Page:The Naturalisation of the Supernatural.pdf/263

Rh It was on Dec. 23rd, 1897 (?). We were walking across some fields to meet my brothers who were out shooting with a. neighbour. We stopped to wait for them, and sat on a fence half way across a field about 80 or 90 yards wide. My youngest sister suddenly remarked that there was a man looking over the fence at the far end of the field. I made some answer as to its probably being one of the boys. Presently my other sister said, "There is a man there," or words to that effect, and I looked up, and distinctly saw what looked like a man leaning over the fence. We then said we would find out what it was, and all three walked in a row towards the figure. When within about 20 yards, my youngest sister said, "Look at his legs!"

I remarked to my other sister, "What is it? I don't like it."

We walked on, after having said we would report to each other what we saw, as we went. This is what we all three saw: a man's figure hanging from a branch of an oak tree, his arms and legs dangling apparently helplessly, and his head hung forward. but it was covered with something white. We could see the railings which ran behind the oak tree through the figure. When we got within 10 yards, my sister said, "Why, it 's gone." We stopped and looked, and there was nothing to be seen but the oak tree and fence. It was a very bright sunny afternoon; there was a little snow on the ground.

One thing struck us as odd, for between the sun and the oak tree was a great black shadow, which we could not account for, as in the ordinary course of events the shadow would be on the opposite side of the tree to where the sun was.

This is absolutely true, and I have put it down just as I remember it.

The mother of the two ladies, in enclosing the above accounts, stated that they were written independently of each other. She adds that the third daughter is unwilling to write down her version; but Mrs. furnishes her own recollection of what she heard from this daughter at the time.