in
prison and chains."

"Whom do you accuse?"

"Susanna Martin."

"What harm has she done you?"

"Listen, and I will tell you all that I know myself. Susanna Martin, the
accused, upon a causeless disgust, did threaten me, about a certain cow
of mine, that she should never do me any more good, and it came to pass
accordingly; for, soon after, the cow was found dead on the dry ground,
without any distemper to be discerned upon her; upon which I was
followed with a strange death upon more of my cattle, whereof I lost to
the value of thirty pounds."

"Perchance, some disease broke out among them," suggested Charles.

"Nay, nay; do not forge that excuse for this creature of darkness. I
have more to tell. Being desirous to furnish myself with a dog, I
applied myself to buy one of this Martin, who had a female with whelps
in her house; but she not letting me have my choice, I said I would
supply myself at one Blezdel's, whereupon I noticed that she was greatly
displeased. Having marked a puppy at Blezdel's, I met George Martin, the
husband of Susanna Martin, who asked me:

"'Will you not have one of my wife's puppies?' and I answered:

"'No; I have got one at Blezdel's, which I like better.'

"The same day one Edmond Eliot, being at Martin's house, heard George
Martin relate to his wife that I had been at Blezdel's and had bought a
puppy. Whereupon Susanna Martin flew into a great rage and answered:

"'If I live, I'll give him puppies enough!'

"Within a few days after, I was coming out of the woods, when there
arose a little black cloud in the northwest, and I immediately felt a
force upon me, which made me not able to avoid running upon the stumps
of trees that were before me, albeit I had a broad, plain cart-way
before me; but though I had my axe on my shoulder, to endanger me in my
falls, I could not forbear going out of my way to tumble over the
stumps, where the trees had been cut away. When I came below the
meeting-house, there appeared unto me a little thing like a puppy, of a
darkish color, and it shot backward and forward between my legs. I had
the courage to use all possible endeavors of cutting it with my axe; but
I could not hit it. The puppy gave a jump from me and went, as to me it
seemed, into the ground.[C]

[Footnote C: See Cotton Mather's "Wonders of the Invisible World,"
p. 144.]

[Illustration: "Its motions were quicker than those of my axe."]

"On going a little further, there appear