Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-11-14
Bill Wilson and the Ghost.

WIG WAS duulOSI larnleQ out Oh ther senses
by a ghost what made disappearance every
night in the graveyard. The niggors seed
it fust, and they told sch terrible tales
about it that the wimmin and children Was
'fraid to go to bed in the dark for amonth
and you couldn't git nigger to 90 outside
the door after dark not for all Georgy. 1t
made monstrous talk for more'n ten miles
round the settlement, and everybody was
anxious to find out whose ghost it was, and
what it wanted. Old Mr.. Walker, what
had been cheated out of all his property by
lawyer, hadn't been ded great while,
| and he was a nonstrous curious old chap
any how, the general opinion was that the
old man had come back for something.
Sammy Stonestreet seed it, and Bob
Morcland seed it, and old Miss Curtiss seed
1T when she was cummin to town to her
daughter Nancy, the night she had her baby,
and they all gave the same account the nig-
gers did, bout its bein dressed in white and
talkin to itself and walkin about among the
toom stones. Bob Moreland sed he heard
it sneeze two or three times, just as natu-
raj as any human, and cry ever so pitiful
A good many of the boys sed they was
gwne to watch for it some night and speak
to it; but sumhow ther hearts always fail
ed EN- bout dark, and nobody didn't 90.
One day Bill Wilson cum to town, and
was bout half corned down to Mr.. Harly's
store, when they got to bantcrin him bout
the ghost
"Ding'd if [ don't see who it is" scz
Bill; "I amt afraid of no ghost that ever
walked O nights"
With that some of 'cm offered to bet him
five dollars that he dascnt go inside of the
graveyard alone, after dark.
"Dun," sez Bill, "plank up yer money.
But I'm to so jest as I've mind to ]"
eyes" scz the boys.
"And shoot the ghost if L see it?" sez
he.
''To be sure"
"And I'm to have a bottle of old Jimma-
ky to keep me company?"
eyes" soz all of EN-.
agreed . soz Bill "Putup the stakes
in Mr. Harly's hand"
The money was staked and the bisness
all fixed in no time
"Now" soz Bill, "give me pair of pis-
tolls and let me load em myself, and III
show you whether I'm afraid of ghosts"
! Captain SINNERS big horse pistols was
sent for, and Bill loaded one of 'cm up to
the muzzlc, and after Citing bottle of
Ticker i'll his pocket, and takin two or three
more horns, to raise his courage he waited
til it was dark. Every body in town. was
wide awake to see now the thing would turn
out, and some of the wimmin was monstrous
consarned for Bill, for fear he'd git carried
off By the ghost shore enuff.
Jest about dark Bill set out for the grave
yard, with awhole heap of fcllers, who went
tosec him to the gate.
'Look out now, Bill-you know ghosts
is monstrous dangerous things" scd the
boys, as they was about leavin him.
"Neyer you mind" scz Bill. "But rc-
member, l m to shoot--''
eyes" scz all of 'cm.
Billmarclled into the middle of the grave
yard, singin 'Shiny Night" as loud as he
could, but monstrous out of tune, and tuck
seat on one of the grave stones
The grave yard in Pineyile standson the
side of hill bout quarter of a mile from
town. Tho fence isa monstrous high post
and-rail fence, and the lot is tolerable big
one, cxtendin a good ways down the holler
on tother side, whar ther is pine thioket
of bout an acre whar ther amino graves.
The night was pretty dark, and Bill thot'
it was very cold; so he KEEP takin drinks
every now and then to keep himself warm,
and sIngin all the songs and sam tunes he
know'd to keep awake. Sometimes lie
thought he heard something, and then his
hair would sort o crawl up, and he would
grab hold of his pistol, what he held cock
ed in his lap, but it was so dark he couldn't
see nothin ten steps off Two or three
times he felt like backin out, but he know'd
that wouldn't never do /; so he d take anoth-
er drink and strike up another tune.---
Bimeby he got so sleepy that he couldn't
tell whether he was singin 'Lucy Neal'' or
"The Promised Land, and bimeby he only
sung word here and thar, thout bein very
pertickeler what song it belonged to.
He was so bominable sleepy and corned
together, that he couldn't keep awake, and
in spite of his fears ne began to nod a little.
Just then something sneeaed!
"Ughl' sez Bill, "what's that2"
But he soon cum to the conclusion that
he must been sneezing ia his sleep, and af.
ter sein that his pistol was safe and takin
another drink, he was soon in the land Of
Nod agin.
Bout this time old Mr.. Jenkins gang Of
gotes cum out of the thicket, whar they had
cum thru the gap in the fence, and with
old Bcllshazer in the lead, cum smellin bout
whar Bill was watching for the ghost
Old Bellshazer is one OF the oudaoiousest
old rascals 10 but in all Gooray, and sein
! Bill setin thar all alone by himself, heeoes