shores of Mounts
Bay, and packed off to the grim cold cities only a few hours away.

[Illustration: _St. Michael's Mount_]

[Illustration]

THE TASKS OF TREGEAGLE

The name of the demon Tregeagle is a household word in nearly every part
of Cornwall. His wild spirit rages of nights along the rocky coasts,
across the bleak moors and through the sheltered valleys. For Tregeagle
is a Cornish "Wandering Jew"; his spirit can never rest, since in life
he was the most evil man the Duchy ever knew.

His story, as the legend has it, is that he was a man who amassed great
wealth by robbing his neighbours in the cruellest manner. As he approached
the end of his most evil life remorse seized him. There was no sin he
had not committed, and hoping to escape from the just reward of so
wicked a life, in the hereafter, he lavished money upon the Church and
the poor, trusting to obtain the help of the holy priests to save him
from the clutches of the Evil One.

The priests, ever anxious to save a soul, banded themselves together,
and by constant prayer and powerful exorcisms kept the powers of
darkness at bay, and Tregeagle died and was buried in St. Breock Church.
But the demons were not so ready to give up what they felt was their
lawful prey. An important lawsuit occurred shortly after his death, and
as the judge was about to give his decision against the unjustly accused
defendant, to the horror of all in court, the gaunt figure of the dead
Tregeagle stalked into the room. His evidence saved the defendant.

Now Tregeagle being brought from the grave, despite the honesty of
his mission, placed himself once more in danger of the demons. The
defendant, who had raised the spirit, calmly left him to the Churchmen
to put once more to rest, and after a long conference, presided over by
the Prior of Bodmin, it was decided that the only hope of ultimate peace
for the evil man's spirit was that he be set to some task which might
last until the Day of Judgment. And so long as he worked unceasingly
at that task he might still hope for salvation.

So the task appointed him was to empty out Dozmary Pool, a gloomy lake
on the Bodmin Moors, with a limpet-shell with a hole in it. For years
Tregeagle laboured at this, until one day during a terrible storm he
ceased work for a moment. Then the demons descended upon him. He fled
from his pursuers, and only escaped them by leaping right across the
lake--for demons cannot cross water--and