He had just led them within the walls, though he was already wounded in several places, when a bullet struck him in the right temple and he fell amongst heaps of others, where he was found in a sort of kneeling posture (being propped up by other dead bodies) thirty-six hours afterwards. His death took place, or rather he fell, though he may not have died immediately, on the 8th of September, 1855. "That night I awoke suddenly, and saw, facing the window of my room, by my bedside, surrounded by a light sort of phosphorescent mist, as it were, my brother kneeling. I tried to speak but could not. I buried my head in the bedclothes, not at all afraid (because we had all been brought up not to believe in ghosts and apparitions), but simply to collect my ideas, he-cause I had not been thinking or dreaming of him, and, indeed, had forgotten all about what I had written to him a fortnight before. I decided that it must be a fancy, and the moonlight playing on a towel, or something out of place. But looking up, there he was again, looking imploringly and sadly at me. I tried to speak but found myself tongue-tied. I could not utter a sound. Isprangout of bed, glanced through the window, and saw there was no moon, but that it was very dark and raining hard.

This I could tell by the sound against the panes. I turned and still saw poor Oliver. I shut my eyes and walked to the door of my room. As I turned the handle before leaving the room I looked back once more. The apparition turned his head slowly and looked anxiously and lovingly at mo, and I saw then for the first time, on the right temple a wound with a red stream from it. His face was a waxy pale tint, but transparent-looking, and so was the reddish mark. But it is almost impossible to describe his appearance. I only know that I shall never forget it.

"I left the room and went into a friend's room and lay on the sofa the rest of the night. I told him why. I told others in the house, but when I told my father he ordered me not to repeat such nonsense, and especially not to let my mother know.

"On the Monday morning following he received a note from Sir Alexander Milne, to say that the Redan was stormed, but no particulars. I told my friend to let me know if he saw the name among the killed and wounded before I did. About a fortnight later he came with a very grave face into my room in my mother's house in Athole Crescent, in Edinburgh. I said, 'I suppose it is to tell me the sad news I expect?'and he said, 'Yes.' Both the colonel of the regiment and one or two officers who saw the body confirmed the fact that the appearance was much as I had described it, and the death-wound was exactly where I had seen it. But none could say whether he actually died at the moment. His appearance, if so, must have been some hours after death, as he appeared to me a few minutes after two in the morning. Months later a small prayer-book and the letter I had written him were returned to Inveresk. They had been found in the inner breast-pocket of the tunic which he wore at death. I have them now."

"The account in the 'London Gazette Extraordinary,' of September 22d, 1855, shows that the storming of the Redan began shortly after noon, on September 8th, and lasted upwards of an hour and a half. We learn from Russell's account that ' the dead, the dying and the injured were all lying in piles together,' and it would seem that the search for the wounded was still continuing on the morning of the 9th. 15

The exact time of Lieutenant Oliver Colt's death is uncertain.

Captain Colt told me in conversation that he has never on any other occasion experienced a hallucination of the senses.

He mentioned several persons who would be able to corroborate this narrative. We received the following letter from his sister, Mrs. Hope, of Fennoy.

December 12th, 1882.

"On the morning of Sept. 8th, 1855, my brother, Mr. Colt, told myself. Captain Ferguson of the 42d regiment, since dead, and Major Borthwick of the Rifle Brigade (who is living), and others, that he had during the night awakened and seen, as he thought, my eldest brother, Lieut. Oliver Colt of the Royal Fusiliers (who was in Crime;;), standing between his bed find the door; that he saw that he was wounded in more than one place - I remember be named the temple as one place - by bullet-wounds; that he aroused himself, rushed to the door, with closed eyes and looked back at the apparition, which stood between him and the bed. My father enjoined silence, lest my mother should be made uneasy, but shortly afterwards came the news of the fall of the Redan and of my brother's death. Two years afterward, my husband, Colonel Hope, invited my brother to dine with him; the former being still a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, the latter an ensign in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. While dining they were talking of my eldest brother. My husband was about to describe his appearance when found, when my brother described what he had seen, and to the astonishment of all present, the description of the wounds tallied with the facta.

My husband was my eldest brother's greatest friend, and was among those who saw the body as soon as it was found."

Another case is reported by a Miss L., who withholds her name from publication, in deference to the views of a near relative.

January 4th, 1886. "On one of the last days of July, about the year 1860, at 3 o'clock p. m. , I was sitting in the drawing room at the Rectory, reading, and my thoughts entirely occupied. 1 suddenly looked up, and saw most distinctly a tall, thin old gentleman enter the room and walk to the table. He wore a peculiar, old-fashioned cloak, which I recognized as belonging to my great uncle. I then looked at him closely, and remembered his features and appearance perfectly, although I had not seen him since I was quite a child. In his hand was a roll of paper, and he appeared to he very agitated. I was not in the least alarmed, as I firmly believed he was my uncle, not knowing then of his serious illness. I asked him if he wanted my father, who, as I said, was not at home. He then appeared still more agitated and distressed, hut made no remark. He then left the room, passing through the half-open door. I noticed that although it was a very wet day, there was no appearance of his having walked either in mud or rain, He had no umbrella, but a thick walking-stick, which I recognized at once when my father brought it home after the funeral. On questioning the servants they declared that no one had rung the bell, neither did they see any one enter.

My father had a letter by the next post, asking him to go at once to my uncle, who was very ill in Leicestershire. He started at once, but on his arrival was told that he had died exactly at 3 o'clock that afternoon, and had asked for him by name several times in an anxious and troubled manner, and a roll of paper was found under his pillow.

I may mention that my father was his only nephew, and, having no son, he always led him to think that he would have a considerable legacy. Such, however, was not the case, and it is supposed that, as they were always good friends, he was influenced in his lust illness, and probably, when too late, he wished to alter his will.

"E. F. L."

In answer to inquiries, Miss L. adds, -

"I told my mother and an uncle at once about the strange appearance before the news arrived, and also to my father directly he returned, all of whom are now dead. They advised me to try to dismiss it from my memory, hut agreed that it could not be imagination, as I described my uncle so exactly; and they did not consider me to be either of a nervous or superstitious temperament.

"I am quite sure that I stated the facts truthfully and correctly to Major Taylor. The facts are as fresh in my memory as if they only happened yesterday, although so many years have passed away.

I can assure you that nothing of the kind ever occurred before or since." (This is in answer to the question whether Miss L. had ever had an hallucination of the senses on any other occasion). " Neither have I been subject to nervous or imaginative fancies. This strange apparition was in broad daylight, and as I was only reading the 'Illustrated Newspaper' there was nothing to excite my imagination."

I could cite a number of such cases but it seems unnecessary.

There are but three essential points which should be noted.

1. Deception.

2. Chance.

3. An accidental hallucination of the senses twisted by the narrator, intentionally or otherwise, to fit some occurrence.

The mass of evidence collected renders these three objections invalid.

If the reader wishes to verify this for himself the information is easy of access, therefore it will not be discussed further in this place. He is referred to "Proceedings of the British Society for Psychical Research of August, 1894."

The character of the hallucinations or phantasms varies widely in the different cases, so that no attempt will be made here to describe them at length.