resided: he answered, that he never lived there, because the cas tle had not been habitable for many years. I enquired the reason of it.

"At present," replied the host, "I dare not give you an account of it, to-morrow you shall know every thing: But, very likely, this night will make you guess the reason."

"The Baron and I entreated him to satisfy our curiosity, but he shook his head and left the room.

"Pinched by hunger we took up with our scanty supper, and then asked the landlord to shew us to our beds; but, alas! there was not one bed unoccupied in the whole house, and we were obliged to rest our weary limbs upon a bed of clean straw in the middle of the room.

"The Baron soon began to snore, but I could not get a wink of sleep. Now the watchman announced the hour of midnight with a hoarse voice, and on a sudden I heard the trampling of horses and the sound of horns: The noise came nearer, and methought I heard a number of horsemen rushing by, and sounding their horns as if a large hunting party were passing through the village; the troop darted like lightning through the street, close by the windows of the inn: the Baron started up, asking me with a fearful voice, "What is this?" "I dont know," replied I abruptly. I listened attentively, and the troop could not have been far from our inn, when, on a sudden, all was again silent as the grave; the Baron began to snore as before, and I to muse on that strange incident.

"I could not think it possible that any body would go a hunting, in so large a company, at that unseasonable hour, and was much inclined to think all had been a deluding dream, when I suddenly recollected the mysterious words of our landlord, and cannot but confess that I was seized with horror. I was just falling asleep when the voice of the watchman, crying one o'clock, roused me from my slumber. No sooner had he finished his round, than the former noise was heard again at a small distance. I started up and ran to the window, but before I could open it the whole troop was rushed by like a hurricane. A little while after all was silent again, yet did I in vain beseech the brown god of slumber to take me in his arms.

"The Baron had heard nothing the second time, snoring quietly by my side, whilst I was ardently wishing for the morning, in order to satisfy my curiosity. I was too impatient to await the landlord's account of the castle, and when the watchman was crying two o'clock I hastened to the window, and began to converse with him.

Watchman," exclaimed I," what did that noise at twelve and one o'clock mean?"

"Hum, hum, replied he, your honour is certainly a stranger, for there's not a child in our village that does not know what that noise means; it is sometimes heard every night for several weeks, afterwards every thing is quiet again for a considerable time."

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But, said I, who is that person that goes a hunting by night?" "That I can't tell you at present, answered the watchman, ask your landlord he will tell you all the particulars. I am here on my duty, and under the protection of Providence, but I dare not speak of what I hear and sec."

« With these words he went away...I wrapped myself up in my cloak, and sitting down by the window on a chair, expected, with anxious impatience, the rising of the sun. At length, the eastern sky began to be embroidered with purple streaks, the crowing of cocks sounded through the village, and the watchman announced the ap proach of day: The Baron awoke.

"You are very early," said he, rubbing his eyes, " pray tell me, what noise was it I heard in the night?"

"I myself am impatient to know it," replied I, "I wish the landlord would rise and unfold that mystery; the troop has rushed by again at one o'clock with the same terrible noise.

The

"While I was talking thus, I heard the trampling of horses, and looking out of the window, saw an officer with a servant. They alighted at the inn, knocked at the door, and entered the room. officer, a lively young man, wore a Danish uniform, and was on the recruiting business; he had missed his way like ourselves, and we soon got acquainted with him. When the Baron related the nightly adventure, the officer at first thought he was joking, but when I most seriously affirmed every circumstance, he shewed an ardent desire to get acquainted with those nocturnal sportsmen.

"That honour you can easily have," said the Baron," if you will stay here the ensuing night, we will give you company.

"Bravo!" exclaimed the officer, "perhaps the gentlemen will be so polite to invite us to their sport, and then we may be so fortunate to get a good haunch of venison."

"Now the landlord entered the room, "Well," said he, bidding us a good morning, have you heard any thing to night, gentlemen," "More than I liked," answered I; "Who are those sportsmen that go a hunting at midnight."

