danced in his imagination, is both wonderful and distressing.
On some occasions Mr. M. has been able to discern them ; but whenever be has been watching their manœuvres, and endeavouring to ascertain their persons minutely, they have appeared to step back, and eluded his search, so that a transient glimpse could only be obtained.
“Diffugient comites, et nocte tegentur opaca.”
But the gang relate that they do not actually step back ; but, at the moment when they are observed, that they grasp a metal which has the power of weakening the sympathy between them and the person assailed, and of benumbing his perception. This metal appears to be formed like a distaff or truncheon, and two such are fixed on the top of the machine. At other times, they have pretended that each member of the gang is furnished with a separate metal.
