The Indian, from the outside of the frame (for only the conjurer alone enters), inquired if there was not some evil spirit near from whom he had everything to dread.
"No." replied the same voice. "All is quiet, you trouble yourself with vain phantoms."
"What then is the meaning," asked again the Indian, "of those sudden flashes of light I sometimes see in the night?"
"What?" rejoined another voice from within. "Hast thou attained unto this age and never yet observed this?" And then laughing, [it] continued, "It is always the case during this moon (December). And if you doubt me, for the future observe attentively and you will find it to be the case."
This satisfied him for the time. He became cheerful and assumed his wonted ways, but not for a long time. He soon relapsed and, after some days, applied again to the conjurer. When he had entered his box or frame, a number again entered and one of them enquired why they were called for.
The conjurer said [why].
"What?" says he, the Spirit, "Again! Thou art very skeptical. Dost thou not believe? Now thou art fond of, thou wantest to be haunted. Well thou shalt have thy desire!"
At these dreadful words, which were uttered in an angry and reproving manner, every soul was struck with terror. But as if to give some consolation, [the voice] assured him that that spirit had but just left his home, and coming on very slowly, would not be up with them 'till such a time, a little prior to which they were ordered to conjure again, when they would be told what to do.
This was no pleasant information to the conjurer who never undertook this job but with the greatest reluctance—nay indeed even sometimes horror. However, he neither, poor creature, had [an] alternative. At the time appointed he entered again, everything being prepared.
After the preliminary demands or questions, "Yes," replies one of the spirits, "that which thou dreadest is near, and is drawing on apace."