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"What do you mean?" demanded Legge. "Come into this room. Now, then, what do you mean by a ghost?"

"Pray give me some water," said the poor man, faintly. "Please give me some water."

"Here, take some of this," said Pokey, offering his glass; "it'll do you a little more good."

The poor man drank from Pokey's glass, and appeared to approve of the flavour of its contents.

"Now, then," said Legge, "what was it that alarmed you?"

"A ghost," replied the traveller. "I never saw one before in all my life."

"Are you sure it was a ghost?" inquired Pokey.

"Quite," replied the traveller—"oh, quite sure."

"You don't think it was a man dressed up like a ghost?"

"If it was, he ought to be shot. But I can't think it was: no, I don't think that that was any man."

"Nor do I," observed Pokey.

"What, have you seen him then?"

"Yes; I saw him about half-an-hour ago: we all saw him. He had an umbrella then. Had he one when you saw him?"

"No, he'd no umbrella. But it struck me—though, of course, it couldn't be—but it struck me that he had a cigar in his mouth smoking."

"Then it is a man!" cried Legge. "Whereabouts did you see him?"

"Just down the road, there. He's not a hundred yards from us now."

"Then as true as I'm alive," said Legge, "if any one will go with me, I'll see what he's made of!"

"Indeed," said Mrs. Legge, "you'll do nothing of the sort."

"Will you go, Drant?"

"I don't think it worth while," replied Obadiah. "Not that I'm a mite afraid—only I don't exactly think it worth while."

"Well, will you go, Pokey?"

"I tell you I don't think it is a man at all. If I did, I'd go at once, but I don't."

"That's no man," observed the traveller.

"Not a bit of it!" cried Pokey. "If I thought it was I'd go in a moment."

"I'll go!" cried Quocks.

"Then come along," said Legge; "come along!" and, despite the remonstrances of Mrs. Legge, they started.

On reaching the road, they looked cautiously round. Legge was armed with a thick stick, and Quocks with a poker; and, doubtless, had they seen any ghost at that moment, they would have attacked him; but they didn't: they walked down the road, and all was still; but just as they came within sight of the cottage, they saw the same figure glide slowly towards the door, and apparently vanish through one of the panels.

"No man could do that," observed Quocks, "that's quite clear."

"Strange," said Legge, mysteriously; "very strange, indeed."