The Argosy — page 69: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

56 The Robbers’ Cave. mounted the tower steps, reached the narrow landing, and thrust her victuals through the wall. “‘Come you in, for pity’s sake. ’T is terrible lonesome,” said Dinah from within; and the child began to cry. Truth to tell, Betto felt lonesome too, so she crept into the room. A weird, shadowy, strange place it seemed to her; for she had never ventured in before. Mistress Dinah shrieked at the sight of her in her white garments ; and it was some time before she could be convinced that she was not her very own ghost. ‘“T am myself, and not my ghost,” she said, partially throwing off her concealing sheet. While she remained in the tower there were singular goings on at the Vicarage. ‘The robbers had laid their plans for that particular night, and had come to have the Reverend David Saunders’s life. A goodly number of them wound through the mountains stealthily, and surrounded his house. Some went in while others mounted guard. The door was unlocked, so there was no difficulty. They went from room to room, examined beds and cupboards, but found no one. ‘* He must have had scent of it; he finds out everything ; maybe he is hiding in the church,” they said.- The whisper went round, and the guard circled the church, instead of the Vicarage. Their forms looked ghostly enough as they wandered round about, and the mountains looked down upon them, like giants upon pigmies. About half a dozen passed through the churchyard to the church. ‘They found the door open, and went in. ‘They were struck with a sort of awe at the dim pillars and arches, and were about to retreat, when they were paralysed at sight of a ghost. It came from the belfry, glideG down a side aisle, and passed through the open door. ‘The ghost was Betto. No sooner was she in the churchyard than she saw figures on all sides. ‘‘’'The robbers, as sure as I’m alive. I'll scare ’em for once,” she thought to herself. Accordingly, she moved slowly through the churchyard, keeping at a respectful distance from her enemies as she did so, and had the satisfaction of seeing them flee from her like a flock of sheep from a wolf. Emboldened by success, she glided through the open gate towards the house, and paused in the middle of the road. ‘‘'There’s wise, master is!” she reflected. ‘He do know that there’s no such things as ghosts, but do make them of. use all the same. There’s cowards they are. Afraid of a white sheet, and murdering innocent children.” Shrewd Betto! They feared God in the unseen, but defied Him in the seen. They took to their heels simultaneously, and left her mistress of the field. She was not, however, as bold as she seemed ; and when she entered the house and found all there topsy-turvy she bethought her that Dinah and the infant were safer up aloft than she COMICOOOKS.E@ im