WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 117 



hour of the night, the white spectre of a headless 

 horse, rushing past with incredible swiftness and with- 

 out the sound of a hoof, brushes the very coat of the 

 traveller, and immediately disappears in the darkness. 

 Another lane is haunted by a white woman, whose 

 spectre crosses it in front of the spectator and then 

 appears behind him. If he turns his head or looks on 

 one side in order to escape the sight of the apparition, 

 it instantly crosses to that side. Indeed, no matter 

 in which direction he glances, the flickering figure 

 floats before him, till, making a run for it, he passes 

 beyond the limits of the haunted ground. ' 



Near by the hollow, where the stream crosses the 

 lane, is another spirit, but of an indefinite kind, that 

 does not seem to take shape, but causes those who go 

 past at the time when it has power to feel a mortal 

 horror. A black dog may be seen in at least two 

 different places : the wayfarer is suddenly surprised 

 to find a gigantic animal of the deepest jet trotting by 

 his side, or he sees a dark shadow detach itself from 

 the bushes and take the form of a dog. The black 

 dog has perhaps more vitality, and survives in more 

 localities, than all the apparitions that in the olden times 

 were sworn to by persons of the highest veracity. 

 They may still be heard of in many a nook and corner. 

 I have known people of the present day who were 

 positive that there really was " something" weird in 

 the places where the dog was said to appear. 



It is supposed that horses are peculiarly liable to 

 take fright and run away, to shy, or stumble, and break 



