accoutred, he took his stand near Melissa's bed, having first blown
out the candles she had left burning, and discharged a small pistol.
Perceiving this had awakened her, a train of powder was fired in the
adjoining room opposite the secret door, which was left open, in order
that the flash might illuminate her apartment; then several large cannon
balls were rolled through the rooms over her head, imitative of thunder.
The person in her room then uttered a horrible groan, and gliding along
by her bed, took his stand behind the curtains, near the foot. The
noises below, the cry of murder, the firing of the second pistol, and
the running up stairs, were all corresponding scenes to impress terror
on her imagination. The pretended ghost then advanced in front of her
bed, while lights were slowly introduced, which first shone faintly,
until they were ushered into the room by the private door, exhibiting
the person before her in all his horrific appearances. On her shrieking,
and shrinking into the bed, the lights were suddenly extinguished, and
the person, after commanding her to be gone in a hoarse voice, passed
again to the foot of the bed, shook it violently, and made a seeming
attempt to get upon it, when, perceiving her to be springing up, he fled
out of the room by the secret door, cautiously shut it, and joined his
companions.

The operators had not yet completed their farce, or rather, to Melissa,
tragedy. They had framed an image of paste-board, in human shape,
arrayed it in black, its eyes being formed of large pieces of what is
vulgarly called _fox-fire_,[A] made into the likeness of human eyes,
some material being placed in its mouth, around which was a piece of the
thinnest scarlet tiffany, in order to make it appear of a flame colour.
They had also constructed a large combustible ball, of several
thicknesses of paste-board, to which a match was placed. The image was
to be conveyed into her room, and placed, in the dark, before her
bed;--while in that position, the ball was to be rubbed over with
phosphorus, the match set on fire, and rolled across her chamber, and
when it burst, the image was to vanish, by being suddenly conveyed out
of the private door, which was to close the scene for that night. But as
Melissa had now arisen and lighted candles, the plan was defeated.

[Footnote A: A sort of decayed or rotten wood, which in the night
looks like coals of fire, of a bright whitish colour. It emits a