Where Deep Seas Moan

excellence of the tobacco he was smoking. As he puffed at his second pipe he congratulated himself on his long acquaintance with Frenchmen, who had no scruples in giving him who

of lawlessness and danger was infinitely stronger than his inherited faith in the supernatural. The Haunted House brought to his mind the festival of Les Brandons, when the dreaded place had lost its horror for the time being, owing to the safety that is supposed to lie in numbers. He chuckled as he remembe

an old black book, his friend and evil counsellor, the Grand-Mêle which had been in his family for generations. It was a book of magic, containing spells to be used on every conceivable

one! Then, he will walk in his sleep to the Haunted House. There I will meet him! Ah, Perrin Corbet, it will be your turn

ss had fallen over the wild night. It seemed to Dominic that he could hear

sh! What

sea-gull came at last quite close, with wilder, sadder cries. It flapped its wings and circled round and round the casement. Dominic

"I know you well enough

and closer the bird drew to the panes, striking

from its place over the chimney piece. He fired. One of the panes of glass was broken

had just settled once more to the reading of Grand-Mêle when a very tempest of wind and

knock. In an instant he was in the entrance hall and had flung

has been brought, unexpected. It's to the cave below the Haunted House. We could have g

did the stuf

, from les M

l you wai

ate. He's impatient, him! I'll be o

e mounted, he fastened a pistol to the saddle; but he laughed as he did this, it was such a useless precaution. Never once yet had the excisemen appeared within miles of the Haunted House. With a dark lantern swingi

oorland, striking fire from the stones as she flew. He reined her in at last and fastened her to a hook in the side wall of the Haunted House. He laughed as he thought wh

with shouts and jests, and an hour of drinking and feasting followed. Then, with no little difficulty, kegs of brandy were hauled up the cliffs and deposited in the Haunted House. With wonderful skill, the men worked almost all the while i

too slow. Catching up a hatchet, he enlarged the leak, and throwing himself flat on the ground, he lapped the golden spirit that filled him with ecstasy. At last, he had had enough. He fumbled at the leak, making futile efforts to stop it. But he was too drunk to know what he was about. He had just sense enough to darken his lantern, to reel out of the Haunted

sound of pounding and slushing. The horse had

trembling in every limb, the mare refused to move. Nearer and nearer came the pounding of the horse. It stopped. A lantern flashed

At last I find you. Come, Le Mierre, don't be a fool about this. It will

the exciseman. It missed him. But he, too, lost his temper. In an instant he was beside Le Mierre and had dragged the pistol away and flun

of rain, and wind that shrieked as if an agony of warning. Then, the mare broke away at last,

stumbled, fell, and, with a horrible, almost human

y half down the cliff, at the risk of his life, as the wind had changed and

went on for days. But it was all in vain. Somewhere, in the deep seas, perhaps, the body

ad been at work on the night of the storm. The servant and the housekeeper had been all the evening at a wedding feast, and when they returned

led to pass through the valley at nightfall, saw flickering lights moving from window to wind

eature wept for the departed soul of the master of Orvillière. All shuddered at his end. Two prayed, in def