FEBRUARY 303 



couldn't see the manner on't ; all I can swear to is 

 that a went. 



" I ups an' outs to the shed, an' got an axe an' a 

 peck an' spade, fer the marnin' was breakin' by then. 

 The snow'd disappeared like a merracle, an' the 

 ground under the tree was all of a mash, so I 

 knowed 'twas a real ghost as had made it ready fer 

 ma. But first I had to cut down the thorn tree, an' 

 I set to wi' a will, bein' amindted to get the money 

 an' set out fer home. But when I laid the axe 

 athurt the stem I knowed 'twas bewitched. It 

 weren't a fellin' sound as that there axe made ; it 

 rang like as if 'twas iron it was meetin'. Then I 

 knowed that the ghost had been a-gammuttin' on 

 ma, and that I shouldn't never see that gold. An' 

 sure 'nough, wi'out a word o' warnin', he catched 

 ma up, an' swep' ma back to the cottage an' in at 

 winder, an' left ma belabourin' the kitchen kettle 

 wi' the poker." 



" But where was the axe?" asked Jim, with a 

 grave face. 



" He'd a-changed it into a poker." 



" But isn't it possible that you dreamt it all ? 

 You woke up from a bad dream and found the 

 poker in your hand." 



" 'Twas worse'n that," said Sterculus ; " it weren't 

 on'y that he'd 'chanted me an' the axe too ; he dood 

 worse'n that." 



"What did he do?" 



" There was a hole in the kettle's side, an' the 

 water all a-runnin' on to the floor. It fair mammered 

 ma. I knowed what I'd ha' done to arra man as 

 treated my kettle like that ; an' I wouldn't stop to 



