She whispers to it who it is that she wants tormented, and it comes and pecks at my eyes." Here she screamed out wildly, and began as if defending her eyes from an invisible assailant.
"It is coming to me now," cried Leah Herrick, striking out fiercely.
"Oh, do drive it away!" shrieked Sarah Churchill, "it will put out our eyes." There was a scene of great excitement, several men drawing their swords and pushing and slashing at the places where they supposed the spectral bird might be.
Leah Herrick said the spectre that hurt her came oftenest in the shape of a small black horse, like that which Dulcibel Burton was known to keep and ride.

Everybody supposed, she said, that the horse was itself a witch, for it was perfectly black, with not a white hair on it, and nobody could ride it but its mistress.
Here Sarah Churchill said she had seen Dulcibel Burton riding about twelve o'clock one night, on her black horse, to a witches' meeting.
Ann Putnam, the child, said she had seen the same thing.

One curious thing about it was that Dulcibel had neither a saddle nor a bridle to ride with.

She thought this was very strange; but her mother told her that witches always rode in that manner.
Here the two ministers of Salem, Rev.Master Parris and Rev.Master Noyes, said that this was undeniably true, that it was a curious fact that witches never used saddles nor bridles.

Master Noyes explaining further that there was no necessity for such articles, as the familiar was instantly cognizant of every slightest wish or command of the witch to whom he was subject, and going thus through the air, there being no rocks or gullies or other rough places, there was no necessity of a saddle.