e
inn, hoping to find somebody there who could give him some kind of
information about the ruins of the old castle. He asked the landlord
what the old ruins on the hill were, and whether people knew anything
about who built them, and who destroyed them. An old farmer, who
overheard the question, gave him the following information: "The report
goes that a very rich squire lived there many centuries ago, who was
lord over vast territories and a great population. This lord ruled with
an iron hand, and treated his subjects with great severity, but he had
amassed vast wealth by their sweat and blood, and gold and silver poured
into his castle on all sides in hogsheads. Here he stored his wealth in
deep cellars, where it was secure from thieves and robbers. No one knows
how the wealthy miscreant came to his end. One morning the attendants
found his bed empty and three drops of blood on the floor. A great black
cat, which was never seen before or afterwards, was sitting on the
canopy of the bed. It is supposed that this cat was the Evil Spirit[61]
himself, who had strangled the squire in his bed in this form, and had
then carried him off to Porgu to expiate his crimes. As soon as the
relatives of the squire heard of his death, they wished to secure his
treasures, but not a single copeck was to be found. It was at first
thought that the servants had stolen it, and they were brought to trial;
but as they knew that they were innocent, nothing could be extracted
from them, even under the torture. In the meantime, many people heard a
chinking like money deep under ground at night, and informed the
authorities; and as this was investigated and the report confirmed, the
servants were set at liberty. The strange nocturnal chinking was often
heard afterwards, and many people dug for the treasure, but nothing was
discovered, and no one returned from the caverns under the castle, for
they were doubtless seized upon by the same power which had brought the
owner of the money to such a dreadful end. Every one saw that there was
something uncanny about it, and no one dared to live in the old castle.
At length the roof and walls fell in from long exposure to rain and
wind, and nothing was left but an old ruin. No one dares to spend the
night near it, and still less would any one be rash enough to seek for
the ancient treasure there." So said the old farmer.

When the barn-keeper had heard the story, he said, half joking, "I
should like to try