tress."

"'And thou shalt not erect a temple to Dagon, but cut him down to the
stumps,'" said Amimadab.

"Hush, hush, man. Our servants are all in terror. They say that Ady is
right, for that they have seen him in about the skirts of Balgay woods,
and down in the hollow of the ravine, moving about like a spirit of
darkness, with something white round his head, and a wide cloak wrapped
about him."

Aminadab had just taken up a large tankard of ale, wherewith he intended
to make a clean sweep of his hearty supper down his throat; but he
paused, laid down the tankard, turned pale, shook, and looked wistfully
into the face of his chieftainess. Nor did he speak a word, because some
idea had probably magnetized his tongue at the wrong end, and the other
would not move.

"Ady says, and so do the servants, that he has no shadow; and we should
think he shouldn't, because our ghosts hereaway have none that ever I
heard of. But that's a lie of their foolish religion; for I could swear
I one night saw his shadow flit like that of a sun-dial, when the sun's
in a hurry to get the curtains round his head, away past the east end of
the house, and disappear in a moment. But I'll tell you what, Aminadab,
he may, like our spirits, be a shadow himself. I could hardly speak for
fear, though five minutes before I had as good a tankard of that
Logie-brewed as you have before you; but I got my tongue through the ale
at the other end o't, and cried out with Zechariah, wherein I was
something like you, Aminadab, 'Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the
land of the north.'"

"That would stump his Dagonship," said Aminadab, with an effort to be
cheerful in spite of the foresaid idea, whatever it was. "Ay," he
continued, after drinking off the tankard, and getting courage and wit
at same time, "a line from the Bible is just like a rifle-shot in the
hinder-end of these false gods. They can't stand it nohow."

"And you've stumpt me," replied the cook, "with the chopping-knife of
your folly, so that I don't know where to find my legs again. It was a
year after he came to Logie before another half-and-half was born--a boy
too; and then there came a change over Mr. Fletcher's mind. There's
something strange about those English that live long in India. I've
noticed it when I was in London, in George's house; but it's all from
the liver," continued the cook. "First grilled upon the ribs, then
cooled with champagne, then healed up with curry, chiles,