, they would have galloped off in an opposite direction. Directly
afterwards, a bright light burst forth from the wood and a spectacle
appeared sufficient to make even a stout heart, with any tendency to
superstitious feelings, tremble. From among the trees, just beyond the
light, appeared, flitting in and out, some twenty or thirty blanched
skeletons, throwing their bony arms and legs with the greatest rapidity
into every conceivable attitude. Now they disappeared in the darkness,
now again they darted into light; round and round they went, now seeming
to sink into the ground, now leaping into the air, and often turning
head over heels. All the time not a sound proceeded from the
phantom-looking dancers. The Gilpins could scarcely help fancying
themselves under some delusion. They rubbed their eyes.

"What is it?" exclaimed Arthur. "Horrible! most horrible! Do you see
the skeletons?"

"Indeed I do," answered his brother; "but such things cannot be--are
not--at all events."

Sam Green had hitherto been engaged with the horses; he now came up to
the point where the hideous spectacle was visible, and no sooner did his
eyes rest on it than he exclaimed, "Run, squires, run! If it was mortal
foes I'd stick by ye; but that's more than any mortal man can dare to
face. Oh! this is a terrible country, where the people cannot lie quiet
in graves, but must needs go skipping about without any flesh on their
bones."

"The hoighth of ondacency!" cried out Larry, in a voice which showed
very little, if any, alarm. "Murra, go and tell your ugly countrymen
that they are frightening the horses, and that they must turn their
other sides to us till we have passed."

This order was given to the guide, who ran fearlessly up to the spot
where the skeleton dance was proceeding, and no sooner did he reach it
than the whole vanished like magic.

"It's only some black fellows dancing a Corroborry," said the Irishman,
laughing; "you needn't be in such a mighty tremble, Sam. We haven't the
shred of a ghost out here; there may be some in the old country, but
they're not fond of the salt sea, and couldn't cross it, not if they
were paid for it, except they came out at the expense of the Government,
like some other honest gintlemen I've heard spake of."

The horses, however, were still very unwilling to proceed, and it was
some time before they could be coaxed past the suspicious spot; they
then set off at increased speed to get aw