Sentence:  "Folklore often portrays <WSD>barghests</WSD> as guardians who lead lost travelers home," I said, not answering his question in the least, or mentioning that more often <WSD>barghests</WSD> were considered portents of death. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A legendary monstrous black dog, said to possess large teeth and claws, and (sometimes) to be capable of changing form.