a blue livid flame, and applied it to the fire, which soon flamed up into a high crackling blaze, which lit up every crevice of the room.

"Mercy on me," said the Captain, who sat up trembling on the bed. I wonder what will come next! I suppose that Goodness! how the bells

it's no use making a bolt for it.

ring!"

Ring! I should just about say they did ring! peal after peal; one old fashioned bell in the corner seemed possessed it kicked itself up in such a crazy manner.

After some time the bells ceased, and the long thin arm came from under the bed and placed two chairs by the fire. They were curious high backed oaken chairs, (such as we don't see now a days) and threw their long shadows behind them.

In another moment the bells began to ring wilder than ever; and the wind that had got up during the last four hours banged against the shutters, as if anxious to know what all the disturbance could be about.

The bells did not ring more than a few seconds though it seemed a long time to the Captain.

After they had ceased, there was a sound of treading and distant music, as if some fifty people were dancing in another part of the house.

Nearer and nearer the footsteps seemed to come, and the Captain heard sounds like the rustling of a silk gown, in lady Flora's room, which was just on his right.

At last the door flew open, and a tall white figure, in a silk gown, walked very slowly into the room and sat down on the chair farthest from the bed. It was a handsome face, but deadly pale. The eyes shone as brightly as the great diamond that glistened on her forehead. She did not speak but bent down, and held up her long damp hands before the fire.

She had not sat there long, when there was a furious knocking at the chief entrance door, and a figure entered, dressed in the costume of the last century. There was blood all over his face, and a deep wound in his side; so deep that as the fire light shone on it you could almost see through him.

After having walked round the room without noticing the Captain, who in his fright had crawled under the clothes to the foot of the bed, where he was peeping out at the extraordinary scene, the apparition seated himself opposite the white figure, and a violent altercation seemed to com

G

mence, judging from their gesticulations, though nothing could be heard.

This continued for some time, till the male figure rose and rang the bell, which set all the other bells in the house ringing more violently than ever.

After a time there was silence, and the invisible clock chimed the half-hour. As the clock ceased both faces seemed fearfully agitated, and the lady arose and folded her shawl around her as she was wont to do in former days while waiting for her carriage.

The faces of both grew thinner and thinner, till after a time they were nothing but grinning skulls, though the hair still remained. The white silk of the lady had meanwhile been undergoing an extraordinary change, but so gradually that it could scarcely be preceived,-the silk had changed to a long winding-sheet, and the bright diamond on her forehead to a piece of charcoal.

The fire had burned up to a still brighter flame which threw a lurid colour round the room, and lighted up the ghastly skeleton of the man, who was still garbed in his former gay clothes, though the knee breeches hung loosely over the bones of the legs as they rattled horribly whenever he moved.

His hands had grown to an enormous length as he knelt down and held the trembling finger bones to the fire. There was a sound outside which seemed to make them both shudder. The long arm then threw open the door, and louder and louder grew the noise on the oaken staircase.

It was not long in coming up,-and a hugh dark velvet coffin on four fiery wheels, slowly entered the room drawn by invisible agents. Nothing could be seen, though the stamp of horses' feet, and the crack of a coachman's whip was clearly perceptible.

The arm threw open the lid, and the figures throwing their arms over their heads, as if in mortal anguish, sprang into the coffin. Then there was a click, click, as the lid closed, and the melancholy carriage left the room, as a sepulchral voice cried out "Drive to the Chancel!"

The bells clashed, as the doors banged, and the rattling was again heard upon the staircase. It was not long however before the noise ceased indoors, the wind outside burst through the shutters and extinguished the candle and flames, and as the clock struck one, there was a sound of hurrying footsteps all over the house, and the Captain was left in silence and darkness!

Any one may believe this story or not as he likes. I have told the tale as it was told to me. Whether he really saw this or not, it is impossible to say. All that I know is, that he was found next morning in a violent fever which he attributes partly to his injured leg, but far more to the fright he had undergone.

"P. R."

8858688888885 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8888888

MARCH 5TH,

MDCCCLX.

THERE'S a clash of martial music through the ancient college comes,
There's a flourish loud of trumpets and a muttered roll of drums,
St. Mary's bells are pealing on, and flags are waving free,
And there's crowding on the King's Parade, a sight of sights to see ;
For thick along yon narrow street a serried line appears,
'Tis Alma Mater's trusty sons, the RIFLE Volunteers.

There's many a stout athletic frame amid that gallant corps,
There's many a slashing cricketer, and many a stalwart oar,
There's many a swell who loves to lounge and smoke the idle weed,
And many a man who flees a wine and sports his oak to read,
And beardless freshmen march in rank with dons of high degree,
One spirit in six hundred hearts, one true fraternity.

Why let the prosing pedant chide, the lazy idler sneer,
The sinews of our English land, its youth and prime are here:
Service, forsooth, they 'll never see! Your pointless taunt unsay!
What higher service can be theirs, than they have paid to-day?
The noblest works for man assigned since first the earth he trod,
Allegiance to his country's Queen, and worship to his God.

And should the cloud, that threatens yet, e'er burst upon our shore,
And fierce invaders on the strand their eager myriads pour,
When round the Island, beacon-lit, fast flies the warning word,
To draw "for Altar and for Hearth," the bayonet and the sword,
To lay the foeman in the dust, to break invasion's brunt,
God speed our gallant Riflemen, and CAMBRIDGE TO THE FRONT !

"P. O."

A COINCIDENCE.

I.

THERE is an old and particularly wise saying to be found somewhere (probably in Tupper), that "no fox can be caught twice in the same trap." Now, some of my readers may possibly remember the disagreeable issue of my sojourn at the delightful village of Purbridge: how, with an imperfect pen, but with strict historical fidelity, it was related in a former number of The Eagle. Well, without laying claim to any superhuman sagacity, by a simple mental process I came to the conclusion that my misfortune there was owing to two circumstances, one social, and the other geographical;-in the first place that I had gone there alone, and secondly that I had gone there at all. So when the sun in the course of his usual duties had supplied the requisite number of days and nights to bring round another vacation, I duly made arrangements with my two friends Smith and Robinson to spend our Easter three-weeks together. The minor matters of locality and lodgings were left to my discretion; my colleagues however, like the tribunes of old, reserved the right of pronouncing a veto on any measure of mine they might deem unadvisable. I accordingly took down a large map of England, and stood over it in helpless bewilderment for some time; for, since we were not ubiquitous by nature, it was necessary to fix on some one place for some one given time. We read of lofty-minded astronomers being lost in the immensity of the telescopic universe, of thoughtful sages being perplexed to the uttermost in the windings of some philosophic speculation, of hardy travellers benighted and bewildered in the centre of a mighty prairie; but neither astronomer, nor philosopher, nor traveller will ever appreciate perplexity in its fulness, view its length, breadth, and thickness, till they gaze on an ordnance map of England to select one spot out of so many myriads in which to pitch their tent.