Upon a great gathering of roofs like these,
erected at various times on various levels, and with all kinds of
architectural accommodations of one part to another, sound would be
variously deflected, and as difficult to trace as inside the house!
Careless of cold or danger, he persisted, creeping up, creeping
down, over flat leads, over sloping slates, over great roofing
stones, along low parapets, and round ticklish corners--following
the sound ever, as a cat a flitting unconscious bird: when it
ceased, he would keep slowly on in the direction last chosen.
Sometimes, when the moon was more profoundly obscured, he would have
to stop altogether, unable to get a peep of his way.
On one such occasion, when it was nearly pitch-dark, and the sound
had for some time ceased, he was crouching upon a high-pitched roof
of great slabs, his fingers clutched around the edges of one of
them, and his mountaineering habits standing him in good stead,
protected a little from the force of the blast by a huge stack of
chimneys that rose to windward: while he clung thus waiting--louder
than he had yet heard it, almost in his very ear, arose the musical
ghost-cry--this time like that of a soul in torture. The moon came
out, as at the cry, to see, but Donal could spy nothing to suggest
its origin. As if disappointed, the moon instantly withdrew, the
darkness again fell, and the wind rushed upon him full of keen
slanting rain, as if with fierce intent of protecting the secret:
there was little chance of success that night! he must break off the
hunt till daylight! If there was any material factor in the sound,
he would be better able to discover it then! By the great
chimney-stack he could identify the spot where he had been nearest
to it! There remained for the present but the task of finding his
way back to his tower.
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