where　do　you　find　such　beef　as　in　Durham？〃
  〃Ah；　where　indeed；　sir？　　I　have　always　said　that　neither　the
  Devonshire　nor　the　Lincolnshire　beef　is　to　be　named　in　the　same　day
  with　that　of　Durham。〃
  〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃what　business　do　you　follow　in　these　parts？　　I
  suppose　you　farm？〃
  〃No；　sir；　I　do　not；　I　am　what　they　call　a　mining　captain。〃
  〃I　suppose　that　gentleman；〃　said　I；　motioning　to　the　man　in　the
  leather　hat；　〃is　not　from　Durham？〃
  〃No；　sir；　he　is　not；　he　is　from　this　neighbourhood。〃
  〃And　does　he　follow　mining？〃
  〃No；　sir；　he　does　not；　he　carries　about　the　letters。〃
  〃Is　your　mine　near　this　place？〃
  〃Not　very；　sir；　it　is　nearer　the　Devil's　Bridge。〃
  〃Why　is　the　bridge　called　the　Devil's　Bridge？〃　said
  〃Because；　sir；　'tis　said　that　the　Devil　built　it　in　the　old　time；
  though　that　I　can　hardly　believe；　for　the　Devil；　do　ye　see；
  delights　in　nothing　but　mischief；　and　it　is　not　likely　that　such
  being　the　case　he　would　have　built　a　thing　which　must　have　been　of
  wonderful　service　to　people　by　enabling　them　to　pass　in　safety　over
  a　dreadful　gulf。〃
  〃I　have　heard；〃　said　the　old　postman　with　the　leather　hat；　〃that
  the　Devil　had　no　hand　in　de　work　at　all；　but　that　it　was　built　by　a
  Mynach；　or　monk；　on　which　account　de　river　over　which　de　bridge　is
  built　is　called　Afon　y　Mynach　…　dat　is　de　Monk's　River。〃
  〃Did　you　ever　hear；〃　said　I；　〃of　three　creatures　who　lived　a　long
  time　ago　near　the　Devil's　Bridge；　called　the　Plant　de　Bat？〃
  〃Ah；　master！〃　said　the　old　postman；　〃I　do　see　that　you　have　been　in
  these　parts　before；　had　you　not；　you　would　not　know　of　the　Plant　de
  Bat。〃
  〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　have　never　been　here　before；　but　I　heard　of　them
  when　I　was　a　boy；　from　a　Cumro　who　taught　me　Welsh；　and　had　lived
  for　some　time　in　these　parts。　　Well；　what　do　they　say　here　about
  the　Plant　de　Bat？　for　he　who　mentioned　them　to　me　could　give　me　no
  further　information　about　them　than　that　they　were　horrid　creatures
  who　lived　in　a　cave　near　the　Devil's　Bridge　several　hundred　years
  ago。〃
  〃Well；　master；〃　said　the　old　postman；　thrusting　his　forefinger
  twice　or　thrice　into　the　bowl　of　his　pipe；　〃I　will　tell　you　what
  they　says　here　about　the　Plant　de　Bat。　　In　de　old　time　…　two；　three
  hundred　year　ago　…　a　man　lived　somewhere　about　here　called　Bat　or
  Bartholomew；　this　man　had　three　children；　two　boys　and　one　girl；
  who；　because　their　father's　name　was　Bat；　were　generally　called
  'Plant　de　Bat；'　or　Bat's　children。　　Very　wicked　children　they　were
  from　their　cradle；　giving　their　father　and　mother　much　trouble　and
  uneasiness；　no　good　in　any　one　of　them；　neither　in　the　boys　nor　the
  girl。　　Now　the　boys；　once　when　they　were　rambling　idly　about；
  lighted　by　chance　upon　a　cave　near　the　Devil's　Bridge。　　Very
  strange　cave　it　was；　with　just　one　little　hole　at　top　to　go　in　by；
  so　the　boys　said　to　one　another：　　'Nice　cave　this　for　thief　to　live
  in。　　Suppose　we　come　here　when　we　are　a　little　more　big　and　turn
  thief　ourselves。'　　Well；　they　waited　till　they　were　a　little　more
