At the same time, prizing courage, scorning fear, and indeed disbelieving in every nocturnal object of terror except robbers, he came at last to such an all but abandonment of dread, that he dared not look over his shoulder, lest he should see the brownie standing at his back; he would rather be seized from behind and strangled in his hairy grasp, than turn and die of the seeing.

The night was dark--no moon and many clouds.
Not a sound came from the close.

The cattle, the horses, the pigs, the cocks and hens, the very cats and rats seemed asleep.

There was not a rustle in the thatch, a creak in the couples.

It was well, for the slightest noise would have brought his heart into his mouth, and he would have been in great danger of scaring the household, and for ever disgracing himself, with a shriek.