beginin', and, what
was still more frightful, it was gettin' bigger and bigger, and fiercer
and fiercer lookin', every minute. Begad, the men seein' this took to
their heels for the present, wid an intention of comin' the next momin',
wid the priest and the magisthrate, and a strong force to seize upon
her, and have her tried and convicted, in ordher that she might be
burned."

"And did they come?"

"They did; but of all the storms that ever fell from the heavens, none
o' them could aquil the one that come on that night. Thundher, and wind,
and lightnin', and hail, and rain, were all at work together, and every
one knew at wanst that the devil was riz for somethin'. Well, I'm near
the end of it. The next mornin' the priest and the magisthrate, and a
large body of people from all quarthers, came to make a prisoner of her;
but, indeed, wherever she might be herself, they didn't expect to find
this light, flimsy hut standin', nor stick nor stone of it together
afther such a storm. What was their surprise, then, to see wid their own
eyes that not a straw on the roof of it was disturbed any more than if
it had been the calmest night that ever came on the earth!"

"But about the witch herself?"

"She was gone; neither hilt nor hair of her was there; nor from that day
to this was she ever seen by mortal. It's not hard to guess, however,
what became of her. Every one knows that the devil carried her and her
imp off in the tempest, either to some safer place, or else to give her
a warm corner below stairs."

"Why, Barney, it must be an awful little house, this."

"You may say that, sir; there's not a man, woman, or child in the barony
would come into it by themselves. Every one keeps from it; the very
rapparees, and robbers of every description, would take the shelter of
a cleft or cave rather than come into it. Here it is, then, as you see,
just as she and the devil and his imp left it; no one has laid a hand on
it since, nor ever will."

"But why was it not pulled down and levelled at the time?"

"Why, Masther Harry? Dear me, I wondher you ask that. Do you think the
people would be mad enough to bring down her vengeance upon themselves
or their property, or maybe upon both? and for that matther she may be
alive yet."

"Well, then, if she is," replied Woodward, "here goes to set her at
defiance;" and as he spoke he tossed bed, straw, rug, blanket, and every
miserable article of furniture that the house contained, out