But this lonesome and time-hallowed ruin was now lit up as for some gay festival; lights were flickering through the crevices, and the coming of the guests, each mounted on her enchanted steed, was accompanied by loud and fiend-like acclamations.  Shrieks and howlings were borne from afar upon the blast.  Unhallowed words and unutterable curses came on the hollow wind.  Forms of indescribable and abominable shape flitted through the troubled elements.  Robin, trembling all over with fright and fatigue, was told by his mistress to graze where he could, while she went into the feast:—­“Make good use of thy time, for in two hours I shall mount thee back again.”

This was poor sustenance for Robin’s stomach,—­furze and heath were not at all to his mind, and he peeped about for a quiet resting-place.  Here he was kicked and bitten by others of the herd; several of them were in the like pitiable condition with himself; but some were really of the brute kind, and these fared the best and were better mannered than most of their human companions.  Often did our unfortunate hero wish himself in their place.  Having little else to do, he was prompted by curiosity to approach the building, from whence the loud din of mirth and revelry grated harshly on his ears.  A long chink disclosed to him some part of the mysteries within.  There sat on the floor a great company of witches, feasting and cramming with all their might.  An elderly gentleman of a grave and respectable deportment, clad in black doublet and hosen, sat on a stone-heap at the head, from whence he dealt out the delicacies with due care and attention.  This was a mortifying sight to a hungry stomach, and Robin’s humanity yearned at the display.  After the first emotions had a little subsided, he found himself at leisure to examine the faces of the opposite guests, and he recognised several dames of his acquaintance, feasting right merrily at the witches’ board.  Either his fears and “thick-coming fancies” deceived him, or, as he afterwards declared, he saw nearly the whole of the neighbourhood at the assembly.

Presently it seemed as if the first course were ended, and the floor cleared by invisible hands in a twinkling.

“Now pull,” said the grave personage in black.

Many ropes hung from the roof.  These the women began to pull furiously, when down came pies, puddings, milk, cream, and rare wines, which they caught in wooden bowls; likewise sweet-meats and all manner of dainties, which made Robin’s mouth to water so at the sight that he could bear it no longer.  Intending to groan, he involuntarily uttered a loud neigh, which so alarmed the company that the lights were extinguished, and the guests sallied out, each immediately bestriding her steed, and setting forth at full gallop, save Goody Dickisson, who, in attempting to mount Robin, met with a sore mishap.  Recollecting the charm which operated upon him, he gave his head a sudden fling:  as good luck would have it, the bridle became entangled about her neck.  His speech now came again, and he cried out—­