In Which Our Travellers Meet With a Very Extraordinary Adventure
- Tom decides to climb a nearby hill.
- Partridge thinks he's crazy—it's the middle of the night, and so cold!
- But Partridge is also afraid of ghosts, so he is too scared to stay behind.
- Luckily, Partridge spots a light nearby.
- He suggests that, instead of climbing that stupid hill, they just go over to that light to see if it's an inn.
- Tom and Partridge find that the light is attached to a cottage.
- Tom knocks on the door and an old woman answers.
- Partridge immediately starts quietly freaking out, because she looks like everybody's stereotype of a witch—like this, but probably a bit less green.
- Tom is also a bit surprised, because the cottage is filled with exciting and unusual stuff.
- The old woman asks them to hurry up and get warm, because her master will be home soon.
- They have to leave before he returns.
- Of course, Partridge takes this as proof that something awful is about to happen.
- But Tom is curious about this man, whom the locals just call "the Man of the Hill" (8.10.6).
- Partridge insists that they leave right now, but Tom keeps delaying out of curiosity.
- There's noise outside: thieves seem to be attacking the old woman's master.
- Tom chases off the two thieves attacking an old man.
- The old man (or the Man of the Hill, as the novel call him) thanks Tom for his help and invites him inside.
- Tom asks to hear the Man of the Hill's life story.
- The Man of the Hill settles in to tell his tale.