2294 OUR WOODLAND TREES. 
sound, however, is uttered as the figures move, 
as it were, sullenly to the knoll top. 
At this moment we hear a husky tread in our 
rear, and, turning and looking below us, we 
descry the ghostly party with their Will-o’-the- 
Wisp accompaniment ; who, having traversed their 
circuitous path, are entering the bottom of the 
knoll, and moving to the same point of the hill to 
which the other dusky figures are proceeding. 
Turning again to watch the progress of the latter, 
what is our astonishment to find that they have 
suddenly disappeared ! 
Mystery of mysteries! We look intently in all 
directions, straining our eyes painfully in the 
endeavour to discern if but the dusky outline of 
some retreating form. The moon at this moment, 
relieved from the obscuration of a passing cloud, 
lights up the bosky avenues all around us. But 
no human shape can we see; and the only sound 
which reaches our ears—a rustling sound of 
feet upon grass—comes from below, where anon 
we saw the ghostly visitors from the churchyard 
enter the copse. But now a curious motion in 
the Tree tops near us, anda curious light which 
