at the close of the recital. "I neither saw the light, nor heard the
laughter, nor the wailing cry you speak of; but Bawsey crouched at my
feet and whined, and I knew some evil thing was at hand. Heaven
shield us!" he exclaimed, as the hound crouched at his feet, and
directed her gaze towards the oak, uttering a low ominous whine, "she
is at the same trick again."

The earl glanced in the same direction, and half expected to see the
knotted trunk of the tree burst open and disclose the figure of the
spectral hunter. But nothing was visible--at least, to him, though it
would seem from the shaking limbs, fixed eyes, and ghastly visage of
the keeper, that some appalling object was presented to his gaze.

"Do you not see him?" cried the latter at length, in thrilling accents; "he
is circling the tree, and blasting it. There! he passes us now--do you not
see him?"

"No," replied Surrey; "but do not let us tarry here longer."

So saying he laid his hand upon the keeper's arm. The touch seemed to
rouse him to exertion: He uttered a fearful cry, and set off at a quick
pace along the park, followed by Bawsey, with her tail between her
legs. The earl kept up with him, and neither halted till they had left the
wizard oak at a considerable distance behind them.

"And so you did not see him?" said the keeper, in a tone of exhaustion,
as he wiped the thick drops from his brow.

"I did not," replied Surrey.