Why," replied he,

we don't talk of it; I would not tell you any thing about it last night, for fear your curiosity might expose you to some misfortune; yet, having promised you yesterday to tell you as much of it as I know, I will be as good as my word."

After having paused a while, he began thus in a confidential tone, "Close by our village is a very large building, where formerly the Lord of this village used to reside. One of the former masters of the castle, was a very wicked and irreligious man, who found great delight in tormenting the poor peasants; every body trembled when he appeared he trampled with his feet upon his own children, confined them in dark dungeons, where they were often kept, for many days, without a morsel of bread. He used to call his tenants dogs, and to treat them as such...in short, he was cruelty itself."

Hunting was his only amusement, and he always kept a vast number of deer, which were the ruin of the peasant's little property, and reduced them to the utmost poverty; no one dared to drive them from his fields, and if he did, he was confined in a damp dungeon under ground, for many weeks. When that wicked man wanted to hunt, then the whole village was gathered together, to serve him instead of dogs; if any one was not alert enough, then he would hunt him instead of the deer, till he fell down expiring under the lashes of his whip."

"One time after he had roved about from morning to night, he fell from his horse and broke his wicked neck: he was buried in his garden:

But now he was terribly punished for his wickedness, having had no rest in his grave to the present day. At certain times of the year he is doomed to appear in the village, at twelve o'clock at night, and to make his entrance into the castle with his infernal crew, but as soon as the clock strikes one, he is plunged back again into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. Nobody can inhabit the castle !... Many who have been so fool-hardy to attempt it, have lost their lives; whoever ventures to look out at the window when the infernal hosts are passing by, gets a swollen face as a punishment for his curiosity:...We are now used to that nocturnal sport, and do not care for those infernal spirits, but many strangers have fallen ill through fright."

"Here the landlord finished his tale, and seemed to be pleased with our astonishment; however his pleasure was soon damped when the Lieutenant broke out in a fit of laughter.

"Laugh as long as you please," said he, stay here till night, if you have courage, and then we shall see if you will laugh."

"That I will," replied the officer, "I will not only stay in your house, but I will also spend the coming night at that dreadful castle: I dare say, gentlemen, added he, you will keep me company."

"The Baron being a man of honour, thought it a disgrace to betray the least want of courage, in the presence of the soldier, he therefore promised to accompany him thither: I made several objections, representing to the officer the danger we would run, not knowing who those spirits might be; however, he silenced all my remonstrances: "I am a soldier, said he, and all ghosts and hobgoblins have ever been kept at a respectable distance by a martial dress."

At length I was obliged to take a part in the expedition, if I would not desert the Baron. The landlord, who had all that time been staring at us in dumb amazement, lifted up his hands when I had consented to go to the castle, and entreated us, for God's sake, to desist from our undertaking: "If you go, added he, then all of you will be dead before to-morrow morning: For heaven's sake, dear gentlemen,' do not run into the very mouth of the devil thus wantonly."

"However, the raillery of the Lieutenant put him soon so much out of temper, that he left us in great wrath, swearing in the height of his anger, that the devil would make us smart for our fool-hardiness and unbelief."

"Gentlemen, said the officer, pray let us take a walk to that terrible place where we are going to spend the night, and reconnoitre it before dinner."...Approving of that proposal, we went all three to that residence of terror."

"We approached and beheld the gothic remains of a half decayed castle the gate was open and we entered the fabric. The arched walls overgrown with moss and ivy, echoed to the sound of our footsteps; a long narrow passage led to a spacious court-yard, paved with stones; now we espied a spiral stair-case of stone, and ascended it in dumb silence. A second long and narrow passage, which received a faint glimmering of light through several small windows, strongly guarded by iron bars, led us to a black door; the chilly damps of the long confined air rushed from the aperture, when the Lieutenant had

(To be continued)

TEN REMARKABLE INSTANCES

of

CANINE SAGA CITY.

From a work lately published, entitled

SPORTING ANECDOTES.

