t howl with
all your might, and leave the rest to me."

After a while, when it was quite dark, so that we could scarcely see
our horses' heads, the Doctor proposed that I should take Hinds, and
"ride on as hard as we could, and tell Mrs. Springer to have supper
ready for us; and," said he, "let the old man tap the whiskey I
forwarded to his house last week. We will follow you at our leisure;
for my friend is not used to travel after dark on such roads as these."

We accordingly rode on smartly, till we could perceive a slight
glimmering of light through the trees, which we knew to be Springer's
clearing. We then halted, one on each side of the road, but entirely
concealed from view by the thick underbrush. As soon as we heard the
party coming, we set up a most unearthly yell, which made the woods
fairly ring again. We could hear the Doctor cry out, "The wolves! the
wolves! ride for your life, man," and he then galloped off in the
direction from which they had just come.

Poor Smith shouted after him at the top of his voice, imploring the
Doctor, for God's sake, not to leave him. "Oh Lord!" we heard him say,
as he rode after the Doctor, "I shall surely be devoured by the
ravenous wretches. Help--help! Doctor--stop!" and such like piteous
ejaculations.

The Doctor, who had ridden ahead, as soon as he heard his victim
approach, commenced in the same key as we had done before, and a dismal
howling we all made. Fear now compelled poor Smith to wheel the mare
round and ride back, whereupon we again greeted him with a second
edition, even--if that were possible--more diabolical than the first,
which terminated the fun sooner than we expected; for, losing all
presence of mind, he let his steed get off the track into the woods,
and, consequently, he was swept off by the branches. We heard him fall
and roar for help, which we left the Doctor to administer, and made the
best of our way to Springer's, where, half an hour after, we were
joined by our fellow-travellers, one of whom had scarcely recovered
from his fright, and still looked as pale as a ghost. Two or three
glasses of whiskey-punch, however, soon restored him to his natural
complexion.

I do not know if he ever found out the trick we had so successfully
played him; but if he did, he kept it to himself, rightly judging that
if the story got wind he would never hear the last of it.

Springer had only one spare bed, which we resigned in favour of the
accountant, as