they had no shape but height, and their heads and
hands were not in view.

It may well be believed that the sudden appearance and disappearance of
these apparitions produced consternation in the Rev. Jeremiah's
congregation. The stranger who had been addressing them was left in a
state of collapse. The only person in the building who appeared to be
cool and sane was the man Hotchkiss. The negroes sat paralysed for an
instant after the white riders had disappeared--but only for an instant,
for, before you could breathe twice, those in the rear seats made a
rush for the door. This movement precipitated a panic, and the entire
congregation joined in a mad effort to escape from the building. The
Rev. Jeremiah forgot the dignity of his position, and, umbrella in hand,
emerged from a window, bringing the upper sash with him. Benches were
overturned, and wild shrieks came from the women. The climax came when
five pistol-shots rang out on the air.

Gabriel, in his tree, could hear the negroes running, their feet
sounding on the hard clay like the furious scamper of a drove of wild
horses. Years afterward, he could afford to laugh at the events of that
night, but, at the moment, the terror of the negroes was contagious, and
he had a mild attack of it.

The pistol-shots occurred as the Rev. Jeremiah emerged from the window,
and were evidently in the nature of a signal, for before the echoes of
the reports had died away, the white horsemen came into view again, and
rode after the fleeing negroes. Gabriel did not witness the effect of
this movement, but it came near driving the fleeing negroes into a
frenzy. The white riders paid little attention to the mob itself, but
selected the Rev. Jeremiah as the object of their solicitude.

He had bethought him of his dignity when he had gone a few hundred
steps, and found he was not pursued, and, instead of taking to the
woods, as most of his congregation did, he kept to the public road.
Before he knew it, or at least before he could leave the road, he found
himself escorted by the entire band. Six rode on each side, and the
leader rode behind him. Once he started to run, but the white riders
easily kept pace with him, their horses going in a comfortable canter.
When he found that escape was impossible, he ceased to run. He would
have stopped, but when he tried to do so he felt the hot breath of the
leader's horse on the back of his neck, and the sensation was so
unexpected and so pecu