Produced by Chris Curnow, David Garcia and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: G.W.R: The Line to Legend Land. THE ABBOT'S WAY Page 24 TAVISTOCK Page 20 BRENT TOR Page 4 BUCKLAND ABBEY Page 16 DEAN COMBE Page 12 THE PARSON AND THE CLERK Page 8 Vol. Two Front End] * * * * * LEGEND LAND Being a collection of some of the _OLD TALES_ told in those Western Parts of Britain served by the _GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY_, now retold by _LYONESSE_ [Illustration] VOLUME TWO _Published in 1922 by_ THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY [FELIX J. C. POLE, GENERAL MANAGER] PADDINGTON STATION, LONDON CONTENTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS The Church the Devil Stole _Page_ 4 The Parson and the Clerk 8 The Weaver of Dean Combe 12 The Demon Who Helped Drake 16 The Samson of Tavistock 20 The Midnight Hunter of the Moor 24 The Lost Land of Lyonesse 28 The Piskie's Funeral 32 The Spectre Coach 36 St. Neot, the Pigmy Saint 40 The Old Man of Cury 44 The Hooting Carn 48 The Padstow May Day Songs (_Supplement_) 52 * * * * * This is a reprint in book form of the second series of _The Line to Legend Land_ leaflets, together with a Supplement, "The Padstow May Day Songs." The Map at the beginning provides a guide to the localities of the six Devon legends; that at the back to those of Cornwall. * * * * * _Printed by_ SPOTTISWOODE, BALLANTYNE & COMPANY LIMITED, _One New Street Square, London, E.C.4_ FOREWORD The western parts of our country are richer in legend than any other part. Perhaps this is because of the Celtic love of poetry and symbolism inherent in the blood of the people of the West; perhaps because of inspiration drawn from the wild hills and bleak moors of the lands in which they live; perhaps because life is, and always was, quieter there, and people have more time to remember the tales of other days than in busier, more prosaic, districts. Most of the Devon legends cluster around the grim wastes of Dartmoor, and, like that wonderful stretch of country, are wild and awe-inspiring. The devil and his wicked works enter largely into them, and there is reason to believe them to be among the oldest tales known to us. Possibly they were not new when the hut circles of the Moor were inhabited and Grimspound was a busy village.