Page:Laird of Ardenoaige and the Ghost of Fenhaglen.pdf/11

11 of the deep den, and still approaching nearer to him, till at length it appeared right before him, in the form of a large black animal, roaring and tearing the ground as it came. Colin having fixed Peter’s counsels in his heart, stood fast in his compass, while the Ghost went round foaming with rage, and tearing the ground as it went, but could not approach the laird. And when it was exhausted with rage, it stood still, when the laird conjured it to appear in the form of man. In a moment it appeared in the likeness of man—a man he knew that had died sometime before, one Donald Macpherson. As the laird knew it was to be either death or victory, he sprung out of his compass, and in the vigour of his strength took a death hold of the Ghost; but his strength began to fail under the inexpugnable fury of the Ghost, and was half brought to the ground, when he cried for this dog, (whom Donald kept at a distance, solicitous about the fate of his master, knowing his life was bound in his) when the Ghost saw the dog, he descried the laird to keep it off, and he would let him go. But the laird refused, except he would go and rest in peace in his grave. But it told him his body was lying in his grave, only his spirit was there. Go then to the regions of spirits, and return no more. Let me go, and dwell on the raging sea. Go to thy place, or my dog shall be upon you, replied the laird. Hold your dog, and here my voice. It drew back from the laird, and after a short pause, said in a low voice, “I murdered a man near this spot, a short time before my death. His body with my spade, with which I slew him, lyes buried at the rock of that green knowe, his blood is on the spade, I could not wash it off, his innocent blood went hence with my soul, and I was doomed to return to molest the earth till my known guilt would be known to man. Go then, and take his body and bury him with his father’s, and make my crime known to man, and I will trouble man no more.” At which it vanished out of sight. Colin went and actually found the body and the spade in the very spot told by the Ghost. He then went and told his sad tale to the men of Ardenoaige,