. Oral and written English . wisting down almost to the earth, and rising again intothe air. As Ichabod approached this fearful tree he began to thought his whistle was answered — it was but the windsweeping sharply through the dry branches. As he approacheda little nearer, he thought he saw something white hanging in themidst of the tree ; he paused and ceased whistling, but on look-ing more narrowly perceived that it was a place where the treehad been scathed by lightning, and the white wood laid he heard a groan ; his teeth chattered and his knees 244 ORAL AND WRITT
. Oral and written English . wisting down almost to the earth, and rising again intothe air. As Ichabod approached this fearful tree he began to thought his whistle was answered — it was but the windsweeping sharply through the dry branches. As he approacheda little nearer, he thought he saw something white hanging in themidst of the tree ; he paused and ceased whistling, but on look-ing more narrowly perceived that it was a place where the treehad been scathed by lightning, and the white wood laid he heard a groan ; his teeth chattered and his knees 244 ORAL AND WRITTEN ENGLISH smote against the saddle — it was but the rubbing of one hugebough upon the other, as they were swayed about by the passed the tree in safety, but new perils lay before him. In the dark shadow of a grove he beheld something huge,misshapen, black, and towering. The hair of the schoolmasterrose upon his head with terror. Though the night was darkand dismal, yet the form of the unknown might now in some. degree be made out. He appeared to be a horseman of largedimensions, and mounted on a black horse of powerful , who had no relish for this strange midnight com-panion, quickened his steed in hopes of leaving him stranger, however, quickened his horse to an equal pulled up and fell into a walk, thinking to lag behind;the other did the same. His heart began to sink within him ;he tried to whistle again, but his parched tongue clove to theroof of his mouth, and he could not. LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION 245 There was something in the moody silence of this companionthat was mysterious and terrifying. It was soon fearfullyaccounted for. On mounting a rising ground which broughtthe figure of his fellow traveler into clear view against the sky,gigantic in height and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless ! But his horror wasstill more increased on observing that the head, which shouldha
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Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectenglishlanguage
