The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-08-01
rEzE HAUNTED SEHANTY.
From tie atlantic Monthly.

| AS the principal parsonage OF this story Is
j. dead, and there is no likelihood that any of the
others will ever see the Atlantic Monthly
feel free to tell it without reservation.
The mercantile house of which l was until
recently an active member had many business
: connections throughout the Western States and
was therefore in the habit of making an an
nual journey through them, in the interest of the
hrm. In fact | was always glad to escape
from the dirt and hubbub of CORTLAND street,
and to exchange the smell of goods ard boxes,
cellars and cutters, for that of prairie grass and
even prairie mud. Although wearing the i'm
macuate linen and golden studs of the Valen-
tine, there still remained good deal of the
country Orson in my blood and I endured many
hard, repulsive, yea, downright vulgar expert
ences for the sake of run at large, and the
healthy animal exatation which accompanied
Eight or nine years ago, Git is. perhaps, as
well not to be very precise, as yet, with regard
to dates,) l found myself at Peoria, in Illinois,
rather late in the season. The business had
OF hand was mostly transacted but it was still
necessary that should visit Bloomington and
Ierre Haute before returning to the East.
hAQ come from Wisconsin and Northern Hi
nols, and,as the great railroad spider Of Chicago
had then spun but a few threads of his present
tremendous mesh, had made the greater part
OF my journey on horseback. By the time
reached Peoria the month of November was well
advanced, and the weather had become very
dlsagreeable. l was strongly tempted to sell
my horse and take the stage to Bloomington,
but the roads were even worse to a traveller on
wheels than to one in the saddle and the sunny
day which followed my arrival fattered me with
the nope that others as fair ght succeed it,
The distance to Bloomington was forty miles,
and the road none of the best; yet, as my horse
Peek tan abbreviation of 'Pecatonica) had two
days rest, did not leave Peoria until after
the usual dinner at twelve O'clock trusting that
| should reach my destination by eight or nine
i'll the evening, at least. Broad bands of dull
grey, telt-Lke clouds crossed the sky, and the
WIND had rough edge to it which predicted
that there was rain within days march. The
oaks along the rounded river bluffs still held to
their leaves, although the latter were entirely
brown and dead, and ratified around me with
an ominous sound, as l climbed to the evel of
the prairie, leaving the bed o. the muddy Hi
noiS below. Peck's hooiS sank deeply into the
unctuous black soil, which resembled jetty
tallow rather than earth, and his progress was
slow and toilsome. The sky became more and
more obscured the sun faded to a ghostly
moon, then to a white blotch in the gray vault,
and finally retired in disgust Indeed, there
was nothing in the landscape worth his CON
temptation Dead flats of black, brstling with
sh. TT corn-talks, fats of brown grass, brown
! belt Of low woods in the distance,-tha was
all the horizon inclosed no embossed bowl,
with its rim of sculptured hills, its round of col
o!ed pictures, but fiat earthen pie-dish, over
which the sky fell like pewter cover.
After riding for an hour or two over the DESC
| late level, descended through rafting oaks to
the bed of the stream, and then assembled through
rafting oaks to the prairie beyond Here, how
ever, took the wrong road, and found myself,
thFpa mi los rth NJ hon who
| 1t terminated. You kin 60 out over the per-
airiah yander,' said the farmer, dropping his
maui beside a rail he had just split off.-'there S
plain trail from Sikess that'll bring you onto
the road not fur from Sugar Crick.' With |
which knowledge plucl;ed up heart and rode |
on
What with the windings and turnines of the |
various cart-tracks, the family resemblance in
the groves of oak and hickory, and the heavy, |
uniform gray of the sky, presently lost my !
compass needle-that natural instinct of direc- /
tion, on which l had learned to rely. East,
west, north, south-all were alike, and the very |
doubt paralyzed the faculty The growing |
darkness of the sky, lodtery moaning of the
wind, betokened night and storm but pass
Ell on, hap-h azard, determined, at least to reach
one CT the incipient villages OH the Bloomington
road
After an hour or more found myself on the |
blink of another winding hollow, threaded by
a broad, shallow stream. On the opposite side,
q quarter of a mile above stood a rough shanty,
at The foot of the rise which led to the prairie
After fording the stream, however, l found that
the trail had followed continued forward in
the same direction. leaving this rude settle
ment on the left. On the opposite side of the
hollow, the prairie again stretched before me
dark and fiat, and destitute Of any sign Of hab-
itatOn. I could scarcely distinguish the trail
any longer in half an hour, / knew, / should
be swallowed up in a gulf ofimpenetrabe dark
ness and there was evidently no choice left me
but TO return to the lonely shantg, and there seek
shelter for the night.
10 be thwarted in ones plans, even by wind
or weather, is always vexatious; but i'll this
case, the prospect of spending a night in such
dismal corner of the world was especially dis
agreeable. l amor at least consider myself
ID thoroughly matter-of-tact man, and my first
thought, [ am not ashamed to confess, was of
oysters Visions of favorite saloon, and many
pleasant supper with Durham and Beeson,
(my partners,) all at once popped into my mind
as turned back over the brow of the hollow
and urged Peck down its rough slope well,
thought l. at last, this wilsbe one more story
for our next meeting. Who knows what origin
ais may not find even in a solitary settlers
shanty 2?
could discover no trail, and the darkness
thickened rapidly while | picked my way
across dry gullies, formed by the drainage of the
prairie above, rotten tree-trunks, stumps, and
spots OF thicket. AS ! approached the shanty.
faint cam through one of its two small win
dows showed that it was inhabited. In the rear,
space Ut a quarter of an acre, inclosed by
huge worm fence, was evidently the vegetable
patch, at one corner Of which a small stable,
rooted and buttressed with cornfodder, leaned
against the hill. | drew rein in front of the
building, and was about to hail its inmates
when | observed the figure of man issue from
the stable Even in the gloom there was some
thing forlorn and dispirIting in his walk. He
approached with slow, dragging step, appa
rently unaware ofmy presence.
Good evening, friend = said
He stopped, stood still for half a minute,
and finally responded
Who are you?
Ihe tone OF his voice, querulous and lament
ing, rather implied, Why don't you let me al
one?'
1 am traveller answered. bound from
Peoria to Bloomington, and have lost my way.
It'll dark, as you know, and likely to rain, and
don't see how l can get any further tonight.
Another pause. Then he said, slowly, as if
speaking to himself 4
There amt no other place nearer N four or
five miles
Then l hope you viii let me stay here
The answer, to my surprise, was deep sigh. /
I am used to roughing it, urged 'and be-
sides, will pay you for any trouble may give
you
1t amt that, said he; then added, hesta-
ungly,-fact is, we're lonesome people here
don't often see strangers yit s'pose you can't
go no turder; well, I'll talk to my WIFE
herewith he entered the shanty, leaving me |
little disconnected with so uncertain, not to
say suspicious, reception. heard the sound
OF voices-one of them unmistakeablc in its |
nasal shrillness-in what seemed to be harsh
debate, and distinguished the words, 4 didn't
bring 1t on followed WITH Tell him, then, if
you like, and let him stay which seemed to
settle the matter. The door presently opened, !
ana the man said
| i guess Wen have t. accommodate you
Give me youT things, an I'll put your horse