Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

THE WARREN HASTINGS. 37
the noise. He began, indeed, to meditate upon going down-stairs,
when Cuthbert, coming into the next room, reassured him, and
he got into bed.
This was n't much better though, for there was a thing in a
black hood came and stood at the head of his bed; and, though
he could not see it, he could feel the wind of its heavy draperies
as it moved. Moreover, a thing like a caterpillar, with a cat's
head, about two feet long, came creep-creeping up the counterpane; which he valiantly smote, and found it to be his handkerchief, - and still the unvarying roar went on till it was unendurable.
He got up, and went to his brother's room, and was cheered to
find a light burning; he came softly in, and called, " Cuthbert."
"Who is there?" asked he, with a sudden start.
" It's I," said Charles; " can you sleep? "
"Not I," said Cuthbert, sitting up. " I can hear people talking
in the wind. Come into bed; I'm so glad you're come."
Charles lay down by his brother, and they talked about ghosts
for a long time. Once their father came in with a light from his
bedroom next door, and sat on the bed talking, as if he, too, was
glad of company, and after that they dozed off and slept.
It was in the gray light of morning that they awoke together
and started up. The wind was as bad as ever, but the whole
house was still, and they stared terrified at one another.
" What was it? " whispered Charles.
Cuthbert shook his head, and listened again. As he was opening his mouth to speak, it came again, and they knew it was that
which woke them. A sound like a single footstep on the' floor
above, light enough, but which shook the room. Cuthbert was
out of bed in an instant, tearing on his clothes. Charles jumped
out too, and asked him, "What is it?"
"A gun!"
Charles well knew what awful disaster was implied in those
words. The wind was northwest, setting into the bay. The ship
that-fired that gun was doomed.
He heard his father leap out of bed and ring furiously at his
bell. Then doors began to open and shut, and voices and rapid
footsteps were heard in the passage. In ten minutes the whole
terrified household were running hither and thither. about they
hardly knew what. The men were pale, and some of the women
were beginning to whimper and wring their hands; when Densil,
Lewis the ageft, and Mackworth, came rapidly down the staircase, and passed out. Mackworth came back, and told the women
to put on hot water and heat blankets. Then Cuthbert joined
him, and they went together; and directly after Charles found
himself between two men-servants, being dragged rapidly along
towards the low headland which bounded the bay on the east.