The Shasta courier., 1866-07-21
numbed hands, and felt oppressed. There

numbed hands, and felt oppressed. There
was good cheer; there were mummers in
quaint devices of all sorts, hobby horses, and
what not but there was no mirth.
About six in the forenoon Sir Ralph came
into the hall and glanced angrily round up
on his guests, and his indignation broke out
in storm of reproach. Was his bounty to,be
churlishly received by these binds? Had John
the Sluter, and Roger the miller, and Jack
the Woodman, and Hobbe O. the Leghes,
come there to feast or funeral? Were
blind man s.buff, hot cookies, and bob ap-
ale, too poor sport for these gentry? Was
not the Christmas pie large enough cr good
enough for their tastes? Bv his halidome
it should 90 hard but he would teach them
better manners
While the angry knight was thus address.
ing his guests-guests who stood appalled,
before him-one of the mummers, little
fellow, clad in black. with mask having
horns, and, besides, long tail with a tiuke
TO it, cautiously crept out of the group, and
stealing unperceived behind the angry host,
seized him by his cloak, and tripped him on
the floor Sir Ralph had never IN his whole
life been so humiliated Every face about
| him turned white at the spectacle. lie re.
gained his feet in an instant, and catching
up stout oaken cudgel, dealt about him
with no weak hand. The guests flew be
fore him in dismay, and were chased round
and round the hall in the utmost confusion.
Some fell, some escaped into the open air;
| but the black hummer neither tell nor ned
He was, or rather seemed to be, everywhere
at once. He was safely in corner one mo,
ment, and Sir H5lph was making sure of
him, when out and away was he, dextrously
4 l,a4x knIGhtG
legs, perhaps upsetting him, perhaps for an
instant, leaping on his back--here, there,
everywhere, making the hall ring with his
shrilI laughter.
Al last no more than a dozen of the guests
remained, with the exception Of those who
were badly hurt and lay sroaning on the floor
Sir Ralph paused to take breath and look
about him. There, in the music gallery,
with his legs hanging over the front, sat the
black hummer, swaying his body to and fro
and laughing as if he was witness OF the
drollest affair he had ever seen IN his liie
Pull down the roguel' called out Sir
Ralph. Guard the stair. Some of you
seize him. By the Rood, he shall pay for
his sport !" The figure leaped from the
gallery. and stood face to tuce with the
knight Sir Ralph raised his cudgel and
aimed Il stout blow, but the knave avoided It,
Again Sir Ralph strove to strike, with the
same result. Then. in shrill voice, heard
distinctly over the hall, the black figure
cried
1.-The heriot the heriot Sir Ralph. |
came to tell thee thy liege lord would take
his heriot at Easter" And with these
words and a diabolical laugh the figure van
ished.
Sir Ralph hastily quilted the hall. He
was troubled. lIurriedly he sent for his
priest. What passed between them is un-
known Next morning the widow 's.cow was
returned to her; in the course of the day
assistance was sent to her from Sir Ralph's
almonry. He became charitable. He
attentive to his religious duties. He forbade
any allusion to what had occurred on Christ
mas night; but as the year advanced he was
noticed to change in other respects he be
came weak. the rigorous fast OF Lent told on
him, and at Easter he died.
Such is the popular tradition of the Black
Knight of Ashton. 1t is related by various
authorities with different oellishments,
and its explanation is sometimes supernatu
raj, and occasionally the reverse. Who was
the strange yisi;;:c.rr-the black mummer, with
his quaint antics and dreadful meSsage?-
The Evil One, say some; Boggart' full
of mischief, say others; only few incline to
the opinion, which to us appears the most
other than the idiot boy-wtless enough,
but not so " daft" as to be capr5le of the
concoction and execution of an ingenious
trick mad enough, doubtless, but with
'' method in his madness"