80 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



Another groan, rather louder than before. *' Come," 

 says Jack, " matters is getting rather serious ; something 

 must be done." Jack did'nt fancy opening the door by 

 any means again, so he thought of the key -hole ; look- 

 ing through cautiously, he could only see something 

 white, but at that precise moment the ghost could not 

 suppress a chuckle, to think how he was frightening poor 

 Jack. " Well," thinks Jack, " I did'nt know that ghosts 

 laughed as well — I have it now, 'tis that fool Thomas. 

 Well, Mr. Thomas, I'll see if I don't make you groan to 

 some purpose presently ;" so Jack takes hold of the 

 twitch, a short stick with a bit of cord at the end. " Now 

 for my game." He accordingly opened the door very 

 cautiously, as if afraid to look out, and the ghost, em- 

 boldened by success, popped his head in with a " boo !" 

 " Take that for your boo, then," said Jack, and down 

 came the twitch with all his might upon the ghost's head ; 

 a real groan followed, and down went Mr. Thomas, 

 tablecloth and all. It was a settler. Jack dashed a 

 bucket of water over him, to bring him to^ and the dis- 

 comfitted Thomas made his appearance at the supper 

 table in a pitiable plight, and with a broken head into 

 the bargain. Thus ended all about the ghost stories, 

 and Jack rose in the estimation of the fair for his^courage. 

 This affair, however, rather increased Jack's conceit, and 

 my father threatened to make out his travelling ticket 

 more than once or twice. At last it was done, and poor 

 Jack left us all, in sorrow. In despair he enlisted in a 

 marching regiment, which embarked for India, and we 

 never heard of or saw him again. Alas ! poor Jack, how 

 many a gay and gallant lad like thee, seduced by that 

 phantom. Glory, has left liis bones to moulder in a 

 foreign land ! 



