Chapter
Black Dog
Finding myself overtaken by darkness on the road ’twixt Taunton and Bridgewater, I was surprised, and not a little anxious, to find a large black dog padding silently beside my horse. I dared not speak, and the dark, shaggy beast, whose size I estimated to be that of a yearling calf, did not favor me with a glance or any other sign. Passing a crossroads a little way from my destination, I looked down to find that my companion was no longer there, though I did not see it leave the road. I learned later that the creature was well-known in the district, and rarely did harm.
— William Stukeley, October 1710
Black dogs haunt the night-time roads in many parts of England. They usually appear only to lone travelers, or groups of 2–3 at most. Some walk alongside travelers for a little way, protecting them from robbers or supernatural threats. They seldom attack physically, but their glowing red eyes can strike fear into the bravest heart. Black dogs that haunt roads near a crossroads where a gibbet once stood are actually the ghosts of executed criminals. They may be seeking redemption for their sins, or serve as a warning to other evildoers.