the earth, and carried it to his own house, where he hung it over his bed. For the sexton reasoned briefly but naturally thus: whether the musician be the enchanter, or is enchanted himself, while thus following his profession even after death, it is evident that he cannot play to others without his instrument, so that to remove the latter will be the certain means of securing decent repose to the unwilling dead, and preventing the repetition of such unseemly gambols as the two preceding nights have witnessed. The sexton went to rest that evening with something like the satisfaction one feels at having done his duty under trying circumstances. But just as the clock struck eleven, a rap was heard at the door, and on opening it he beheld the remorseless bagpiper once more making night hideous with his unearthly presence. “My bagpipes!” said the dead man with the greatest coolness; and whilst the poor sexton was hesitating what answer to return to this demand, the piper stepped into the room himself and took down the pipes, with which he proceeded to his old station in the churchyard, and began to blow a merry strain as if nothing at all had happened. However on this occasion Master Wilibald adopted new measures, for he led the whole troop of ghosts through the gate of the church-yard into the town, and paraded at their head through the streets till midnight, when the spectral train returned again to their dreary abodes.
Considerable alarm was now expressed by the astonished burghers of Neisse, that such unusual proceedings should at last terminate in a general assault upon the living inhabitants of the town by Master Wilibald’s fearful troop. There was an assurance of manner and boldness about the latter which indicated something very impertinent, if not alarming; and to avoid all risks of unpleasant collision with such personages, the more pacific citizens earnestly entreated their mayor to put a stop to these midnight frolics of the dead, by fulfilling his promise to their piper. But the mayor was deaf to all entreaty, and even threatened to burn the young painter as
