The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1860-11-08
Bill Wilson and the Ghost.

By MAJ. JOSEPH JONES.

Il
Bout two yearsago, thepeopleins Pine
Vile was almost harmed out of their SEN
ses by ghost what made its appearance
every night IN the graveyard: The mig
gers seed it fust, and they told sich ter
rible tales about it that the wimmin and
! children was 'fraid to go to bed in the
dark for a month, and you couldn't git q
nigger to go outside the door after dark
not for all Georgy. 1t made monstrous
talk for more'n ten miles round the settle
ment, and everybody was anxious to lind
out whose ghost it was, and what it want
ed. Old Mr.. Walker, what had been cheat
ed out of all his property by the lawyers,
hadn't been ded a great while, and as he
was a monstrous curious old chap any
how, the general opinion was that he had
cum back for something.
Sammy stonestreet seed it, and Bob
Moreland seed it, and old Miss Curloo seed
it when sheswas cumin' to town to see her
daughter Nancy, the night she had her
baby, and thcy.all gave the same account,
the niggcrs did, bout its bein' dressed in
white and talking to itself, and cryin and
wa!kin about among the toom stones.
Bob Moreland sed he heard it snecze two
OF three times, jest as natural as any hui
man, and cry ever so pitiful.
A good many of the boys sed they
gwine to watch for it sum highland speak
to it; but sumhow ther hsarts always
iailed 'cm bout dark, and nobody didn't
go.
One day Bill Wilson cum to town, and
was but half corned down to Mr. Harleys
store, when they got to banterin him bout
the ghost.
sDing'dif don't see whoit is scs Bill;
Il amt afraid of no ghost that ever walk
o nights ~
With that some of them offered to bet
him five dollars that he dasent go inside
sofstho graveyard alone, after dark
iDun, ses Bill, plank up yer money
But I'm to SO jest rs have mlno TO!
fYes,' says the boys. g
And Shoot the ghost if sec it?' ses
he sS
ITO be sure.
And I'm to have bottle of old jim
maky to keep me company?'
yes ses all of 'em.
agreed, sos Bill Put up the stakes
in Mr.. Harlys hand.
The money was staked and the bisness'
all fixed in no time.
Now ses Bill, give me par of pis-
tols and let me load 'em myself, and I'll
show you whether I'm afraid of ghosts OF
not
Captain SINNERS big horse pistols was
sent for, and Bill loaded one of 'em up to
the muzzle, and after Citing bottle of
Ticker in his pocket, and takin two or three
more horns, to raise his courage, he wait
ed till it was dark. Every body in town
was wide awake to see how 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
enuf
Jest about dark Bill set out for the
graveyard, with whole heap of fellers,
who went to see him to the gate.
Look out now, Bill-you know ghosts
is mostrous dangerous things sed the
boys, as they was bout leaving him.
Mover you mind, ses Bill. Butsre-
member, I'm to shoot
Yes, ses all of 'em. g
Bill marched into the middle of the
grave yard, singing Shiny Night asloud
as he could, monstrous out of tune, and
tuck scat on one of the grave stones.
The grave yard in PineyileEstands on
the side of hill bout quarter'of mile
from town. The fenceis monstrous high /.
post-and-rail fence, and the lot is q tolera-
BILE big one, extending good ways down
in the holler on tother side, whar there is
a pine thicket of bout a acre whar ther.
amt no graves.
The night was pretty dark, and Bill
thought it was very cold; so he KEEP TAX
in drinks evry now and then to keep him
self warm, and singin all the songs and
sam tunes he knQw'd to keep awake,
Sometimes he thought he heard sometbine.
and then his hair would sort o, crawl up,
and he would grab hold'of his pistol, what
he had c051Rsseaar in his lap, A,nt; it was SO
dark he couldt see notbin ter steps off.