three--,eva1 ,eric and the ayah4 ,they were paralysed with fear1 and stood on the rails staring at it1 unable to move or utter a sound4 ,i well understood their feelings1 and knew they were labouring in their minds as to whether the thing that confronted them was a creature of flesh and blood1 or what it was4 ,they could not take their eyes off it1 and1 as a consequence1 did not see me4 ,the white tiger now went through a series of actions1 so lifelike that ,i could not but believe it was real1 and that ,i had been deceived in thinking ,i had killed it4 ,its haunches quivered1 it got ready to spring1 and my rifle flew to my shoulder4 ,i saw it mark ,eric1 and read the increased agony in my wife's eyes4 ,the critical moment came4 ,another second1 and the thing1 be it material or supernatural1 would jump4 ,i must fire at all costs4 ,if mortal1 ,i must kill it1 if ghostly1 the noise of my rifle might dematerialize it4 ,and1 as ,god is my judge1 ,o',donnell1 at that moment ,i had not the least idea which of it was--tiger or phantom4 ,it sprang--my brain reeled--my fingers grew numb1 and as my wife suddenly bounded forward1 the shadowy form of ,nahra seemed to rise from the ground and mock me4 ,with a supreme effort ,i jerked my finger back and fired4 ,bang6 ,the sound of the explosion acted like a safety-valve to the pent-up feelings of all1 and there was a chorus of shrieks4 ,i rushed forward--the ayah lay on the ground1 face downward and motionless4 ,my wife had hold of ,eric1 who was shaking all over4 ,of the tiger there were no signs4 ,it had completely vanished4 ',thank ,god1' ,i exclaimed1 kissing my wife feverishly4 ',thank ,god6 ,it was only a ghost6 but it was very alarming1 wasn't it8' ',alarming6' my wife gasped1 'it was awful6 ,i quite thought it was real6 so did ,eric1 and so did ---- '--then her eyes fell on the ayah1 and she gave a great start4 ',charlie6' she cried1 'for mercy's sake look at her6 ,i dare not6 ,is she all right8' ,i turned the ayah over--she was dead6 ,fright had killed her6 ,i then told my wife of the curse of ,nahra1 and of the phantom ,i thought ,i had seen of him1 when the white tiger was springing4 ,when ,i had finished1 my wife hid her face in my shoulder4 ',charlie6' she said1 ',i did something awful4 ,i saw what ,i then took to be the real white tiger single out ,eric1 and in my anxiety to save him from the brute1 ,i pushed the ayah in front of him4 ,and the thing sprang on her instead4 ,it was nothing short of murder6 ,and yet--well1 there were extenuating circumstances1 weren't there8' ',of course there were1' ,i said--for ,i verily believed1 ,o',donnell1 fear had1 for the time being1 turned her brain4 ,on our way home she suddenly called my attention to ,eric4 ',charlie1' she cried1 'what's that mark on his cheek8 ,he's hurt6' ,i looked--and my heart turned sick within me4 ,on the boy's cheek was a faint red scratch1 just as might have been caused by a slight1 very slight contact with some animal's claw4 ',sahib6' ,cushai whispered to me1 when he saw it and heard of our adventure4 ',sahib6 ,beware6 ,nahra was a clever man4 ,he must have used the spirit of the white tiger as his tool4 ,let the medicine man examine the scar4' ,i did so4 ,i took ,eric to a ,dr4 ,nicholson1 who lived close by4 ,he looked at the wound curiously for a few moments1 and then said to me--he was renowned for his plain speaking--',mr4 ,de ,silva1 there's no use beating about the bush1 and prolonging the agony unnecessarily for you and your wife4 ,the boy's got leprosy--,god alone knows how6 ,at the most he may live six weeks4' ,the shock1 of course1 was terrible4 ,eric had to be isolated from everyone--even from those who loved him best--and died within a month4 ',sahib1 ,i knew6' ,cushai said to me the day of the funeral1 ',i knew some disaster would befall you4 ,nahra was a wonderful man1 and his curse had to be fulfilled4 ,you may rest assured1 however1 nothing further will befall you1 for ,i saw ,nahra in a vision this morning1 and he told me both his and the white tiger's spirit were now on friendly terms1 and would trouble you no more4' ,my wife and ,i left the place at once1 and for a long time ,i lived in a hell of suspense lest she should develop the infernal disease4 ,by a merciful providence1 however1 she did no such thing1 but1 on the contrary1 picked up in health in the most marvellous fashion2 indeed1 she only told me yesterday1 she felt better than she had done for years4 ,i've told you the story1 ,o',donnell--and it is true in every detail--because it goes a long way to substantiate your theory that animals1 as well as human beings1 have a future life4 ,i am absolutely sure they have6 ,i replied4 ,jungle ,animals and ,psychic ,faculties ,it is1 of course1 impossible to say whether animals of the jungle possess psychic faculties1 without putting them to the test1 and this1 for obvious reasons1 is extremely difficult4 ,but since ,i have found that such properties are possessed--in varying degree--by all animals ,i have tested1 it seems only too probable that bears and tigers1 and all beasts of prey1 are similarly endowed4 ,it would be interesting to experiment with a beast of prey in a haunted locality2 to observe to what extent it would be aware of the advent of the ,unknown1 and to note its behaviour in the actual presence of the phenomena4 ,,part ,,iii ,,birds ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,,chapter ,,vii ,,birds ,,and ,,the ,,unknown ,as ,edgar ,allan ,poe has suggested in his immortal poem of ,the ,raven1 there is a strong link between certain species of birds and the ,unknown4 ,we all know that vultures1 kites and crows scent dead bodies from a great way off1 but we don't all know that these and other kinds of birds possess1 in addition1 the psychic property of scenting the advent not only of the phantom of death1 but of many1 if not1 indeed1 all other spirits4 ,within my knowledge there have been cases when1 before a death in the house1 ravens1 jackdaws1 canaries1 magpies1 and even parrots1 have shown unmistakable signs of uneasiness and distress4 ,the raven has croaked in a high-pitched1 abnormal key2 the jackdaw and canary have become silent and dejected1 from time to time shivering2 the magpie even has feigned death2 the parrot has shrieked incessantly4 ,owls1 too1 are sure predictors of death1 and may be heard hooting in the most doleful manner outside the house of anyone doomed to die shortly4 ,in an article entitled ,psychic ,records1 the editor of the ,occult ,review 7in the ,august number1 #aije7 supplies the following anecdotes of ghosts of birds furnished him by his correspondents4 ,in the autumn of #ahgg my husband was lying seriously ill with rheumatic fever1 and ,i had sat up several nights4 ,at last the doctors insisted on my going to bed2 and very unwillingly ,i retired to a spare room4 ,while undressing ,i was surprised to see a very large white bird come from the fireplace1 make a hovering circle round me1 and finally go to the top of a large double chest of drawers4 ,i was too tired to trouble about it1 and thought ,i would let it remain until morning4 ,the next morning ,i said to the housemaid3 ',there was a large bird in the spare room last night1 which flew to the top of the drawers4 ,see that it is put out4' ,the nurse1 who was present1 said3 ',oh1 dear1 ma'am1 ,i am afraid that is an omen1 and means the master won't live1' and she was confirmed in her opinion by the maid saying she had searched1 and there was no trace of any bird4 ,i was quite angry1 as my husband was decidedly better1 had slept through the night1 and we thought the crisis had passed4 ,i went to his bedside and found him quietly sleeping1 but he never woke1 and in about an hour passed quietly away4 ,i thought no more of the bird1 fancying ,i must have been mistaken from being overtired4 ,some months after my husband's death my youngest little one was born2 he lived for twelve months1 and then had an attack of bronchitis4 ,he slept in a cot in my room1 and ,i was undressing one night1 when this same large white bird came from his cot1 floated round me1 and disappeared in the fireplace4 ,at the time ,i did not for a moment think of it as anything but a strange coincidence1 and in no way connected it with baby's illness4 ,the next morning ,i was sitting by the drawing-room fire with baby on my lap4 ,the doctor came in1 looked at him1 sounded his chest1 and pronounced him much better4 ,as he was a friend of the family1 he sat down on the other side of the fireplace and was chatting in an ordinary way1 when he suddenly jumped up with an exclamation1 ',why1 what does this mean8' and took the child from my arms quite dead6 ,for two years we saw nothing more of the white bird1 and we had moved to another place4 ,one day ,i was in my room1 and my two little girls1 aged six and eight1 were standing at the window watching a kitten in the garden1 when suddenly the youngest cried out3 ',oh1 mamma6 ,look at that great white bird1' putting her hands as if to catch it1 exactly in the way it flies round one4 ,i saw nothing1 and the elder child said1 ',don't be silly1 ,jessie2 there is no bird4' ',but there is1' said the child4 ',don't you see8 ,there1 look6 ,there it is6' ,i looked at my watch4 ,it was twenty minutes past three4 ,two days after we received the news that a niece of mine had died at twenty minutes past three4 ,the children had never known anything of the former appearances1 as we had never talked about it before them4 ,we have seen nothing since of the bird1 but have for some years had no death in the family4 ,so runs the article in the ,occult ,review1 and ,i can corroborate it with similar experiences that have happened to my friends and to me4 ,some years ago1 for instance1 a great friend of my wife's died1 and on the day of the funeral a large bird tried to fly in at the window of the room where the corpse lay2 while1 shortly afterwards1 an exactly similar bird visited the window of my wife's and my room in a house1 several hundreds of miles away4 ,if it was only a coincidence1 it was a very extraordinary one4 ,then again1 this spring1 just before the death of one of my wife's relatives1 a large bird flew violently against the window-pane behind which my wife was sitting--an incident that had never happened to her in that house before4 ,undoubtedly1 spirits in the guise of birds--most probably they are the phantasms of birds that have actually once lived on the material plane--are the messengers of death4 ,a ,case of ,bird haunting in ,east ,russia ,some years ago the neighbourhood of ,orskaia1 in ,east ,russia1 was roused by an affair of a very remarkable nature4 ,the body of a handsome young peasant woman1 called ,marthe ,popenkoff1 was found in a lonely part of the road1 between ,orskaia and ,orenburg1 with the skin of her face and body shockingly torn and lacerated1 but without there being any wounds deep enough to cause her death1 which the doctor attributed to syncope4 ,the people of ,orskaia1 not satisfied with this verdict1 declared ,marthe had been murdered1 and made such a loud clamour that the editor of the local paper at last voiced their sentiments in the ,east ,russia ,chronicle4 ,it was then that ,m4 ,durant1 a smart young ,french engineer1 temporarily residing in those parts1 became interested in the case1 and decided to investigate it thoroughly4 ,with this end in view he wrote to his friend ,m4 ,hersant--a keen student of the ,occult--in ,saratova1 to join him1 and three days after the despatch of his letter met the latter at the ,orskaia railway station4 ,m4 ,durant retailed the case as they drove to his house4 ,it is a remarkable affair1 in every way1 he said4 ,the woman was leading a perfectly respectable married life2 she was hard-working and industrious1 and beyond the fact that she was over-indulgent to her children1 does not seem to have had any serious faults4 ,as far as ,i can ascertain she had no enemies4 ,nor secret lovers8 ,m4 ,hersant asked4 ,no2 she was quite straight4 ,and you feel sure she was murdered8 ,i do4 ,public opinion so strongly favours that view4 ,did you see the marks on the woman8 ,i did1 and could make nothing of them4 ,after supper ,i will take you to see her1 in the morgue4 ,what--she is still unburied8 ,yes--but there is nothing unusual about that4 ,in these parts bodies are often kept for ten days--sometimes even longer4 ,m4 ,durant was as good as his word2 after they had partaken of a somewhat hasty meal1 they set out to the morgue1 where they made a careful inspection of the poor woman's remains4 ,m4 ,hersant examined the marks on the woman's body very closely with his magnifying-glass4 ,ah6 he suddenly exclaimed1 bending down and almost touching the corpse with his nose1 ,ah6 ,have you made a discovery8 ,m4 ,durant enquired4 ,i prefer not to say at present1 ,m4 ,hersant replied4 ,i should like to see the spot where this body was found--now4 ,we will go there at once1 ,m4 ,durant rejoined4 ,the scene of the tragedy was the ,orenburg road1 at the foot of two little hills2 and on either side were the sloping fields1 yellow with the nodding corn4 ,that is the exact place where she lay1 ,m4 ,durant said1 indicating with his finger a dark patch on a little wooden bridge spanning a stream1 within a stone's throw of a tumbledown mill-house1 all overgrown with ivy and lichens4 ,m4 ,hersant looked round and sniffed the air with his nostrils4 ,there is an air of loneliness about this spot1 he remarked1 that in itself suggests crime4 ,if this were an ordinary murder1 one could well imagine the assassin was aided in his diabolical work by the configuration of the land which1 shelving as it does1 slips down into the narrow valley1 so as to preclude any possibility of escape on the part of the victim4 ,the place seems especially designed by ,providence as a death-trap4 ,let us have a look at the interior of this building4 ,the police have searched it thoroughly1 ,m4 ,durant said4 ,i've no doubt1 ,m4 ,hersant replied drily4 ,no one knows better than ,i what the thoroughness of the police means4 ,they entered the premises cautiously1 since the roof was in a rickety condition1 and any slight concussion might dislodge an avalanche of stones and plaster4 ,while ,m4 ,durant stood glancing round him rather impatiently1 ,m4 ,hersant made a careful scrutiny of the walls4 ,humph1 he said at last4 ,as you so rightly observed1 ,henri1 this is a remarkable case4 ,i have finished my investigation for to-night4 ,let us be going home4 ,to-morrow ,i should like to visit ,marthe's home4 ,this conversation took place shortly before midnight2 some six hours later all ,orskaia was ringing with the news that ,marthe ,popenkoff's three children had all been found dead in their beds1 their faces and bodies lacerated in exactly the same manner as their mother's4 ,there seemed to be no doubt now that ,marthe had been murdered1 and the populace cried shame on the police2 for the assassin was still at large4 ,they agreed that the murderer could be no other than ,peter ,popenkoff1 and the editor of the local paper repeating these statements1 ,peter ,popenkoff was duly charged with the crimes1 and arrested4 ,he was pronounced guilty by all excepting ,m4 ,hersant2 and of course ,m4 ,hersant thought him guilty1 too2 only he liked to think differently from anyone else4 ,i don't want to commit myself1 was all they could get out of him4 ,i may have something to say later on4 ,m4 ,durant laughed and shrugged his shoulders4 ,it1 undoubtedly1 is ,peter ,popenkoff1 he observed4 ,i had an idea that he was the culprit all along4 ,but a day or two later1 ,peter ,popenkoff was found dead in prison with the skin on his face and hands all torn to shreds4 ,there6 ,didn't we say so8 cried the inconsequent mob4 ,peter ,popenkoff was