occupation as at first.  In this there was something incredibly mysterious; and the party below, notwithstanding their numbers, felt a vague and indescribable dread beginning to creep over them.  The more they reflected upon the character of the stranger, the more unnatural did it appear.  The redness of his hair and complexion, and, still more the fiery hue of his garment, struck them with astonishment.  But this was little to the freezing and benumbing glance of his eye, the strange tones of his voice, and his miraculous birth on the borders of the Red Sea.

“There was now no longer any smoking in the kitchen.  The subjects which occupied their minds were of too engrossing a nature to be treated with levity; and they drew their chairs closer, with a sort of irresistible and instinctive attraction.  While these things were going on, the bandy-legged ostler entered, in manifest alarm.  He came to inform his master that the stranger’s horse had gone mad, and was kicking and tearing at every thing around, as if he would break his manger in pieces.  Here a loud neighing and rushing were heard in the stable.  ’Ay, there he goes,’ continued he, ’I believe the devil is in the beast, if he is not the old enemy himself.  Ods, master, if you saw his eyes! they are like—­’ ‘What are they like?’ demanded the landlord.  ’Ay, what are they like?’ exclaimed the rest with equal impatience.  ’Ods, if they a’n’t like burning coals!’ ejaculated the ostler, trembling from head to foot, and sqeezing himself in among the others, on a chair which stood hard by.  His information threw fresh alarm over the company, and they were more agitated and confused than ever.

“During the whole of this time the sound of walking over-head never ceased for one moment.  The heavy tread was unabated:  there was not the least interval of repose, nor could a pendulum have been more regular in its motions.  Had there been any relaxation, any pause, any increase or any diminution of rapidity in the footsteps, they would have been endurable; but there was no such thing; the same deadening monotonous, stupifying sound continued, like clock-work, to operate incessantly above their heads.  Nor was there any abatement of the storm without; the wind blowing among the trees of the cemetery in a sepulchral moan; the rain beating against the panes of glass with the impetuous loudness of hail; and lightning and thunder flashing and pealing at brief intervals through the murky firmament.  The noise of the elements was indeed frightful; and it was heightened by the voice of the sable steed, like that of a spirit of darkness; but the whole, as we have just hinted, was as nothing to the deep, solemn, mysterious treading of the Red Man.”

The party argue themselves into the belief that he is indeed the enemy of mankind.