CAN

AN man too highly prize, or too generously shelter the dog? That animal, gifted by nature with the most interesting qualities; that animal, whose vigilance protects us, whose humility interests us, whose fidelity may sometimes shame us: there is, perhaps, no virtue, which the breath of civilization may expand or ramify in the breast of a human being, but what may be found, with inferior energy, in the instinct of the dog; with inferior energy, because he is not endowed with all those inlets to perfection, which characterize his imperious master! The following anecdotes may be added to that long list of honourable examples, which testify the virtue of the canine race: they are founded on facts, and literally transcribed from writers of respectability.

I.

THE GRAZIER'S DOG.

Donald Archer, a grazier, near Paisley, in Scotland, had long kept a fine dog, for the purpose of attending his cattle on the mountains, a service which he performed with the greatest vigilance. The Grazier, having a young dog given him by a friend, brought it home to his house, and was very fond of it; but whenever the puppy was caressed, the old sheep-dog would snarl, and appear greatly dissatisfied; and when at times it came to eat with old Brutus, a dislike was evident, which made him at last leave the house; and notwithstanding every search was made after him by his master, he was never able to discover his abode. About four years after the dog had eloped, the Grazier had been driving a herd of cattle to a neigbouring fair, where he disposed of them, received the money, and was bent on returning home. He had proceeded near ten miles on his journey, when he was overtaken by a tempest of wind and rain, that raged with such violence as to cause him

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to look for a place of shelter, but not being able to perceive any house at hand, he struck out of the main road, and ran towards a wood that appeared at some distance, where he escaped the storm by crouching under the trees. It was thus he insensibly departed from the proper way he had to go, until he had actually lost himself, and knew not where he was. He travelled, however, according to the best of his judgment, though not without the fear of robbers, whose depredations had lately been the terror of the neighbouring country. A smoke that came from some bushes convinced him that he was near a house, towards which he thought it prudent to advance, in order that he might learn where he was, and procure some refreshment. Accordingly, he crossed a path, and came to the door, knocked, and demanded admission; the landlord, a surly-looking fellow, gave him an invitation to enter and be seated, in a room that wore but an indifferent aspect. Our traveller was hardly before the fire, when he was saluted with equal surprise and kindness, by his former dog, old Brutus, who came, wagging his tail, and demonstrating all the gladness he could express. Archer immediately knew the animal, and was astonished at thus unexpectedly meeting with him so many miles from home; he did not, however, think proper to enquire of his host, at that time, how he came into his possession, as the appearance of every thing around him rendered his situation very unpleasant. By this time it was dark, the weather still continued rainy, and no opportunity presented itself to the unfortunate Grazier, by which he might pursue his journey. He remembered however to enquire of the landlord where he was, who informed him, that he was about fourteen miles from Paisley, and that if he ventured out again before daylight, it was almost impossible for him to find his way, as the night was so bad; but, if he chose to remain where he was, every thing should be done to render his situation comfortable. The Grazier was at a loss how to act; he did not like the house he was in, nor the suspicious looks of his host and family. But to go out in the wood during the dark, and to encounter the violence of the conflicting elements, might, in all probability, turn out more fatal than to remain. He therefore resolved to wait the morning, let the event be what it would. After a short conversation with the landlord, he was conducted to a room, and left to take his repose. It is necessary to observe that, from the first moment of Archer's arrival, the dog had not left him a minute, but had even followed him into the chamber, where he placed himself under the bed, unperceived by the landlord. The door being shut, our travel ler began to revolve in his mind, the singular appearance of his old companion, his lonely situation, and the manners of those about the house; the whole of which tended to confirm his suspicion of being in a place of danger and uncertainty. His reflections were soon interrupted by the approach of the dog, who came fawning from under the bed, and by several extraordinary gestures, endeavoured to direct his attention to a particular corner of the room, where he proceeded and saw a sight that called up every sentiment of horror. The floor was stained with blood, which seemed to flow out of a closet, that was secured by a lock, which he endeavoured to explore, but could not open it! longer doubting his situation, but considering himself as the next victim of the wretches into whose society he had fallen, he resolved to sell his life as dearly as possible, and to perish in the attempt, or effect his deliverance. With this determination, he pulled out his pistols, and soft

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