of mischievous little sprites, who shriek
with laughter at you all the time, and from sheer wickedness delight in
leading you into all the marshy places, the prickily 'fuz'-bushes, and
rough boulders they can find, and nearly die of laughter when you prick or
bump yourself, or get stuck in the mud.

John was thoroughly frightened, and thoroughly out of temper, and was
meditating how he could punish his little tormentors, when suddenly from
all sides rose a shrill cry. "Ho and away for Par Beach! Ho and away for
Par Beach! Ho and away for Par Beach!"

Hardly knowing what he was doing John shouted, too. "Ho and away for Par
Beach!" he yelled at the top of his voice, and almost before he had said
the words he was caught high up in the air, and in another minute found
himself on the great stretch of sands at Par. As soon as they had
recovered their breath the piskies all formed up in rings and began to
dance as fast as their little feet could move, and John with them.

"Ho and away for Squire Tremaine's cellar!" The shrill cry rang out
again, even as they danced. John again repeated the cry, and in a flash
found himself in the cellars at Heligan,--Squire Tremaine's place,--with
his mischievous little companions swarming all over them. John felt no
fear of them now. He joined them in all their pranks, and had a good time
running from cask to cask, and bottle to bottle, opening everything and
tasting the contents of most.

John at last became so confused he could not remember who he was or where
he was; in fact, he was so confused and so sleepy that when the piskies
called out, "Ho and away for Par Beach!" try as he would he could not
speak, so the piskies flew off, and John was left behind alone.

John did not mind it in the least, at first, for it was much more pleasant
in the shelter of the cellar, with plenty of wine to warm him, than it
would be out on the desolate sands at Par, where the wind blows keenly
enough to take one's ears off. John did mind, though, the next morning,
when the butler came and discovered him. He was groping his way between
two rows of casks, trying to find his way to Luxulyan, he explained to the
butler, but the butler, instead of putting him in the right road, led him
at once to Squire Tremaine's study, where John told the wonderful story of
his adventures.

Strangely enough, though, neither the Squire nor anyone else would believe
a word of them, and without any consideration f