innocent4 ,one of the police themselves is the murderer4 ,come1 you must acknowledge that we are on the right track now--it is one of the police1 ,m4 ,durant said to his friend4 ,but ,m4 ,hersant only shook his head4 ,i acknowledge nothing of the sort1 he said4 ,come with me to the mill-house to-night1 and ,i will then tell you what ,i think4 ,to this proposition ,m4 ,durant willingly agreed1 and1 accompanied by his friend and the village priest1 set off4 ,on their arrival1 ,m4 ,hersant produced a big compass1 and on the earth floor of the mill-house drew a large circle1 in which he made with white chalk various signs and symbols4 ,he then sat in the middle of it1 and bade his two companions stand in the doorway and watch4 ,the night grew darker and darker1 and presently into the air stole a something that all three men at once realized was supernatural4 ,m4 ,hersant coughed nervously1 the priest crossed himself1 and ,m4 ,durant called out1 ,this is getting ridiculous4 ,these mediaeval proceedings are too absurd4 ,let us go home4 ,the next moment1 from the far distance1 a church clock began to strike4 ,it was midnight1 and an impressive silence fell on the trio4 ,then there came a noise like the flutterings of wings1 a loud1 blood-curdling scream1 half human and half animal1 and a huge black owl1 whirling down from the roof of the building1 perched in the circle directly in front of ,m4 ,hersant4 ,pray1 ,father6 ,pray quickly1 ,m4 ,hersant whispered4 ,pray for the dead1 and sprinkle the circle with holy water4 ,the priest1 as well as his trembling limbs would allow1 obeyed2 whereupon the bird instantly vanished4 ,for ,heaven's sake1 ,m4 ,durant gasped1 tell us what it all means4 ,only this1 ,m4 ,hersant said solemnly1 the phantasm we saw caused the death of the ,popenkoff family4 ,it is the spirit of an owl that the children1 encouraged by their parents1 killed in a most cruel manner4 ,as soon as ,i examined ,marthe's body1 ,i perceived the mutilations were due to a bird2 and when ,i visited this mill on the eve of my arrival1 ,i knew that a bird had once lived here2 that it had been captured with lime and murdered1 and that it haunted the place4 ,how could you know that8 the priest exclaimed in astonishment4 ,i am clairvoyant4 ,i saw the bird's ghost as it appeared to us just now4 ,afterwards ,i enquired of the ,popenkoffs' neighbours1 and the information ,i gathered fully confirmed my suspicions--that the unfortunate bird had been put to death in a most barbarous manner4 ,the deaths of the three children laid to rest any doubt ,i may have had with regard to the superphysical playing a part in the death of ,marthe4 ,then when her better-half had been served likewise1 ,i was certain that all five pseudo-murders were wholly and solely acts of retribution1 and that they were perpetrated--,i am inclined to think involuntarily--by the spirit of the owl itself4 ,accordingly1 ,i decided to hold a seance here--here in its old haunt1 and if possible to put an end to the earth-bound condition and wanderings of the soul of the unhappy bird4 ,thanks to ,father ,mickledoff we have done so1 and there will be no more so-called murders near ,orskaia4 ,hauntings by the ,phantasms of ,birds ,one of the most curious cases of hauntings by the phantasms of birds happened towards the end of the eighteenth century in a church not twenty miles from ,london4 ,the sexton started the rumours1 declaring that he had heard strange noises1 apparently proceeding from certain vaults containing the tombs of two old and distinguished families4 ,the noises1 which generally occurred on ,friday nights1 most often took the form of mockings1 suggesting to some of the listeners--the enaction of a murder1 and to others merely the flapping of wings4 ,the case soon attracted considerable attention1 people flocking to the church from all over the country-side1 and it was not long before certain persons came forward and declared they had ascertained the cause of the disturbance4 ,the churchwarden1 sexton1 and his wife and others all swore to seeing a huge crow pecking and clawing at the coffins in the vaults1 and flying about the chancel of the church1 and perching on the communion rails4 ,when they tried to seize it1 it immediately vanished4 ,an old lady1 who came of a family of well-to-do yeomen1 and who lived near the church about that time1 said that the people in the town had for many years been convinced the church there was haunted by the phantom of a bird1 which they believed to be the earth-bound soul of a murderer1 who1 owing to his wealth1 was interred in the churchyard1 instead of being buried at the cross-roads with the customary wooden stake driven through the middle of his body4 ,this belief of the yokels received some corroboration from a neighbouring squire1 who said he had seen the phantasm1 and was quite positive it was the earth-bound soul of a criminal whose family history was known to him1 and whose remains lay in the churchyard4 ,this is all the information that ,i have been able to gather on the subject1 but it is enough to1 at least1 suggest the church was1 at one time1 haunted by the phantom of a bird1 but whether the earth-bound soul of a murderer taking that guise1 or the spirit of an actual dead bird1 it is