Why, there! Don't you see how he's following me?

"Now this way, now that way, and won't let me be! Keep him off, Bill - look here - don't let him come near! Only see how the blood-drops his features besmear! What, the dead come to life again! Bless me! Oh dear!" 

The Dead Drummer or a Legend of Salisbury Plain from The Ingoldsby Legends a collection of myths, legends, ghost stories and poetry supposedly written by Thomas Ingoldsby, actually the pen-name of an English clergyman Richard Harris Barham (1788-1845).

The legends were originally serialised in Bentley’s Miscellany Magazine and later in the New Monthly Magazine the version I'm featuring here was published by Macmillan in 1911.  The illustrations are all by Harry G Theaker.

Images from The Ingoldsby Legends or Mirth and Marvels

Raising his eye so grave and so sage, from some manuscript work of a bygone age.

The Lord of Thoulouse A legend of Languedoc.

And in rush'd a troop. Of strange guests! 

The Lay of St. Cuthbert or the Devil's dinner-party. A Legend of the North Countree.

The girl, as they say, ran screaming away.

The old woman clothed in grey A Legend of Dover.

When at the bed's foot, close beside the post, he verily believed he saw - a Ghost!

Plain, and more plain, the unsubstantial sprite to his astonish'd gaze each moment grew;

Ghastly and gaunt, it rear'd it's shadowy height, of more than mortal seeming to the view, and round its long, thiny bony fingers drew a tatter-d winding-sheet, of course all white; -

The moon that moment peeping through a cloud,

Nick very plainly saw it through the shroud!

The Ghost

From The Ingoldsby Legends

or

Mirth and Marvels

With illustrations in colour by H. G. Theaker 

The Ingoldsby Legends or Mirth and Marvels is now sold, thank you for your interest.

I was thrilled to be one of the lucky recipients of a giveaway hosted by the lovely Yvonne over at Winter Moon. My gift was a copy of The Savage Garden by Mark Mills and as if that wasn't enough Yvonne also included a gorgeous bookmark, a pretty card and a second card with my initial.  Thank you so much Yvonne, I know what I will be reading this All Hallows Eve.

The Witching Hour is nearly upon us – are you reading anything scary?