and hamlet of negro
cabins, and then Major Robert Beverly's house, standing a mass of
shadow except for one moonlit wall, for all the family were gone to
the governor's ball. Then, as I live, that white cat of Margery
Key's led me in that mad chase around Beverly's house, and when I
came to the north side of it I saw a candle gleam in a window and
heard a baby's wail, and knew 'twas where his infant daughter was
tended, and as we swept past out thrust a black head from the
window, and a screech as savage as any wild cat's rent the peace of
the night, and I believe that the child's black nurse took us, no
doubt, for the devil himself. Then all the dogs howled and bayed,
though not one approached us, and a great bat came fanning past,
like a winged shadow, and again I heard the owl's hoot, and ever
before us, like a white arrow, fled that white cat, and my horse
followed in spite of me. Then, verily I speak the truth, though it
may well be questioned, did that white cat lead us straight to the
tomb which Major Beverly had made upon his plantation at the death
of his first wife, and in which she lay, and 'twas on a rising above
the creek, and then the cat, with a wail which was like nothing I
ever heard in this world, was away in a straight line toward the
silver gleam of the creek, though every one knows well how cats hate
water, and had disappeared. But, though to this I will not swear, I
thought I saw a white gleam aloft, and heard a wail of a cat skyward
along with the owl-hoots. And then my horse stood and trembled in
such wise that I thought he would fall under me, and I dismounted
and stroked his head and tried as best I could to soothe him, and we
were all the time before the tomb, which was a large one. Then of a
sudden it came to me that here was the hiding-place for the powder
and shot, for what safer hiding-place can there be than the tomb of
the first wife, when the second hath reigned but a short time, and
is fair, and hath but just given her lord that little darling whose
cries of appealing helplessness I could hear even there? So I gave
the tomb-door a pull, knowing that I should not, by so doing,
disturb the slumbers of the poor lady within, and decided with
myself that it would be easy enough to force it, and mounted and
rode back as best I might to the road. And when I came to the little
dwelling of Margery Key a thought struck me, and I rode close,
though my horse shuddered as if with some strange frigh