Free The Headless Huntsman by Benjamin Hulme-Cross Page A

others looked disturbed. They came back to the first grave they had seen.
    â€œThis must be where the Headless Huntsman is coming from,” said Mary.
    â€œSo what are we going to do?” Edgar asked.
    â€œWe will wait,” Mr Blood replied. “I can’t kill a ghost. The only way to free the town from the ghost is to free the ghost. We must find out why he can’t rest in peace.”
    â€œSo we’re going to talk to him!” Mary cried. She sounded excited.
    â€œDo we have to?” asked Edgar.
    They put their lanterns on the ground and sat around the tree waiting for the Headless Huntsman to appear. A strong wind was blowing across the moors and soon they were all feeling very cold.

    â€œI’ll get some wood for a fire,” said Edgar. He went back to the road. He was stroking his horse’s nose when something caught his eye.

    He picked up his lantern to look more closely and then gave a cry of fear. Someone had painted a red axe on the horse’s neck.
    Edgar turned to go back but, as he did so, he saw a mob of men marching up the road towards him. Some of them carried torches. The rest had weapons – clubs, spears and farm tools. One of them pointed at Edgar. The mob began running towards him, shouting.
    Edgar rushed back to Mary and Mr Blood. In the moonlight he could just see Mary hiding behind the tree. Mr Blood stood at one end of the grave. At the other end of the grave stood a big man holding an axe. The man had no head!

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    â€œMr Blood!” shouted Edgar, “Men with weapons. I think they’re coming for us!”
    Mr Blood swore. The moon went behind a cloud. When it shone through again, a second later, the Huntsman had vanished.
    â€œRun!” Mr Blood shouted. The three of them raced back to the horses. Edgar’s horse had gone. He scrambled up on Mary’s horse, sitting behind her. The mob yelled as Mary and Mr Blood rode away as fast as they could.
    Behind them they heard a cheer and then the mob began to chant:
    â€œ
Hail to the Huntsman! Hail to the Huntsman!
”

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    Chapter 4
    The Huntsman
    â€œThat mob must have come from the town,” said Edgar as they rode. “And they don’t want us to get rid of the Huntsman.”
    â€œIt sounds almost like they worship him,” said Mary.
    â€œThey are grateful to me,” someone said behind them.
    Mr Blood and Mary turned their horses around.
    The Headless Huntsman sat on Edgar’s horse in the middle of the road. Edgar was so afraid, he could hardly breathe. He could feel Mary trembling.

    â€œWhy do you kill?” Mr Blood demanded. “How did you die?”
    The Huntsman made a chopping movement with his hand through the air where his head should have been.

    â€œYou were executed,” said Mr Blood. “And you seek revenge.”
    â€œNo,” the Huntsman replied. “I seek justice. The men of the council take everything for themselves, while the people are starving. I told them this was wrong, and they had me killed. The town does not need to be freed from me but from the council.”
    The Huntsman began to ride up a small hill. “Follow me,” he called. They all rode in silence to the top of the hill. The clouds had gone and the moon shone bright over Goreditch.

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    â€œYou can see thirteen large buildings in the town,” the Huntsman went on. “One is the town hall. The others were built as homes by each of the twelve councillors. They tax the people and keep the money. They pay their guards well enough so nobody dares to take them on. Until now.”
    â€œLet us come with you,” said Mr Blood. “Before you kill them, let me try to reason with them.”
    â€œIt is too late for that,” said the Huntsman. He kicked the horse’s sides and galloped off down the hill towards Goreditch.

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    Chapter 5
    Justice
    Mr Blood, Edgar and Mary followed the Huntsman. They were not on