, and presently into the air stole a something that all three men at
once realized was supernatural. M. Hersant coughed nervously, the priest
crossed himself, and M. Durant called out, "This is getting ridiculous.
These mediaeval proceedings are too absurd. Let us go home." The next
moment, from the far distance, a church clock began to strike. It was
midnight, and an impressive silence fell on the trio. Then there came a
noise like the flutterings of wings, a loud, blood-curdling scream, half
human and half animal, and a huge black owl, whirling down from the roof
of the building, perched in the circle directly in front of M. Hersant.
"Pray, Father! Pray quickly," M. Hersant whispered. "Pray for the dead,
and sprinkle the circle with holy water." The priest, as well as his
trembling limbs would allow, obeyed; whereupon the bird instantly
vanished. "For Heaven's sake," M. Durant gasped, "tell us what it all
means." "Only this," M. Hersant said solemnly, "the phantasm we saw
caused the death of the Popenkoff family. It is the spirit of an owl
that the children, encouraged by their parents, killed in a most cruel
manner. As soon as I examined Marthe's body, I perceived the mutilations
were due to a bird; and when I visited this mill on the eve of my
arrival, I knew that a bird had once lived here; that it had been
captured with lime and mu
