said, for neither God nor Devil,
looked unquiet, and gave a quick glance at Ratsey every time the sound
came. So we sat till Mr. Glennie was well on with the sermon. His
discourse interested me though I was only a boy, for he likened life to
the letter 'Y', saying that 'in each man's life must come a point where
two roads part like the arms of a "Y", and that everyone must choose for
himself whether he will follow the broad and sloping path on the left or
the steep and narrow path on the right. For,' said he, 'if you will look
in your books, you will see that the letter "Y" is not like the Mohune's,
with both arms equal, but has the arm on the left broader and more
sloping than the arm on the right; hence ancient philosophers hold that
this arm on the left represents the easy downward road to destruction,
and the arm on the right the narrow upward path of life.' When we heard
that we all fell to searching our prayer-books for a capital 'Y'; and
Granny Tucker, who knew not A from B, made much ado in fumbling with her
book, for she would have people think that she could read. Then just at
that moment came a noise from below louder than those before, hollow and
grating like the cry of an old man in pain. With that up jumps Granny
Tucker, calling out loud in church to Mr. Glennie--

'O Master, however can'ee bide there preaching when the Moons be rising
from their graves?' and out from the church.

That was too much for the others, and all fled, Mrs. Vining crying,
'Lordsakes, we shall all be throttled like Cracky Jones.'

So in a minute there were none left in the church, save and except Mr.
Glennie, with me, Ratsey, and Elzevir Block. I did not run: first, not
wishing to show myself coward before the men; second, because I thought
if Blackbeard came he would fall on the men rather than on a boy; and
third, that if it came to blows, Block was strong enough to give account
even of a Mohune. Mr. Glennie went on with his sermon, making as though
he neither heard any noise nor saw the people leave the church; and when
he had finished, Elzevir walked out, but I stopped to see what the
minister would say to Ratsey about the noise in the vault. The sexton
helped Mr. Glennie off with his gown, and then seeing me standing by and
listening, said--

'The Lord has sent evil angels among us; 'tis a terrible thing, Master
Glennie, to hear the dead men moving under our feet.'

'Tut, tut,' answered the minister, 'it is only their own