At one o’clock on Thursday morning he came to Cheetham’s works, and scratched at the gate.  A big workman opened it.  It turned out to be Cheetham himself, in a moleskin suit, and a long beard.

The forge on wheels was all ready, also a cart containing anvil, bellows, hammers, pincers, leathern buckets, and a quantity of steel laths.  They attached the forge to the tail of the cart, and went on their silent expedition.  Cheetham drove the cart.  Henry followed afar off until they had cleared the suburbs.

They passed “Woodbine Villa.”  A single light was burning.  Henry eyed it wistfully, and loitered long to look at it.  Something told him that light was in her bedroom.  He could hardly tear himself away from contemplating it:  it was his pole-star.

There was only one great difficulty in their way; a man on a horse might cross the moor, but a cart must go by “Raby Hall” to reach the church:  and, before they got within a furlong of the Hall, a watch-dog began to bark.

“Stop, sir,” whispered Henry.  “I expected this.”  He then produced some pieces of thick felt, and tied them with strings round the wheels.

They then drove by the house as fast as they could.  They did not deceive the dogs; but no man heard them, nor saw them.

They got to the church, opened the door, and drew the forge into the deserted building.

As soon as they got inside, Cheetham cast his eyes round and gave a shudder.  “You must have a stout heart:  no money should tempt me to work here by myself.  Lord!  What’s that?”

For a low musical moan was heard.

Cheetham darted back, and got to the church-door.

Henry’s heart beast faster:  but he lighted his lantern, and went up the aisle.  The place was solemn, grim, gaunt, and moldering, and echoed strangely; but it was empty.  He halloed to his companion that it was all right.  Then they set the forge up near a pillar at the entrance into the chancel.  When they had done this, and brought in the steel laths, the sacks of coals, etc., Cheetham produced a flask, and took a pull of neat brandy.  This gave him courage, and he proposed to have a look round before they went.  Accordingly they inspected the building.

When they came round to the chancel, suddenly there was a rattle, and a tremendous rush of some huge thing that made a cold wind, and blew out the light.

Henry was appalled, and Cheetham dropped the lantern, and ran, yelling.  And soon Henry heard his voice in the churchyard calling on him to come out.

He did go out, and felt very much puzzled and alarmed.  However, he got matches from Cheetham, and went back, and lighted the lantern, quaking a little, and then he found that the great moldering picture over the altar had rotted away from some of its supports, and one half of it was now drooping, like a monstrous wing, over the altar.

He returned with the lantern, and told Cheetham what it was.  Then he screwed on the lock, locked the church, and they went back to Hillsborough in good spirits.