impossible to say4 ,the ,ghost of an ,evil ,bird ,henry ,spicer1 in his ,strange ,things ,amongst ,us1 tells the story of a ,captain ,morgan1 an honourable and vivacious gentleman1 who1 arriving in ,london in #ah--1 puts up for the night in a large1 old-fashioned hotel4 ,the room in which he slept was full of heavy1 antique furniture1 reminiscent of the days of ,king ,george ,i1 one of the worst periods in modern ,english history for crime4 ,despite1 however1 his grimly suggestive surroundings1 ,captain ,morgan quickly got into bed and was soon asleep4 ,he was abruptly awakened by the sound of flapping1 and1 on looking up1 he saw a huge black bird with outstretched wings and fiery red eyes perched on the rail at the foot of the four-poster bed4 ,the creature flew at him and endeavoured to peck his eyes4 ,captain ,morgan resisted1 and after a desperate struggle succeeded in driving it to a sofa in the corner of the room1 where it settled down and regarded him with great fear in its eyes4 ,determined to destroy it1 he flung himself on the top of it1 when1 to his surprise and terror1 it immediately crumbled into nothingness4 ,he left the house early next morning1 convinced that what he had seen was a ghost1 but ,mr4 ,spicer offers no explanation as to how one should classify the phenomenon4 ,it may have been the earth-bound spirit of the criminal or viciously inclined person who had once lived there1 or it may have been the phantom of an actual bird4 ,either alternative is feasible4 ,i have heard there is an old house near ,poole1 in ,dorset1 and another in ,essex1 which were formerly haunted by spectral birds1 and that as late as #ahfj the phantasm of a bird1 many times the size of a raven1 was so frequently seen by the inmates of a house in ,dean ,street1 ,soho1 that they eventually grew quite accustomed to it4 ,but bird hauntings are not confined to houses1 and are far more often to be met with out of doors2 indeed there are very few woods1 and moors1 and commons that are not subjected to them4 ,i have constantly seen the spirits of all manner of birds in the parks in ,dublin and ,london4 ,greenwich ,park1 in particular1 is full of them4 ,addendum to ,birds and the ,unknown ,though their unlovely aspect and solitary mode of life may in some measure account for the prejudice and suspicion with which the owl1 crow1 raven1 and one or two other birds have always been regarded1 there are undoubtedly other and more subtle reasons for their unpopularity4 ,the ancients without exception credited these birds with psychic properties4 ,ignarres bubo dirum mortalibus omen1 said ,ovid2 whilst speaking of the fatal prognostications of the crow ,virgil wrote3 ,saepe sinistra cava praedixit ab ilice cornix4 ,a number of crows are stated to have fluttered about ,cicero's head on the day he was murdered4 ,pliny says1 ,these birds1 crows and rooks1 all of them keep much prattling1 and are full of chat1 which most men take for an unlucky sign and presage of ill-fortune4 ,ramesay1 in his work ,elminthologia 7#afhh71 writes3 ,if a crow fly over the house and croak thrice1 how do they fear they1 or someone else in the family1 shall die4 ,the bittern is also a bird of ill omen4 ,alluding to this bird1 ,bishop ,hall once said3 ,if a bittern flies over this man's head by night1 he will make his will2 whilst ,sir ,humphry ,davy wrote3 ,i know a man of very high dignity who was exceedingly moved by omens1 and who never went out shooting without a bittern's claw fastened to his button-hole by a riband1 which he thought ensured him 'good luck4' ,ravens and swallows both1 at times1 prognosticate death4 ,in ,lloyd's ,stratagems of ,jerusalem 7#afjb7 he says3 ,by swallows lighting upon ,pirrhus' tents1 and lighting upon the mast of ,mar4 ,antonius' ship1 sailing after ,cleopatra to ,egypt1 the soothsayers did prognosticate that ,pirrhus should be slaine at ,argos in ,greece1 and ,mar4 ,antonius in ,egypt4 ,he alludes to swallows following ,cyrus from ,persia to ,scythia1 from which the wise men foretold his death4 ,ravens followed ,alexander the ,great from ,india to ,babylon1 which was regarded by all who saw them as a fatal sign4 ',tis not for nought that the raven sings now on my left and1 croaking1 has once scraped the earth with his feet1 wrote ,plautus4 ,other references to the same bird are as follows3 ,the raven himself is hoarse ,that croaks the fatal entrance of ,duncan ,under my battlements4--7,macbeth47 ,it comes o'er my memory ,as doth the raven o'er the infected house1 ,boding to all4--7,othello47 ,that tolls ,the sick man's passport in her hollow beak1 ,and in the shadow of the silent night ,doth shake contagion from her sable wings4 7,jew of ,malta47 ,is it not ominous in all countries where crows and ravens croak upon trees8--7,hudibras47 ,the boding raven on her cottage sat1 ,and with hoarse croakings warned us of our fate4 7,the ,dirge47 ,in ,cornwall1 writes ,mr4 ,hunt1 in his work on popular beliefs1 etc41 of the ,west of ,england1 it is believed that the croaking of a raven over the house bodes evil to some of the family4 ,the following incident1 given to me by a really intelligent man1 illustrates the feeling3 ',one day our family were much annoyed by the continual croaking of a raven over the house4 ,some of us believed it to be a token2 others derided the idea4 ,but one good lady1 our next-door neighbour1 said3 ',just mark the day1 and see if something does not come of it4 ',the day and hour were carefully noted4 ,months passed away1 and unbelievers were loud in their boastings and enquiries after the token4 ,the fifth month arrived1 and with it a black-edged letter from ,australia1 announcing the death of one of the members of the family in that country4 ,on comparing the dates of the death and the raven's croak1 they were found to have occurred on the same day4' ,in an old number of ,notes and ,queries a correspondent relates that in ,somersetshire the appearance of a single jackdaw is regarded as a sure prognostication of evil4 ,he goes on to add that the men employed in the quarries in the ,avon ,gorge1 ,clifton1 ,bristol1 had more than once noticed a jackdaw perched on the chain that spanned the river1 prior to some catastrophe among them4 ,dead magpies were once hung over the doorways of haunted houses to keep away ghosts2 it being almost universally believed that all phantasms shared the same dread of this bird4 ,ghosts of magpies themselves are1 however1 far from uncommon2 on ,dartmoor and ,exmoor1 for example1 ,i have seen several of them1 generally in the immediate vicinity of bogs or deep holes4 ,witches were much attached to this bird1 and were said to often assume its shape after death4 ,magpies1 says ,mr4 ,william ,jones1 in his ,credulities1 ,past and ,present1 are mysterious everywhere4 ,a lady living near ,carlstad1 in ,sweden1 grievously offended a farm woman who came into the court of her house asking for food4 ,the woman was told 'to take that magpie hanging upon the wall and eat it4' ,she took the bird and disappeared1 with an evil glance at the lady1 who had been so ill-advised as to insult a ,finn1 whose magical powers1 it is well known1 far exceed those of the gipsies4 7,other authorities corroborate this statement2 and ,i have heard it said that the ,finns can surpass even the famous tricks of the ,indians47 ,mr4 ,jones1 in the same story1 says3 ,presently the number increased1 and the lady1 who at first had been amused1 became troubled1 and tried to drive them away by various devices4 ,all was to no purpose4 ,she could not move without a large company of magpies2 and they became at length so daring as to hop on her shoulder4 7,this reads like hallucination4 ,however1 as ,i have heard of similar cases1 in which there has been no doubt as to the objectivity of the phenomena1 ,i see no reason why these magpies should not have been objective too47 ,then she took to her bed in a room with closed shutters1 although even this was not an effectual protection1 for the magpies kept tapping at the shutters day and night4 ,mr4 ,jones adds3 ,the lady's death is not recorded2 but it is fully expected that1 die when she may1 all the magpies of ,wermland will be present at her funeral4 ,there is a house in ,great ,russell ,street1 ,w4,c41 where the hauntings take the form of a magpie that taps at one of the windows every morning between two and three1 and then appears inside the room1 perched on what looks like a huge alpine stick1 suspended horizontally in the air1 about seven feet from the floor4 ,the moment a sound is made the apparition vanishes4 ,it is thought to be the spirit of a magpie that was done to death in a very cruel manner in that room many years ago4 ,there is a story current to the effect that a lady1 when visiting the ,british ,museum one day1 happened to pass some slighting remark about one of the ,egyptian mummy cases 7not the notorious one71 and that on quitting the building she felt a sharp peck on her neck4 ,she put up her hand to the injured part1 and felt the distinct impression of a bird's claw on it4 ,she could see nothing1 however4 ,that night--and for every succeeding night for six weeks--she was awakened at two o'clock by the phantom of an enormous magpie that fluttered over the bed1 and was clearly visible to herself and her sister4 ,the phenomenon worried her so that she became ill1 and was eventually ordered abroad4 ,she went to ,cairo and enjoyed a brief respite2 the hauntings1 however1 began again1 and this time became so persistent that she at last lost her reason1 and had to be brought home and confined in a private asylum1 where she shortly afterwards died4 ,though ,i cannot vouch for the truth of this story1 ,i do think it is somewhat risky to make fun of certain of the ,egyptian relics in the ,museum4 ,they may be haunted by something infinitely more alarming than the ghosts of magpies4 ,there are many sayings respecting the magpie as a harbinger of ill luck4 ,in ,lancashire1 for example1 there is this rhyme3 ,one for anger1 two for mirth1 ,three for a wedding1 four for a birth1 ,five for rich1 six for poor1 ,seven for a witch1 ,i dare tell you no more4 ,from further north comes this couplet3 ,magpie1 magpie1 chatter and flee1 ,turn up thy tail1 and good luck fall me4 ,rooks1 again1 are very psychic birds2 they always leave their haunts near an old house shortly before a death takes place in it1 because their highly developed psychic faculty of scent enables them to detect the advent of the phantom of death1 of which they have the greatest