his
legs, and pulling it very hard, which brought his face into a lot of
brambles, "we're making a mess of this business."

"Murder!" shouted the admiral; "you are indeed. Is that what you call
pulling me out of it? You've stuck me fast."

"I'll manage it," said Jack. "I've seed him in many a scrape, and I've
seed him out. You pull me, doctor, and I'll pull him. Yo hoy!"

Jack laid hold of the admiral by the scuff of the neck, and the doctor
laid hold of Jack round the waist, the consequence of which was that he
was dragged out from the branches of the tree, which seemed to have been
thrown into the room, and down fell both Jack and the doctor.

At this instant there was a strange hissing sound heard below the
window; then there was a sudden, loud report, as if a hand-grenade had
gone off. A spectral sort of light gleamed into the room, and a tall,
gaunt-looking figure rose slowly up in the balcony.

"Beware of the dead!" said a voice. "Let the living contend with the
living, the dead with the dead. Beware!"

The figure disappeared, as did also the strange, spectral-looking light.
A death-like silence ensued, and the cold moonbeams streamed in upon the
floor of the apartment, as if nothing had occurred to disturb the
wrapped repose and serenity of the scene.

CHAPTER LIX.

THE WARNING.--THE NEW PLAN OF OPERATION.--THE INSULTING MESSAGE FROM
VARNEY.

[Illustration]

So much of the night had been consumed in these operations, that by the
time they were over, and the three personages who lay upon the floor of
what might be called the haunted chamber of Bannerworth Hall, even had
they now been disposed to seek repose, would have had a short time to do
so before the daylight would have streamed in upon them, and roused them
to the bustle of waking existence.

It may be well believed what a vast amount of surprise came over the
three persons in that chamber at the last little circumstance that had
occurred in connection with the night's proceedings.

There was nothing which had preceded that, that did not resemble a
genuine attack upon the premises; but about that last mysterious
appearance, with its curious light, there was quite enough to bother the
admiral and Jack Pringle to a considerable effect, whatever might be the
effect upon Mr. Chillingworth, whose profession better enabled him to
comprehend, chemically, what would produce effects that, no doubt,
astonished them amazingly.

What with his i