strode boldly into the lane. It was not long, however, before the fumes of the ale began to evaporate, and as they disappeared, certain vague apprehensions took the place of the false courage which had so far supported him. All the tales which he had heard came crowding into his mind. He remembered, too, his own vaporings about ghosts and hobgoblins, and particularly about Derrick, and was not a little cowed at the recollection of the rash courage which he had showed in daylight. He kept a stealthy watch on the dim hedges at the road-side, and, several times, fancied that he saw a dusky figure flitting before him, but it always proved to be a bush or a rock. There was no sound to break the echo of his own footfall, except the creaking noise of the thousand insects which darkness had awakened into life. He cleared his throat loudly, and looked up toward the sky, but the interlaced branches shut out the stars, and overhead it looked as black as midnight, The sides of the road, too, were completely shut in by trees over-run by scrambling vines. He began to doubt whether it would not be better to retrace his steps, and spend the night under the hospitable roof of Tommy Croft; but he recollected the shrill-tongued sister at home, who had set her face against vagabondizing and rantipoling of all kinds, under both of which heads she particularly classed all indulgences which conduced to irregularity or lateness of hours, Zadoc thought of this, If he braved the dark lane, he might escape its perils; if he did not, a warm reception at home was certain, "Egad!" thought he, "if I but had Betsey Town here to back me, I'd like to see Derrick tackle her! He’d catch a Tartar!"
Had he been elsewhere, he would have chuckled at the idea of such an encounter; but it was no time nor place for laughing, for he was at the very spot the ghost was said to make its appearance, and he was debating in his mind as to the propriety of taking to his heels when he was arrested by a voice at the road-side calling out, "Mr. Town, I'm waiting for you!"
Zadoc's knees shook under him, but before he could rouse him he was jerked off his feet, and whisked over the fence by a power which he could not resist.
"Follow!" said the voice.
Zadoc saw, in front of him, the dim outline of a figure gliding
