The little old man was the only one who moved about.  First he closed the flue, then he went around and snuffed out the candles.

“No, no!” cried the womenfolk, “don’t put out the lights!”

“You must let me do what is best for all of us,” said the old man.

One of the girls caught hold of his coat.  “Is the mountain dog dangerous?” she asked.

“No, not he, but what comes after.”

“And what comes after?”

Again the old man listened.  Presently he said:  “Now we must all be very still.”

Instantly there was breathless silence.  Once again the terrible howling seemed to circle the hut, but it grew less distinct as it went across the marsh and up the mountains on the other side of the valley.  Then came an ominous stillness.  Presently some man, who couldn’t hold in any longer, said that the dog was gone.

Without a word Strong Ingmar raised his hand and dealt the man a blow across the mouth.

From far away at the top of Mount Flack came a piercing sound; it was like a howling wind, but it could also have been a blast from a horn.  Now and again prolonged blare could be heard, then roaring and tramping and snorting.

All at once the thing came dashing down from the mountain with an awful roar.  They could tell when it had reached the foot of the slope; they could tell when it swept the skirt of the forest; and when it was directly above them.  It was like the rolling of thunder across the face of the earth; it was as if the whole mountain had come tumbling into the valley.  When it seemed to be almost upon them, every head went down.  “It will crush us,” they all thought.  “It will surely crush us.”

But what they felt was not so much the fear of death, as terror lest it might be the prince of darkness himself coming, with all his demons.  What frightened them most were the shrieks and moans that could be heard above the other noises.  There were wails and groans, laughter and bellowings, whines and hisses.  When that which they had supposed was a big thunderstorm was right upon them, it seemed to be a mingling of groans and curses, of sobs and angry cries, of the blast of horns, of crackling fire, of the plaints of doomed spirits, of the mocking laughter of demons, of the flapping of huge wings.

They thought all the furies of the infernal regions had been let loose that night, and would overwhelm them.  The ground trembled, and the hut swayed as if it were going to topple over.  It was as if wild horses were prancing on the roof; as if howling ghosts rushed past the door, and as if owls and bats were beating their wings against the chimney.

While this was happening, some one put an arm around Gertrude’s waist and drew her to her knees.  Then she heard Ingmar whisper:  “We must kneel down, Gertrude, and ask God to help us.”

Only the moment before Gertrude had imagined she was dying, so terrible was the fear that held her.  “I don’t mind having to die,” she thought; “the awful part of it is that the powers of evil are hovering over us.”