his limbs and joints, and found that no bones were broken, while my uncle
questioned him; and he told us in broken words that his horse had taken
fright in the forest at a flash of lightning, had thrown him, and then
dragged him through the brushwood; it was his man's nag which, as it
fell, he had taken out that evening, and it was roaming now about the
woods.

He had scarce ended his tale, when one of the warders of the dungeon and
the gate-keeper rushed in with the tidings that one of the prisoners, and
that the young wench, had escaped, although the door of the keep was
locked and the window barred. She was clearly a witch, and only one
thing was possible; namely that she had flown through the barred window,
after the manner of witches on a broomstick, or in the shape of a bird,
a bat, or an owl; nay, this was as good as certain, inasmuch as that the
watchman had seen a wraith in the woods at about the hour of midnight,
and the same face had appeared to the kennel-keeper. Both swore they had
crossed themselves thereat, and said many paternosters. The other
captives bore witness to the same, declaring that the wench had never
been one of them, but had joined herself unawares to their company last
midsummer eve, without saying whence, or whither she would go. She had
flown off some hours since in the form of a monstrous vampire, but had
fallen upon them first with tooth and nail; and albeit they were an evil-
disposed crew their tale seemed truthful, whereas they were covered with
many scratches which were not caused by the torture.

At these tidings my brother lost all heart, and fell back in the arm-
chair as pale as ashes. I was presently left alone with him; but he
answered nothing to my questions, and meseemed he slept. As day dawned
I was chilled with the cold, so, inasmuch I could do nothing to help him,
I went down stairs. There I found our gentlemen taking leave, for one