I RUN A GREAT DANGER IN THE HOUSE OF SHAWS.  35
in a clap and shook the tower, and died again; the rain
followed; and before I had reached the ground level it
fell in buckets. I put out my head into the storm, and
looked along towards the kitchen. The door, which I
had shut behind me when I left, now stood open, and
shed a little glimmer of light; and I thought I could
see a figure standing in the rain, quite still, like a man
hearkening. And then there came a blinding flash,
which showed me my uncle plainly, just where I had
fancied him to stand; and hard upon the heels of it, a
great tow-row of thunder.
Now, whether my uncle thought the crash to be the
sound of my fall, or whether he heard in it God's voice
denouncing murder, I will leave you to guess. Certain
it is, at least, that he was seized on by a kind of panic
fear, and that he ran into the house and left the door
open behind him. I followed as softly as I could, and,
coming unheard into the kitchen, stood and watched
him.
He had found time to open the corner cupboard and
bring out a great case bottle of aqua vitæ, and now sat
with his back towards me at the table. Ever and again
he would be seized with a fit of deadly shuddering and
groan aloud, and carrying the bottle to his lips, drink
down the raw spirits by the mouthful.
I stepped forward, came close behind him where he
sat, and suddenly clapping my two hands down upon
his shoulders-" Ah!" cried I.
My uncle gave a kind of broken cry like a sheep's
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