It was said that when Captain Obadiah himself was first apprised of the suspicions entertained of the demoniacal possession of the old meeting-house, he had fixed upon his venturesome informant so threatening and ominous a gaze that the other could move neither hand nor foot under the malignant fury of his observation.  Then, at last, clearing his countenance of its terrors, he had burst into a great, loud laugh, crying out:  “Well, what then?  Why not?  You must know that the Devil and I have been very good friends in times past.  I saw a deal of him in the West Indies, and I must tell you that I built up the old meeting-house again so that he and I could talk together now and then about old times without having a lot of ——­, dried, codfish-eating, rum-drinking Yankee bacon-chewers to listen to every word we had to say to each other.  If you must know, it was only last night that the ghost of Jezebel and I danced a fandango together in the graveyard up yonder, while the Devil himself sat cross-legged on old Daniel Root’s tombstone and blew on a dry, dusty shank-bone by way of a flute.  And now” (here he swore a terrific oath) “you know the worst that is to be known, with only this to say:  if ever a man sets foot upon Pig and Sow Point again after nightfall to interfere with the Devil’s sport and mine, hell suffer for it as sure as fire can burn or brimstone can scorch.  So put that in your pipe and smoke it.”

These terrible words, however extravagant, were, to be sure, in the nature of a direct confirmation of the very worst suspicion that could have been entertained concerning this dolorous affair.  But if any further doubt lingered as to the significance of such malevolent rumors, Captain Obadiah himself soon put an end to the same.

The Reverend Josiah Pettibones was used of a Saturday to take supper at Colonel Belford’s elegant residence.  It was upon such an occasion and the reverend gentleman and his honored host were smoking a pipe of tobacco together in the library, when there fell a loud and importunate knocking at the house door, and presently the servant came ushering no less a personage than Captain Obadiah himself.  After directing a most cunning, mischievous look at his brother, Captain Obadiah addressed himself directly to the Reverend Mr. Pettibones, folding his hands with a most indescribable air of mock humility.  “Sir,” says he—­“Reverend sir, you see before you a humble and penitent sinner, who has fallen so desperately deep into iniquities that he knows not whether even so profound piety as yours can elevate him out of the pit in which he finds himself.  Sir, it has got about the town that the Devil has taken possession of my old meeting-house, and, alas!  I have to confess—­that it is the truth.”  Here our Captain hung his head down upon his breast as though overwhelmed with the terrible communication he had made.

“What is this that I hear?” cried the reverend gentleman.  “Can I believe my ears?”