t till he
was in the chimney, crouching behind Anderson, that the thought of
killing his fellow-students had entered his mind. The heat of his
hiding-place, acting on an already overworked brain, hastened on the
madness; and his fingers closing on a clasped knife in one of his
pockets, inspired him with a desire to kill.

"The work once begun, he had argued with himself, would have to be
continued, and he had then and there decided that all unruly
undergraduates should be exterminated.

"With what measure of success this determination was carried out need
not be recapitulated here; but with regard to the phantom dog a few
words may be added. Since it appeared immediately before the committal
of each of the three murders I have just recorded (it was seen by Mr.
Kelly before the death of Bob Anderson; by Brady, before the murder of
Maguire; and by Hartnoll, before Brady was murdered), I think there can
neither be doubts as to its existence nor as to the purport of its
visits.

"Moreover, its latest appearance in the University, reported to me quite
recently, preceded a serious outbreak of fire."

_National Ghosts in the form of Dogs_

One of the most notorious dog ghosts is the Gwyllgi in Wales. This
apparition, which is of a particularly terrifying appearance, chiefly
haunts the lane leading from Mousiad to Lisworney Crossways.

Belief in a spectral dog, however, is common all over the British Isles.
The apparition does not belong to any one breed, but appears equally
often as a hound, setter, terrier, shepherd dog, Newfoundland and
retriever. In Lancashire it is called the "Trash" or "Striker"; Trash,
because the sound of its tread is thought to resemble a person walking
along a miry, sloppy road, with heavy shoes; Striker, because it is said
to utter a curious screech which may be taken as a warning of the
approaching death of some relative or friend. When followed the phantom
retreats, glaring at its pursuer, and either sinks into the ground with
a harrowing shriek, or disappears in some equally mysterious manner.

In Norfolk and Cambridgeshire this spectre is named the "Shuck," the
local name for Shag--and is reported to haunt churchyards and other
dreary spots.

In the parish of Overstrand, there used to be a lane called "Shuck's
Lane," named after this phantasm.

Round about Leeds the spectre dog is called "Padfoot," and is about the
size of a donkey, with shaggy hair and large eyes like saucers. My
f