第11部分(第5/7 頁)

ht；　which　was　moving　about　in　the　distance。 〃After　that　light；　my　men！〃　exclaimed　Sir　William。

〃It's　a　goblin　light！〃　said　Ryan。 〃So　what's　the　use？　We　shall　never　catch　it。〃

The　president　and　his　men；　little　given　to　superstition；　darted　off　in　the　direction　of　the　moving　light。 Jack　Ryan；　bravely　following　their　example；　quickly　overtook　the　head…most　of　the　party。

It　was　a　long　and　fatiguing　chase。 The　lantern　seemed　to　be　carried　by　a　being　of　small　size；　but　singular　agility。

Every　now　and　then　it　disappeared　behind　some　pillar；　then　was　seen　again　at　the　end　of　a　cross　gallery。 A　sharp　turn　would　place　it　out　of　sight；　and　it　seemed　to　have　pletely　disappeared；　when　all　at　once　there　would　be　the　light　as　bright　as　ever。　However；　they　gained　very　little　on　it；　and　Ryan's　belief　that　they　could　never　catch　it　seemed　far　from　groundless。

After　an　hour　of　this　vain　pursuit　Sir　William　Elphiston　and　his　panions　had　gone　a　long　way　in　the　southwest　direction　of　the　pit；　and　began　to　think　they　really　had　to　do　with　an　impalpable　being。　Just　then　it　seemed　as　if　the　distance　between　the　goblin　and　those　who　were　pursuing　it　was　being　less。 Could　it　be　fatigued；　or　did　this　invisible　being　wish　to　entice　Sir　William　and　his　panions　to　the　place　where　the　inhabitants　of　the　cottage　had　perhaps　themselves　been　enticed。　It　was　hard　to　say。

The　men；　seeing　that　the　distance　lessened；　redoubled　their　efforts。　The　light　which　had　before　burnt　at　a　distance　of　more　than　two　hundred　feet　before　them　was　now　seen　at　less　than　fifty。　The　space　continued　to　diminish。 The　bearer　of　the　lamp　became　partially　visible。 Sometimes；　when　it　turned　its　head；　the　indistinct　profile　of　a　human　face　could　be　made　out；　and　unless　a　sprite　could