The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-06

discreet and of good repute, would ever
avoid him. Tor she reared his evil name.
So II came 10 pass LnaI one Mlcha e!maS
this Hugo, with tive six OF his idle
and wicked companions. stole down upon
the farm and carried lne maiden. her
father and brothers peins from home as
he we'll knew. When they had brought
her to the Hall the maiden was placed in
an upper chamber while Hugo and his
friends sat down to a long carouse, as
was their nightly custom. Now. the poor
lass upstairs was like to have her wits
turned At the singing and shouting and
terrible oaths which came up to her
from below, for they say that the words
used by Hugo Basvervn,e. when he was
Of her fear she did that might have
the man who said them. at last in stress
OF her fear she did that which have
daunted the bra,vest or most active man.
for by the aid of the growth of ivy which
covered (and still covers) the south wall
she came down from under the caves,
and so homeward across the moor. them
being three leagues betwiXt the Hall and
her fathers farm.
1t CHANGED that some little time later
Hugo left his guests to carry food and
drink-with other worse things, per-
chance to his captive. and SO found the
cage empty and the bird escaped. Then,
as it would seem, he became as one that
hath a devil, for, rushing down stairs
into the dininS-hall, he sprang upon the
great table, agonS and trenchers flying
before him. anu he cried aloud before all
the company that be would that very
night render his body and soul to the
Powers of EVIL if might but overtake
the wench. And while the jewellers stood
aghast a the fury of the man, one more
wicked or, it may be, more drunken
than the rest, cried out that they should
ran from the house. crying to his grnoms
that they should saddle his mare and I'M
kennel the pack. and giving the hounds
a kerchief of the maids he swung them
to the line. and so off full cry In the
moonlight over the moor.
Now for some space the jewellers
stood agape unable to understand all
that h. q been done in such haste. But
anon their bemused wits awoAe to the
nature of the deed which was like to be
done upon the moorlands. Everything
was now in an uproar, some calling for
their pistols, some for their horses and
some for another flask of wine. But at
length some sense came back to their
crazed minds, and the whole of them,
thirteen in number. took horse and start
ed in pursuit. The moon shone clean
above them and they rode swiftly abreast,
taking that course which the maid must
OWE home.
They had gone a mile or two when
they passed one of the night shepherds
upon the noorlands. and they cried to
him to know if he had seen the hunt
And the man, as the story goes. was SO
crazed with fear that he could scarce
speak, but at last he said that he had in
deed seen tho unhappy maiden, with the
hounds upon her track. But I have
seen more than that said he. for Hugo
Baskerville passed me upon his black
mare and there ran mute behind him
such a hound of hell as God forbid should
ever be at my heels. So the drunken
squires cursed the shepherd and rode on
wards. But soon their skins turned cold.
for their came a gallopins across the
moor. and the black mare, dabbled with
froth, went past with trailing bride and
empty saddle. Then the jewellers rode
close together. for a great fear was on
them, but they still followed over the
moor. though each, had he been alone
would have been right glad to have
turned his horses head. Riding slowly
in this fashion they came at last upon
the hounds These, though known for
valour and their breed. were whimper-
ing in a cluster at the head of deep dip
or goyal. as we call it. upon the moo,
some sinking away and some with star
ing eyes. gazing down the narrow valley
before them.
The company had come to halt. more
sober men, as You may guess. than
when they started. The most of them
would by no means advance, but three
of them. the boldest. or it may be the
most drunken, rode forward down the
goyal. Now. 1t opened into a broad space
in which stood two of those great stones.
still to be seen there. which were set by
certain forgotten peoples in the days Of
old The moon was shining bright upon
the clearing. and there il the centre lay