He jogged along, however, quite comfortably, and
had just reached the end of Mewker's fence, when
he saw a figure on horseback, emerging from the
little lane that ran down, behind the gai-den, to the
pond at the back of the house. The apparition
had a sort of red cape around its shoulders ; a sol-
dier-cap, with a tall plume (very like the one the
Captain used to wear on parade), was upon its
head ; in its hand was a long, formidable-looking
staff ; and the horse of the spectre was enveloped
in a white saddle-cloth, that hung down almost to
the ground. "What was remarkable, Old Shatter,
as if possessed with the devil, actually drew out of
the road toward the stranger, and gave a whinny,
which was instantly responded to in the most fright-
ful tones by the horse of the spectre. Almost par-
alyzed, the Captain suffered the apparition to



Captain Belgeave. 309

approach liim. What a face it had ! Long masses
of hair, like tow, waved around features that
Beemed to have neither shape nor color. Its face
seemed like a face of brown paper, so formless and
flat was it, with great hideous eyes and a mouth of
intolerable width. As it approached, the figure
seemed to have a convulsion — ^it rolled so in the
saddle ; but, recovering, it drew up beside the
shaft, and, whirling its long staff, brought such a
whack upon Shatter's flank, that the old horse
almost jumped out of his harness. Away went the
wagon and the Captain, and away went the spectre
close behind ; fences, trees, bushes, dust, whirled
in and out of sight ; bridges, sedges, trout-brooks,
mills, willows, copses, plains, in moonlight and
shadow, rolled on and on ; but not an inch was lost
or won ; there, behind the wagon, was the goblin
with his long plume bending, and waving, and
dancing, and his staff whirling with terrible mena-
ces. On, and on, and on, and ever and anon the
goblin steed gave one of those frightful whinnies
that seemed to tear the very air with its dissonance.
