THE DENSCHMAN'S HAD. 163 



carry her over earth, or wings to fly through air. To 

 be sure the boat had both feet and wings of a kind, 

 but these were of use on the ocean alone. And she 

 was gone — oars and sails too ! Doubtless, her flight 

 had been on her native element; but some man's 

 hand must have spread her wings or moved her feet. 

 Then who had stolen the udaller's boat ? No Hialt- 

 lander to be sure ! Eobbery was never the vice of 

 those islanders ; moreover, such a theft could have 

 been brought home to a native easily. 



One fisherman, more acute than his neighbours, 

 whispered : " None but the Denschman has done 

 this : " and with common assent, all echoed : " The 

 Denschman has done this." 



Boats instantly put off and sped to Flubersgerdie, 

 where confirmation of those suspicions was not wanting. 

 The Denschman was no longer in the cave. He had 

 been there, hale and terrible, on the previous evening ; 

 he had vanished that morning, and left no trace behind. 

 " It must have been the Evil One himself," said the 

 folk ; and there was gloom in the isle, trembling, and 

 much fear, for all expected that ere long the Densch- 

 man would descend upon Unst, and, fired by revenge, 

 deal worse havoc than even that of former days. 



But days and weeks went past, and nothing further 

 was known of the Denschman or the udaller's boat, 

 and still the people feared their ancient foe and looked 

 for his return. None doubted that he survived. The 

 man who could live in unabated vigour through a 



