She stopped singing and gazed earnestly into the darkness, but no one was coming from the town--that noise was only the wind shaking the raindrops from the wide banana leaves.
Suddenly a black dog appeared before her dragging something along the path.

Sisa was frightened but caught up a stone and threw it at the dog, which ran away howling mournfully.

She was not superstitious, but she had heard so much about presentiments and black dogs that terror seized her.

She shut the door hastily and sat down by the light.

Night favors credulity and the imagination peoples the air with specters.