dog trotted along
beside the sheep; but neither shepherd nor shepherdess was with them.

The domestic animals came in great terror, straight toward the wild
beasts. The cattle came with faltering step; the goats had no desire
to play or butt. The bodies of the horses were all a-quiver with
fright. The most pathetic of all was the sheep-dog. He kept his tail
between his legs and crawled on the ground.

As the creatures reached the summit and filed past the Wood-nymph, the
dean saw her lower her pine torch over one and another of them.

Every time this happened the wild beasts broke into exultant roars,
particularly when the Wood-nymph indicated a cow or some other large
creature. The animal that saw the torch turned toward it, uttered a
frightful cry, as if it had received a knife thrust in its flesh. Herd
upon herd followed, without a break in the line of procession. It was
the same with all.

Then the dean understood the meaning of what he saw. He had heard that
the animals assembled on Black's Ridge every New Year's Eve that the
Wood-nymph might mark out which of the tame beasts would that year be
eaten by the wild beasts. It was terrible! He thought of the farmers
who had so much love for their creatures.

"They would risk their own lives rather than let their cattle be
doomed by the Wood-nymph," the dean thought.

The last herd to come was the dean's own, from the rectory farm. He
heard the sound of his bell cow a long way off. The horse, too, must
have heard it, for he began to shake in every limb and was bathed in
sweat.

"So it is your turn to pass before the Wood-nymph and receive your
sentence," the dean said to the horse. "Don't be afraid. Now I know
why you brought me here, and I shall not leave you."

The beautiful cattle from the rectory farm came out of the forest and
marched to the Wood-nymph and the wild beasts. Last in line was the
horse. The dean did not leave the saddle, but let the animal take him
to the Wood-nymph.

The dean had nothing for his defence, but he had taken out his book of
prayers and sat pressing it to his heart. At first he seemed
unnoticed, but his cattle filed by and the Wood-nymph did not lower
her pine torch toward any of these. When the faithful horse stepped
forward, though, she made a movement to mark him for death.

Instantly the dean held up his book of prayers, and the torch light
fell on its cover. The Wood-nymph uttered a loud, shrill cry; and the
torch droppe