and
lifting his own hand he pointed towards the tombstone, and gave a shout.
As he pointed, the ghost turned round, and then--rising from behind the
tombstone, and gliding slowly to the edge of the wall which separated
the churchyard from the lower level of the road--there appeared a sight
so awful that Bill's shout merged into a prolonged scream of terror.

Truly Master Arthur's anticipations of a "scenic effect" were amply
realized. The walls and buttresses of the old Church stood out dark
against the sky; the white clouds sailed slowly by the moon, which
reflected itself on the damp grass, and shone upon the flat wet
tombstones till they looked like pieces of water. It was not less bright
upon the upright ones, upon quaint crosses, short headstones, and upon
the huge, ungainly memorial of the murdered Ephraim Garnett. But _the_
sight on which it shone that night was the figure now standing by
Ephraim Garnett's grave, and looking over the wall. An awful figure, of
gigantic height, with ghostly white garments clinging round its headless
body, and carrying under its left arm the head that should have been
upon its shoulders. On this there was neither flesh nor hair. It seemed
to be a bare skull, with fire gleaming through the hollow eye-sockets
and the grinning teeth. The right hand of the figure was outstretched as
if in warning; and from the palm to the tips of the fingers was a mass
of lambent flame. When Bill saw this fearful apparition he screamed with
hearty good-will; but the noise he made was nothing to the yell of
terror that came from beneath the shroud of the Yew-lane Ghost, who, on
catching sight of the rival spectre, flew wildly up the lane, kicking
the white sheet off as it went, and finally displaying, to Bill's
amazement, the form and features of Bully Tom. But this was not all. No
sooner had the first ghost started, than the second (not to be
behind-hand) jumped nimbly over the wall and gave chase. But fear had
put wings on to Bully Tom's feet; and the second ghost, being somewhat
encumbered by his costume, judged it wisdom to stop; and then taking the
fiery skull in its flaming hands, shied it with such dexterity that it
hit Bully Tom in the middle of his back, and falling on to the wet
ground, went out with a hiss. This blow was an unexpected shock to the
Bully, who thought the ghost must have come up to him with supernatural
rapidity, and falling on his knees in the mud, began to roar most
lustily:-