  big；　and　then　leaving　their　father's　house　they　came　to　de　cave　and
  turned　thief；　lying　snug　there　all　day　and　going　out　at　night　to
  rob　upon　the　roads。　　Well；　there　was　soon　much　talk　in　the　country
  about　the　robberies　which　were　being　committed；　and　people　often
  went　out　in　search　of　de　thieves；　but　all　in　vain；　and　no　wonder；
  for　they　were　in　a　cave　very　hard　to　light　upon；　having；　as　I　said
  before；　merely　one　little　hole　at　top　to　go　in　by。　　So；　Bat's　boys
  went　on　swimmingly　for　a　long　time；　lying　snug　in　cave　by　day　and
  going　out　at　night　to　rob；　letting　no　one　know　where　they　were　but
  their　sister；　who　was　as　bad　as　themselves；　and　used　to　come　to
  them　and　bring　them　food　and　stay　with　them　for　weeks；　and
  sometimes　go　out　and　rob　with　them。　　But　as　de　pitcher　which　goes
  often　to　de　well　comes　home　broke　at　last；　so　it　happened　with
  Bat's　children。　　After　robbing　people　upon　the　roads　by　night　many
  a　long　year　and　never　being　found　out；　they　at　last　met　one　great
  gentleman　upon　the　roads　by　night　and　not　only　robbed；　but　killed
  him；　leaving　his　body　all　cut　and　gashed　near　to　Devil's　Bridge。
  That　job　was　the　ruin　of　Plant　de　Bat；　for　the　great　gentleman's
  friends　gathered　together　and　hunted　after　his　murderers　with　dogs；
  and　at　length　came　to　the　cave；　and　going　in；　found　it　stocked　with
  riches；　and　the　Plant　de　Bat　sitting　upon　the　riches；　not　only　the
  boys　but　the　girl　also。　　So　they　took　out　the　riches　and　the　Plant
  de　Bat；　and　the　riches　they　did　give　to　churches　and　spyttys；　and
  the　Plant　de　Bat　they　did　execute；　hanging　the　boys　and　burning　the
  girl。　　That；　master；　is　what　they　says　in　dese　parts　about　the
  Plant　de　Bat。〃
  〃Thank　you！〃　said　I。　　〃Is　the　cave　yet　to　be　seen？〃
  〃Oh　yes！　it　is　yet　to　be　seen；　or　part　of　it；　for　it　is　not　now
  what　it　was；　having　been　partly　flung　open　to　hinder　other　thieves
  from　nestling　in　it。　　It　is　on　the　bank　of　the　river　Mynach；　just
  before　it　joins　the　Rheidol。　　Many　gentlefolk　in　de　summer　go　to
  see　the　Plant　de　Bat's　cave。〃
  〃Are　you　sure；〃　said　I；　〃that　Plant　de　Bat　means　Bat's　children？〃
  〃I　am　not　sure；　master；　I　merely　says　what　I　have　heard　other
  people　say。　　I　believe　some　says　that　it　means　'the　wicked
  children；'　or　'the　Devil's　children。'　　And　now；　master；　we　may　as
  well　have　done　with　them；　for　should　you　question　me　through　the
  whole　night；　I　could　tell　you　nothing　more　about　the　Plant　de　Bat。〃
  After　a　little　further　discourse；　chiefly　about　sheep　and　the
  weather；　I　retired　to　the　parlour；　where　the　fire　was　now　burning
  brightly；　seating　myself　before　it；　I　remained　for　a　considerable
  time　staring　at　the　embers　and　thinking　over　the　events　of　the　day。
  At　length　I　rang　the　bell　and　begged　to　be　shown　to　my　chamber；
  where　I　soon　sank　to　sleep；　lulled　by　the　pattering　of　rain　against
  the　window　and　the　sound　of　a　neighbouring　cascade。
  CHAPTER　LXXXIII
  Wild　Scenery　…　Awful　Chasm　…　John　Greaves　…　Durham　County　…　Queen
  Philippa　…　The　Two　Aldens　…　Welsh　Wife　…　The　Noblest　Business　…　The
  Welsh　and　the　Salve　…　The　Lad　John。
