no " MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE ! " 



would obviously have to get down and lift Jester to the 

 surface, for he was standing over rat -holes in some far 

 corner, and we could not even see him. A small boy 

 named Arbuthnot was brought, and him we let down 

 through the floor, with a candle to enable him to see. He 

 found two dead rats and handed them up, and then 

 secured Jester and restored him to us ; but in looking 

 round, before he himself ascended, he saw that there 

 was a brick out in the partition wall between Still's 

 and Stevenson's study. This he reported to us, and it 

 was the causa causans of Stevenson's ghost. 



Whose was the first idea of the ghost it matters not. 

 The details were quickly worked out. Jester was handed 

 through one of the outer windows to Knight, who was 

 waiting outside, and, once rid of him, we proceeded to 

 serious work. The rats were also thrown through the 

 outer window ; and then a rug was put down through 

 the floor and Arbuthnot, once more descending, with his 

 candle, reclined on the rug. He was provided with 

 half a broom-handle and a long paper funnel ; and signals 

 were arranged by which he should know when to operate 

 and when to stop. These signals were simply the whistling 

 of two different tunes. A third tune meant that he should 

 put out his candle. 



All this being settled, we replaced the boards in Still's 

 study, and the carpet over them, then, leaving the door 

 wide open, with the lamp burning, repaired to my study 

 on the other side of Stevenson's. The first signal had 

 been given and Arbuthnot, having poked the broom- 

 handle through the aperture in the partition wall, proceeded 

 to rap solemnly under Stevenson's floor. We could hear 

 him poor chap ! jump up with a sudden exclamation, 

 and then, as instructed, Arbuthnot groaned through the 

 paper funnel, which he had also passed alongside the broom- 

 handle. In another moment Stevenson had rushed into 

 the passage, and, seeing no one in Still's study, came at 

 once to mine. He was much agitated, and we affected 

 to think he must be dreaming, but went with him to his 



