obberies which were being
committed, and people often went out in search of de thieves, but all in
vain; and no wonder, for they were in a cave very hard to light upon,
having, as I said before, merely one little hole at top to go in by. So,
Bat's boys went on swimmingly for a long time, lying snug in cave by day
and going out at night to rob, letting no one know where they were but
their sister, who was as bad as themselves, and used to come to them and
bring them food and stay with them for weeks, and sometimes go out and
rob with them. But as de pitcher which goes often to de well comes home
broke at last, so it happened with Bat's children. After robbing people
upon the roads by night many a long year and never being found out, they
at last met one great gentleman upon the roads by night and not only
robbed, but killed him, leaving his body all cut and gashed near to
Devil's Bridge. That job was the ruin of Plant de Bat, for the great
gentleman's friends gathered together and hunted after his murderers with
dogs, and at length came to the cave, and going in, found it stocked with
riches, and the Plant de Bat sitting upon the riches, not only the boys
but the girl also. So they took out the riches and the Plant de Bat, and
the riches they did give to churches and spyttys, and the Plant de Bat
they did execute, hanging the boys and burning the girl. That, master,
is what they says in dese parts about the Plant de Bat."

"Thank you!" said I. "Is the cave yet to be seen?"

"Oh yes! it is yet to be seen, or part of it, for it is not now what it
was, having been partly flung open to hinder other thieves from nestling
in it. It is on the bank of the river Mynach, just before it joins the
Rheidol. Many gentlefolk in de summer go to see the Plant de Bat's
cave."

"Are you sure," said I, "that Plant de Bat means Bat's children?"

"I am not sure, master; I merely says what I have heard other people say.
I believe some says that it means 'the wicked children,' or 'the Devil's
children.' And now, master, we may as well have done with them, for
should you question me through the whole night, I could tell you nothing
more about the Plant de Bat."

After a little further discourse, chiefly about sheep and the weather, I
retired to the parlour, where the fire was now burning brightly; seating
myself before it, I remained for a considerable time staring at the
embers and thinking over the events of the day. At length I