Page 43 - THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Was her encouragement of the poor pedagogue all a mere
sham to secure her conquest of his rival? Heaven only
knows, not I! Let it suffice to say, Ichabod stole forth with
the air of one who had been sacking a henroost, rather

than a fair lady’s heart. Without looking to the right or left
to notice the scene of rural wealth, on which he had so
often gloated, he went straight to the stable, and with
several hearty cuffs and kicks roused his steed most
uncourteously from the comfortable quarters in which he
was soundly sleeping, dreaming of mountains of corn and
oats, and whole valleys of timothy and clover.
It was the very witching time of night that Ichabod,
heavy hearted and crest-fallen, pursued his travels
homewards, along the sides of the lofty hills which rise
above Tarry Town, and which he had traversed so
cheerily in the afternoon. The hour was as dismal as
himself. Far below him the Tappan Zee spread its dusky
and indistinct waste of waters, with here and there the tall
mast of a sloop, riding quietly at anchor under the land. In
the dead hush of midnight, he could even hear the barking
of the watchdog from the opposite shore of the Hudson;
but it was so vague and faint as only to give an idea of his
distance from this faithful companion of man. Now and
then, too, the long-drawn crowing of a cock, accidentally

42 of 53