hallenged the poor sentry, who had been so lately singing,
but who now lay at the entrance in a swoon. The sergeant shook him rudely,
declared he was asleep at his post, and put him under arrest. Next day the
soldier was brought to a court-martial, when Colonel S---- appeared on his
behalf, to testify that he could not have been asleep, for that he had
been singing, and the Colonel's family had been listening, ten minutes
before. The man declared that, while walking toward the stair-entrance, a
dreadful figure had issued from the doorway, which he took at first for an
escaped bear on its hind legs. It passed him, and scowled upon him with a
human face, and the expression of a demon, disappearing over the Barbican.
He was so frightened that he became giddy, and knew no more. His story, of
course, was not credited by his judges; but he was believed to have had an
attack of vertigo, and was acquitted and released on Colonel's S----'s
evidence.

That evening Colonel S---- went to congratulate the man, but he was so
changed that he did not know him. From a glow of rude health in his
handsome face, he had become of the color of bad paste. Colonel S---- said
to him:

"Why do you look so dejected, my lad? I think I have done you a great
favor in getting you off; and I would advise you in future to continue
your habit of singing."

"Colonel," replied the sentry, "you have saved my character, and I thank
you; but as for any thing else, it little signifies. From the moment I saw
that infernal demon, I felt I was a dead man."

He never recovered his spirits, and died next day, forty-eight hours after
he had seen the spectre. Colonel S---- had conversed with the sergeant about
it, who quietly remarked:

"It was a bad job, but he was only a recruit, and must get used to it like
the rest."

"What!" said Colonel S----, "have you heard of others seeing the same?"

"Oh, yes," answered the sergeant, "there are many queer, unaccountable
things seen here, I assure you, and many of our recruits faint a time or
two; but they get used to it, and it don't hurt them."

"Mrs. S---- never got used to it. She remained in a state of dejection for
six weeks, and then died. Colonel S---- was long recovering from the
impression, and was reluctant to speak of it; but he said he would never
deny the thing he had seen."

What explanation Sir David Brewster has given of this singular apparition,
the present writer does not happen to know. We quot