n space was reached;
here, at all events, he might be secure from falling branches, though
not from the lightning, which was darting in every direction.

He had almost lost hope of getting out of the wood that night. Wet as
he was, he must camp out on the bare ground. He was searching for a
spot where he might dismount and tether his horse, when again the animal
started; this time, however, it was not at a flash of lightning. James
looked round, when, about a dozen yards from him, he saw, as if
endeavouring to conceal himself behind the gnarled stem of an aged gum
tree of gigantic proportions, the very figure Johnstone had described to
him the previous evening. At first he thought that his imagination must
have deceived him; the light was uncertain, and his eyes had been
dazzled by the lightning. Still, he could not be mistaken: there was
the human face, the glaring eyeballs, the matted hair and beard, and the
dress of skins and rags. The figure moved its arms and made threatening
gestures at him. "I must know whether this is reality or imagination,"
he said to himself, again urging on his horse towards the tree under
which the seeming figure stood. As he did so, the threatening gestures
became more vehement, and, as he continued to advance, a loud, unearthly
shriek rang through the forest, and the unhappy maniac, for such without
doubt he was, fled away into its depths, his cries echoing amidst the
trees till they grew faint in the distance. This incident did not
contribute to make the prospect of camping out in that wild spot
pleasant. Still, James Gilpin had no choice, and his mind was too well
trained to allow him to be made anxious by unnecessary apprehensions.
The only thing he dreaded was the possibility of the maniac returning,
and, perhaps, should he drop asleep, committing some violence on him.
Both rain and lightning had ceased, and having tethered his horse in a
grassy spot, where the animal might find food, he bethought him of the
possibility of lighting a fire. Under the trees there was no lack of
fuel, and with the last remnant of daylight he collected enough to serve
him till the morning. Under the lee side of the trees, also, he scraped
together enough dry leaves and small twigs and bark to raise a blaze and
dry the wet wood. He looked up very frequently, as was natural, to
ascertain that the maniac was not near him. With flint, steel, and
gunpowder he quickly raised a blaze; his kettle was