of them survived as an old one-armed man; the others were
drowned. But when Mary got her little school of listeners about her, she
said it made her feel "as if Tom and the other bairns were back agyen."
Smart lads used to leave the village and come back after many days with
flat caps and earrings, and a sailorly roll. Mary would say, "That
should be Harry's Tommy, by the voice. Is that so, hinny?" and when
Harry's Tommy answered "Yes," Mary would say, "Your awd pipe's on the
top o' the oven; sit thee doon and give us your cracks." Mary's pupils
all had pipes which were kept on the oven-top for them, and she was much
distressed if she found that anyone smoked a pipe belonging to a lad who
had been drowned. When the school gathered in the dark evenings, Mary
liked to scold a little about the decay of manly spirit. In her time the
men used to watch at night till the low black lugger stole into the bay.
Then some discreet farmer would hear a trampling of horses in his
stables, and if in the morning Bet and Ball and Matchem were splashed a
good deal, and tired, there was always the keg of sound spirits at the
kitchen door or in one of the mangers. Mary had often gone down the
north road and up the Dead Man's Trail to listen for the Preventive men,
and she spoke with glee of the fun, for she had been swift of foot, and
her imitation of the Jenny Howlet's cry was perfect.

The old woman liked to frighten her hearers. She knew that most of the
villagers believed profoundly in ghosts and bogles, and she was never so
well pleased as when she knew that not one of her school cared for going
home alone. Old George, the organist, had once seen the white lady from
the tower, but he could not be induced to tell his experience. George's
musical duties were restricted to turning a handle, for the tunes played
by the organ were put in on separate rollers, and thus the musician's
function was limited. But the fishermen regarded him as a fine player,
and he did not care to imperil a serious reputation by telling frivolous
ghost stories. So Mary, who had heard the story long ago from George's
own lips, did duty as narrator:--

George was coming through the woods on a dark night. He came to a part
of the walk where the path makes a descent to a hollow shaded by thick,
arching branches. Suddenly (said Mary) George's collie ran back howling,
and tried to snuggle its head under its master's coat. George patted the
beast and laid him down, but t