第10部分(第2/7 頁)

hey　had　seen　these　fantastic　creatures　with　their　own　eyes。 Jack　Ryan　was　naturally　one　of　them。　It　was　a　fact　that　from　time　to　time　long　flames　appeared；　sometimes　on　a　broken　piece　of　wall；　sometimes　on　the　summit　of　the　tower　which　was　the　highest　point　of　Dundonald　Castle。

Did　these　flames　really　assume　a　human　shape；　as　was　asserted？　Did　they　merit　the　name　of　fire…maidens；　given　them　by　the　people　of　the　coast？ It　was　evidently　just　an　optical　delusion；　aided　by　a　good　deal　of　credulity；　and　science　could　easily　have　explained　the　phenomenon。

However　that　might　be；　these　fire…maidens　had　the　reputation　of　frequenting　the　ruins　of　the　old　castle　and　there　performing　wild　strathspeys；　especially　on　dark　nights。　Jack　Ryan；　bold　fellow　though　he　was；　would　never　have　dared　to　acpany　those　dances　with　the　music　of　his　bagpipes。

〃Old　Nick　is　enough　for　them！〃　said　he。 〃He　doesn't　need　me　to　plete　his　infernal　orchestra。〃

We　may　well　believe　that　these　strange　apparitions　frequently　furnished　a　text　for　the　evening　stories。　Jack　Ryan　was　ending　the　evening　with　one　of　these。　His　auditors；　transported　into　the　phantom　world；　were　worked　up　into　a　state　of　mind　which　would　believe　anything。

All　at　once　shouts　were　heard　outside。 Jack　Ryan　stopped　short　in　the　middle　of　his　story；　and　all　rushed　out　of　the　barn。　The　night　was　pitchy　dark。 Squalls　of　wind　and　rain　swept　along　the　beach。 Two　or　three　fishermen；　their　backs　against　a　rock；　the　better　to　resist　the　wind；　were　shouting　at　the　top　of　their　voices。

Jack　Ryan　and　his　panions　ran　up　to　them。 The

shouts　were；　however；　not　for　the　inhabitants　of　the　farm；　but　to　warn　men　who；　without　being　aware　of　it；　were　going　to　destruction。　A　dark；　confused　mass　appeared　so