ut and sturdy, and understood the knack of travelling
much better than our women do. She expressed a wish that, for the sake
of expedition, James Gray would suffer her to bear him along, a motion to
which the latter agreed; and a few minutes brought them close to the
scene of Ben Baynac's residence. As they approached his haunt, he came
forth to meet them, with looks and gestures which did not at all indicate
a cordial welcome. It was a fine moonlight night, and they could easily
observe his actions. Poor Clashnichd was now sorely afraid of the great
ghost. Apprehending instant destruction from his fury, she exclaimed to
James Gray that they would be both dead people, and that immediately,
unless James Gray hit with an arrow the mole which covered Ben Baynac's
heart. This was not so difficult a task as James had hitherto
apprehended it. The mole was as large as a common bonnet, and yet nowise
disproportioned to the natural size of the ghost's body, for he certainly
was a great and a mighty ghost. Ben Baynac cried out to James Gray that
he would soon make eagle's meat of him; and certain it is, such was his
intention, had not the shepherd so effectually stopped him from the
execution of it. Raising his bow to his eye when within a few yards of
Ben Baynac, he took deliberate aim; the arrow flew--it hit--a yell from
Ben Baynac announced the result. A hideous howl re-echoed from the
surrounding mountains, responsive to the groans of a thousand ghosts; and
Ben Baynac, like the smoke of a shot, vanished into air.

Clashnichd, the ghost of Aulnaic, now found herself emancipated from the
most abject state of slavery, and restored to freedom and liberty,
through the invincible courage of James Gray. Overpowered with
gratitude, she fell at his feet, and vowed to devote the whole of her
time and talents towards his service and prosperity. Meanwhile, being
anxious to have her remaining goods and furniture removed to her former
dwelling, whence she had been so iniquitously expelled by Ben Baynac, the
great ghost, she requested of her new master the use of his horses to
remove them. James observing on the adjacent hill a flock of deer, and
wishing to have a trial of his new servant's sagacity or expertness, told
her those were his horses--she was welcome to the use of them; desiring
that when she had done with them, she would inclose them in his stable.
Clashnichd then proceeded to make use of the horses, and James Gray
r