d
begone! no mortal may look upon us and live."

The peasant struck his spear-point into a large piece of blazing wood,
which he heaved up with some difficulty, and then turned round to regain
his hut, the shouts of laughter being renewed behind him with treble
violence, and ringing far down the narrow valley. When Martin returned
to the hut, his first care, however much astonished with what he had
seen, was to dispose the kindled coal among the fuel so as might best
light the fire of his furnace; but after many efforts, and all exertions
of bellows and fire-prong, the coal he had brought from the demon's fire
became totally extinct without kindling any of the others. He turned
about, and observed the fire still blazing on the hill, although those
who had been busied around it had disappeared. As he conceived the
spectre had been jesting with him, he gave way to the natural hardihood
of his temper, and, determining to see the adventure to an end, resumed
the road to the fire, from which, unopposed by the demon, he brought off
in the same manner a blazing piece of charcoal, but still without being
able to succeed in lighting his fire. Impunity having increased his
rashness, he resolved upon a third experiment, and was as successful as
before in reaching the fire; but when he had again appropriated a
piece of burning coal, and had turned to depart, he heard the harsh and
supernatural voice which had before accosted him, pronounce these words,
"Dare not return hither a fourth time!"

The attempt to kindle the fire with this last coal having proved as
ineffectual as on the former occasions, Martin relinquished the hopeless
attempt, and flung himself on his bed of leaves, resolving to delay till
the next morning the communication of his supernatural adventure to his
brothers. He was awakened from a heavy sleep into which he had sunk,
from fatigue of body and agitation of mind, by loud exclamations
of surprise and joy. His brothers, astonished at finding the fire
extinguished when they awoke, had proceeded to arrange the fuel in order
to renew it, when they found in the ashes three huge metallic masses,
which their skill (for most of the peasants in the Harz are practical
mineralogists) immediately ascertained to be pure gold.

It was some damp upon their joyful congratulations when they learned
from Martin the mode in which he had obtained this treasure, to which
their own experience of the nocturnal vision induced them to