he had
heard the hail.

"Why, what in the devil has got into you, Drysdale?" asked Andrews.
"Whom are you shouting at in such a savage way?"

"Don't you see that man down the hill?" he asked, in a perfect agony of
fear and excitement. "See! right in line with that pointed rock; why, he
is only a few yards off. My God! it can't be possible that you don't see
him!"

"Upon my word, Drysdale," said Andrews, "if you keep on, I shall think
you are going crazy. What man are you talking about? There is no one in
sight, and either you are trying to play a joke on me, or else your
imagination is most unpleasantly active."

"Andrews, look where I point, less than ten rods off," said Drysdale, in
a hoarse whisper, clutching Andrews by the arm; "do you mean to say that
you don't see a man slowly walking toward the creek?"

"I mean to say," replied Andrews, deliberately, "that there is no man in
sight from here, either on that hill-side or any where else."

"God help me," muttered Drysdale, as the figure disappeared in the
woods, "then it must have been a ghost."

"My dear fellow," said Andrews, sympathizingly, as they continued their
ride, "I am afraid you are feverish; you probably imagined you saw
something, and you are superstitious about the matter because I did not
see it. Tell me what it was."

By this time they had passed some distance beyond the spot where
Drysdale had seen the apparition, and he began to recover his strength
somewhat. It was evident that he was still very much distressed, but he
endeavored to pass the matter over.

"Oh! it was nothing of any consequence," he said, "but I thought I saw
a man crossing that clearing."

"Well, what of it?" asked Andrews. "Was he a dangerous looking fellow?"

"Yes; very dangerous looking, indeed;" then, suddenly, as if struck by a
plausible idea, he added: "I thought it was a negro with a gun; you know
what my opinions are about allowing the slaves to have fire-arms, and
this fellow looked like such a villain that I was really alarmed. You
are sure you saw no one?"

"Quite sure," replied Andrews. "I am afraid you have worked too hard,
and that you are going to be ill. I shall tell your wife to nurse you
well for a few days to cure you of seeing spooks and wild niggers
roaming 'round with guns."

"No, indeed," said Drysdale, hastily; "please say nothing to my wife; it
would only alarm her unnecessarily."

"Well, take my advice and rest awhile," said Andrews. "Yo