Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1871. Excerpt:... unclouded in her majestic course, her light silvered the tops of the forest trees, and showed distinctly the antiquated and clustered towers of the Abbey standing loftily above them, in some parts illumined with partial splendour, in others wrapped in night and gloom. Such was the scene and the hour, when there passed through the forest two men, the one mounted and the other on foot, leading by the head a horse which drew a small cart laden with something of bulk. For a while they continued their course in silence. They made a pause, however, as a deep and low peal of thunder rolled hollowly in the distance, indicating that the threatened storm was at length come. There was a momentary calm: this was followed by a strong and loud rush of the wind, as it swept along the woods and tossed high in the air the boughs and branches of the trees; whilst the open spaces that lay around became visible as the first vivid flash of lightning gleamed upon the ground. 'I do not like this, James Wilson,' said one of the men to his companion, 'nor the place we have to find, nor the errand we go upon. It's an awkward job if we are interrupted, and our men may want us, and wonder what keeps us away when there's a cargo to be run; they may want hands.' 'And a pretty night they have for running it in,' said the other; 'unless the boats are hove up In the cove, I would not give a button for the cargo; it will all go down to Davie Jones's locker. Our men will have a hard pull, I fancy, against wind, tide, and sea, to make the cove. I doubt if all goes well; but be it how it may, I wish I was with them; for I tell you, Bob, thof I'm no land-lubber, I don't like the place we have to pass--don't like it at all, nor the stories about it that go round the country. I wonder why I agr...