At about twenty or thirty yards distant, where but the moment
before the long line of horizon terminated the view, there now stood a
strange figure, which might be six and might be twelve feet in height.
It had evidently risen up out of the ground and was floating in the air,
as there seemed to be nothing to connect it with the earth. There was a
body of spotless white, an obscure mass which might be a head, and two
long, white, straight arms, spread apart like a cross. This strange
creature was advancing toward them.
"Oh, golly! massa, look ye dar! dat am a ghost!" whispered the darkey.
"A banshee, begorra!" said Terrence.
Fernando was impressed that the strange vision was the result of some
English trickery, while Sukey, cocking his gun, declared:
"If it's mortal, I'll soon make it immortal."
"Hold, Sukey!" whispered Fernando, "let us see what it is before you
fire."
"Golly! massa, it am comin' dis way!"
Fernando could see that the object, with its strange incongruous head,
its long arms, of which it now seemed to have three or four, was
advancing toward them over the uneven ground; and he gave the order to
fall back until they were nearer the troops.
When within about one hundred paces, Fernando made a stand and cried:
"Halt!"
This was the first word uttered loud enough to reach the strange
four-armed, one-headed, but legless spectre.
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