horror4 ,a rook is of great service1 when investigating haunted houses1 as it nearly always gives warning of the appearance of the ,unknown by violent flappings of the wings1 loud croaking1 and other unmistakable symptoms of terror4 ,owls1 though no less sensitive to superphysical influence1 are not scared by it2 they and bats1 alone among the many kinds of animals ,i have tested1 take up their abode in haunted localities1 and with the utmost sang-froid appear to enjoy the presence of the ,unknown1 even in its most terrifying form4 ,the owl has been associated with the darker side of the ,unknown longer than any other bird4 ,solaque1 culminibus ferali carmine bubo4 ,saepe queri et longas in fletum ducere voces1 writes ,virgil4 ,pliny1 in describing this bird1 says1 bubo funebris et maxime abominatus2 whilst ,chaucer writes3 ,the owl eke that of death the bode ybringeth4 ,in the ,arundel family a white owl is said to be a sure indication of death4 ,that ,shakespeare attached no little importance to the fatal crying of the bird may be gathered from the scene in ,macbeth1 when the murderer asks3 ,didst thou not hear a noise8 and ,lady ,macbeth answers3 ,i heard the owl scream and the crickets cry2 and the scene in ,richard ,,iii1 where ,richard interrupts a messenger of evil news with the words3 ,out on ye1 owls6 ,nothing but songs of death8 ,gray speaks of moping owls2 ,chatterton exclaims1 ,harke6 the dethe owle loude dothe synge2 whilst ,hogarth introduces the same bird in the murder scene of his ,four ,stages of ,cruelty4 ,nor is the belief in the sinister prophetic properties of the owl confined to the white races2 we find it everywhere--among the ,red ,indians4 ,west ,africans1 ,siamese1 and ,aborigines of ,australia4 ,in ,cornwall1 and in other corners of the country1 the crowing of a cock at midnight was formerly regarded as indicating the passage of death over the house2 also if a cock crew at a certain hour for two or three nights in succession1 it was thought to be a sure sign of early death to some member of the household4 ,in ,notes and ,queries a correspondent remarks that crowing hens are not uncommon1 that their crow is very similar to the crow of a very young cock1 and must be taken as a certain presagement of some dire calamity4 ,it was generally held that in all haunted localities the ghosts would at once vanish--not to appear again till the following night--at the first crowing of the cock after midnight4 ,i believe there is a certain amount of truth in this--at all events cocks1 as ,i myself have proved1 are invariably sensitive to the presence of the superphysical4 ,the whistler is also a very psychic bird4 ,spenser1 in his ,faerie ,queene 7,book ,,ii1 canto xii1 st4 #ca71 alludes to it thus3-- ,the whistler shrill1 that whoso hears doth die2 whilst ,sir ,walter ,scott refers to it in a similar sense in his ,lady of the ,lake4 ,the yellow-hammer was formerly the object of much persecution1 since it was believed that it received three drops of the devil's blood on its feather every ,may morning1 and never appeared without presaging ill luck4 ,parrots do not appear to be very susceptible to the influence of the ,unknown1 and indicate little or no dread of superphysical demonstrations4 ,doves1 wrens1 and robins are birds of good omen1 and the many superstitions regarding them are all associated with good luck4 ,doves1 ,i have found in particular1 are very safe psychic barometers in haunted houses4 ,it is almost universally held to be unlucky to kill a robin4 ,a correspondent of ,notes and ,queries 7,fourth ,series1 vol4 viii1 p4 #eje7 remarks3 ,i took the following down from the mouth of a young miner3 ',my father killed a robin and had terrible bad luck after it4 ,he had at that time a pig which was ready for pipping2 she had a litter of seven1 and they all died4 ,when the pig was killed the two hams went bad2 presently three of the family had a fever1 and my father himself died of it4 ,the neighbours said it was all through killing the robin4' ,george ,smith1 in his ,six ,pastorals 7#aggj71 says3 ,i found a robin's nest within our shed1 ,and in the barn a wren has young ones bred2 ,i never take away their nest1 nor try ,to catch the old ones1 lest a friend should die4 ,dick took a wren's nest from the cottage side1 ,and ere a twelvemonth pass'd his mother dy'd6 ,in ,yorkshire it was once firmly believed that if a robin were killed1 the cows belonging to the family of the destroyer of the bird would1 for some time1 only give bloody milk4 ,at one time--and1 perhaps1 even now--the robin and wren1 out of sheer pity1 used to cover the bodies of those that died in the woods with leaves4 ,webster1 in his ,tragedy of ,vittoria ,corombona 7#afab71 refers to this touching habit of these birds thus3 ,call for the robin redbreast and the wren1 ,since o'er the shady groves they hover1 ,and with leaves and flowers do cover ,the friendless bodies of unburied men4 ,not so harmless is the stormy petrel1 whose advent is looked upon by sailors as a sure sign of an impending storm1 accompanied by much loss of life4 ,the vulture and eagle1 obviously on account of their ferocious dispositions1 often remain earth-bound after death1 and usually select as their haunts1 spots little frequented by man4 ,from what ,i have heard they are by far the most malignant of all bird ghosts1 and have even been known to inflict physical injury on those who have had the misfortune to pass the night within their allotted precincts4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,a ,,brief ,,retrospect ,if ,i have failed to convince my readers as to the reality of a future existence for all species of mammalia1 ,i trust ,i have at least suggested to them the idea of probability in such a theory2 for did the belief that all animals possess imperishable spirits similar to mankind only become general1 ,i feel quite sure that a marked improvement in our treatment of all the so-called brute creation--and ,god alone knows how much such an improvement is needed--would speedily result4 ,it is still only the comparative few who are kind to animals--the majority are either wholly indifferent or absolutely cruel4 ,but if children were made to realize that even insects have spirits1 they1 at least1 let us hope1 would cease to take delight in pulling off the wings and legs of flies4 ,man has hitherto entertained the ridiculously unjustifiable idea that all the animal and insect world has been created solely for his benefit1 to be killed or to be kept alive entirely at his discretion4 ,such an absurd and presumptuous belief ought to be exploded once and for all4 ,the animal world1 so all sane people must agree1 was undoubtedly created to lead the same1 free1 untrammelled life as does man himself4 ,man--save in cunning--is nothing superior either to the dog1 horse1 or other mammalia2 indeed1 he is not infrequently so inferior that one cannot help thinking that possibly the higher spiritual planes are not for him at all1 but for those who--misnamed the lower creation--have surpassed man in spirituality4 ,let those who doubt this study the superphysical all around them4 ,let them carefully watch animals1 and observe their propensities1 their psychic faculties of scent1 sight1 and hearing4 ,they can easily test them in any house or locality which has a well-established reputation for being haunted4 ,they will then see how close a relationship there really is between the animal and superphysical worlds4 ,and if they want further proof1--proof of a more material nature1--let them search around for some spot stated to be haunted by a ghostly phenomenon in the form of a dog1 horse1 cat1 or other animal1--and investigate there themselves4 ,such investigations have convinced me1 and surely1 by using these same methods with patience and perseverance1 other people might also be convinced4 ,at all events1 let them try4 ,for1 a conviction like mine--a conviction that an eternity exists for our canine pets and dumb friends--is certainly worth a lot of striving after4 ,at least so ,i think4 ,,printed ,,by ,,william ,,brendon ,,and ,,son1 ,,ltd4 ,,plymouth ,,stranger ,,than ,,fiction ,being ,tales from the ,byways of ,ghost and ,folk-lore ,by ,,mary ,l4 ,,lewes ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #bcd pp41 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,there is much curious matter in the volume well narrated4--,the ,times4 ,has a thrill on every page4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,everybody 444 likes a good ghost story1 and in the volume before us the author has many an entertaining one to tell4--,the ,globe4 ,an interesting collection 444 quite worth adding to one's library of the marvellous and mysterious4--,t4,p4,s4 ,book ,notes4 ,we have not1 for a very long time1 come across a book that interested us so much as this did4--,sheffield ,daily ,telegraph4 ,,shadows ,,cast ,,before ,an ,anthology of ,prophecies and ,presentiments ,collected and ,edited by ,,claud ,,field ,author of ,a ,dictionary of ,oriental ,quotations1 ,tales of the ,caliphs4 ,crown #hvo1 xii #bbc pp41 cloth gilt1 #bs4 #f;d4 net4 ,the present collection of anticipations fulfilled seems by its cumulative weight to supply a strong prima facie case for the view that in some men1 at any rate1 there is a sixth sense to which on occasions the future is revealed4 ,stories which range from ,cicero to ,mlle ,louisette the tight-rope dancer4 ,if you like to read about wonderful and uncanny warnings1 ',shadows ,cast ,before' is full of them4--,the ,tatler4 ,,re-,,incarnation3 ,a ,study of ,forgotten ,truth ,by ,e4,d4 ,,walker ,crown #hvo1 cloth gilt1 #cs4 #f;d4 net4 ,,contents4--,introduction--,what is ,re-incarnation8--,western ,evidences of ,re-incarnation--,western ,poets upon ,re-incarnation--,re-incarnation among the ,ancients--,re-incarnation in the ,bible--,re-incarnation in the ,east ,to-day--,eastern ,poetry of ,re-incarnation--,esoteric ,oriental ,re-incarnation--,transmigration through ,animals--,death1 ,heaven1 and ,hell3 ,what then of8--,karma1 the ,companion ,truth of ,re-incarnation--,conclusion--,appendix- -,bibliography of ,re-incarnation4 ,metempsychosis is the only anti-materialistic theory that philosophy can hearken to4--,,david ,,hume4 ,scarcely less interesting as an anthology of prose and verse extracts about ,re-incarnation from ancient and modern writers1 than as a detailed exposition of the theory itself4--,athenaeum4 ,,william ,,rider ,,and ,,son1 ,,ltd4 #h-aa ,,paternoster ,,row1 ,,london1 ,e4,c4