  A　RAINY　and　boisterous　night　was　succeeded　by　a　bright　and
  beautiful　morning。　　I　arose　and　having　ordered　breakfast　went　forth
  to　see　what　kind　of　country　I　had　got　into。　　I　found　myself　amongst
  wild；　strange…looking　hills；　not；　however；　of　any　particular
  height。　　The　house；　which　seemed　to　front　the　east；　stood　on　the
  side　of　a　hill；　on　a　wide　platform　abutting　on　a　deep　and　awful
  chasm；　at　the　bottom　of　which　chafed　and　foamed　the　Rheidol。　　This
  river　enters　the　valley　of　Pont　Erwyd　from　the　north…west；　then
  makes　a　variety　of　snake…like　turns；　and　at　last　bears　away　to　the
  south…east　just　below　the　inn。　　The　banks　are　sheer　walls；　from
  sixty　to　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　the　bed　of　the　river　has　all　the
  appearance　of　a　volcanic　rent。　　A　brook；　running　from　the　south
  past　the　inn；　tumbles　into　the　chasm　at　an　angle；　and　forms　the
  cascade　whose　sound　had　lulled　me　to　sleep　the　preceding　night。
  After　breakfasting　I　paid　my　bill；　and　set　out　for　the　Devil's
  Bridge　without　seeing　anything　more　of　that　remarkable　personage　in
  whom　were　united　landlord；　farmer；　poet；　and　mighty　fine　gentleman
  …　the　master　of　the　house。　　I　soon　reached　the　bottom　of　the
  valley；　where　are　a　few　houses　and　the　bridge　from　which　the　place
  takes　its　name；　Pont　Erwyd　signifying　the　bridge　of　Erwyd。　　As　I
  was　looking　over　the　bridge；　near　which　are　two　or　three　small
  waterfalls；　an　elderly　man　in　a　grey　coat；　followed　by　a　young　lad
  and　dog；　came　down　the　road　which　I　had　myself　just　descended。
  〃Good　day；　sir；〃　said　he；　stopping；　when　he　came　upon　the　bridge。
  〃I　suppose　you　are　bound　my　road？〃
  〃Ah；〃　said　I；　recognising　the　old　mining　captain　with　whom　I　had
  talked　in　the　kitchen　the　night　before；　〃is　it　you？　　I　am　glad　to
  see　you。　　Yes；　I　am　bound　your　way；　provided　you　are　going　to　the
  Devil's　Bridge。〃
  〃Then；　sir；　we　can　go　together；　for　I　am　bound　to　my　mine；　which
  lies　only　a　little　way　t'other　side　of　the　Devil's　Bridge。〃
  Crossing　the　bridge　of　Erwyd；　we　directed　our　course　to　the　south…
  east。
  〃What　young　man　is　that；〃　said　I；　〃who　is　following　behind　us？〃
  〃The　young　man；　sir；　is　my　son　John；　and　the　dog　with　him　is　his
  dog　Joe。〃
  〃And　what　may　your　name　be；　if　I　may　take　the　liberty　of　asking？〃
  〃Greaves；　sir；　John　Greaves　from　the　county　of　Durham。〃
  〃Ah！　a　capital　county　that；〃　said　I。
  〃You　like　the　county；　sir？　　God　bless　you！　　John！〃　said　he　in　a
  loud　voice；　turning　to　the　lad；　〃why　don't　you　offer　to　carry　the
  gentleman's　knapsack？〃
  〃Don't　let　him　trouble　himself；〃　said　I。　　〃As　I　was　just　now
  saying；　a　capital　county　is　Durham　county。〃
  〃You　really　had　better　let　the　boy　carry　your　bag；　sir。〃
  〃No；〃　said　I；　〃I　would　rather　carry　it　myself。　　I　question　upon　the
  whole　whether　there　is　a　better　county　in　England。〃
  〃Is　it　long　since　your　honour　was　in　Durham　county？〃
  〃A　good　long　time。　　A　matter　of　forty　years。〃
  〃Forty　years！　…　why　that's　the　life　of　a　man。　　That's　longer　than　I
  have　been　out　of　the　county　myself。　　I　suppose　your　honour　can't
  remembe