The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-02-06

ground. and which he had put for fortnight
| at the disposal of my friend.
| Shortly after sunset on the day I mention,
the wind began to rise suddenly TO gale, the
rain descended in torrents, and the night be-
came extremely dark. The shepherd became
uneasy, and several tires went to the door to
inspect the weather. At last he reused the
fears of the Doctor for M'Donald's safety, by
expressing the hope that by this time he was
"owre that awful black moss, and across the
| red burn" Every traveller in the highlands
knows how rapidly these mountain streams
rise, and how confusing the moor becomes in
a dark night. "The black moss and red burn"
were words that were never forgot by the Doc
tor, from the strange feelings they produced
when first heard that night; for there came
into his MUD terrible thoughts and forebod-
ings about poor M'Donald, and reproaches for
not having considered his possible danger in at
tempting such journey alone. In vain the
| shepherd assured him that he must have reach
ed place of safety before the darkness and
the storm came on. A presentiment which he
could not cast off made him so miserable that
he could hardly restrain himself from tears
But nothing could be done to relieve the anx-
iety now become so painful.
The Doctor at last retired TO bed about mid
night For long time he could not sleep.
The raging of the stream below the window.
and the Muds of the storm made him feverish
and restless But at last he fell into sound
and dreamless sleep. Out of this however he
was suddenly reused by peculiar noise in
his room, not very loud, but utterly indescrib-
able. He heard tap, tap, tap, at the window;
and he knew, from the relation which the
wall of the room bore to the rock, that the
glass could not be touched by human hand.
After listening for moment, and forcing HIM
self to smile at his nervousness, he turned
round and began again to seek repose. But
-. 4. l..
make sleep possible. Starting and sitting up
in bed, he heard repeated in rapid succession,
as If some one was spiteingin anger, and close
to his bed.-"Fit! tit! ft.' and then pro-
longed "whir-r-r-r' from another part of the
room, while every chair began to move, and
the table to jerk. The Doctor remained in
breathless silence, with every faculty intensely
acute. He frankly confessed that he heard his
heart beating, for the sound was so unearthly,
so horrible, and something seemed to come so
near him. that he began seriously TO consider
whether or not he had some attack of fever
which affected his brain = for remember. he
had not tasted drop of the shepherds small
store of whiskey. He felt his own pulse, COM
posed his spirits, and compelled himself to ex-
ercise calm Judgment. Straining his eyes to
discover anything, he plainly saw at last
white object moving, but without sound, be-
fore him. He knew that the door was shut,
and the window also. An overpowering con-
viction then seized him, which he could not
resist, that his friend M'Donad was dead By
an effort he seized iucifer box on chair be-
side him, and struck light; no white object
could be seen. The room appeared as when
he went 10 bed. The door was shut. He
looked at his watch, and particularly marked
that the hour was twenty-five minutes past
three. But the match was hardly extinguished
when, louder than ever the same unearthly
cry OF "Fitl fit! fit" was heard. followed by
the same horrible "whr-r-r-r," which made his
teeth chatter with terrible rapidly. Then the
movement OF the table and every chair in the
room was resumed with increased violence,
while the tapping on the window was heard
above the storm. There was no bell in the
room, but the Doctor, on hearing all this
frightful confusion of sounds again repeated
and beholding the white object moving toward
him in terrible silence, began to thump the
wooden partition, and to shout at the top of his
voice for the shepherd, and having done So he
Owed his head under the blankets.
The shepherd soon made his appearance, in
his nightshirt, with small oil lamp, or "cru-
sey'' over his head, anxiously inquiring as he
"What is't, doctor? What's wrong? Pity
me, are We ?"
"Veryr' cried the Doctor But before he
could give any explanations loud whir-r-r was
heard, with the old cry OF FIT. fit. fitr' close
to the shepherd, while two chairs fell at his feet
The shepherd sprang back. with half scream
of terror the lamp was dashed TO the ground,
and the door violently shut.
"Come backm shouted the Doctor, "Come
back, Duncan, instantly, / command your
The shepherd opened the door partially, and
said. in terrified accents
"Guid be about us, that was awful! What
is't?"
"Heaven knows, Duncan" calculated the
doctor with agitated voice. "but do pick up
the lamp, and shall strike light
Duncan did so in no small fear; but as he
made his way to the bed in darkness, to get
match from the doctor, something caught
his foot /; he fell; and then amidst the same
noise and tumults Of chairs which Immediately
filled the apartment, the Sit fit! it!" was
prolonged with more vehemency than everi
The doctor sprang up and made his way out of
the room, but was several times tripped, by
some unknown power, so that he had the
greatest difficulty in reaching the door With
out falling. He was followed by Duncan, and
both rushed out of the room, shutting the door
after them. A new lighthaving been obtained
both returned with extreme caution, and IL
must be added, fear, in the hope OF finding
some cause or other for all these terrifying
signs. Would II surprise our readers to hear
that they searched the room in vain ?-that
after infinitely examining under the table,
chair, bed, everywhere, and with the door shut,
not trace could be found ofanything Would
they believe that they heard during the day how
poor M'Donad had staggered half dead IRON
fatigue, into his friends house and falling into
a fit had died ttcenty-ttro minutes past three
that morning? We do not ask any one TO ac-
cept all this as true But we pledge our hon
or TO the following facts.
The doctor, after the days fishing was over,
had packed his rod so as to take it into his
bedroom; but he had left minnow attached
to his hook. white cat who was left in the
room swallowed the minnow. and was hooked.
The unfortunate gourmand had vehemently
protested against this intrusion into her upper
lip by the violent fit fit! fit !" with which she
tried TO spit the hook out; the reel added the
mysterious whir-r-r; and the disengaged line,
getting entangled in the legs of the chairs and
tables, as the hooked cat attempted to fly
from her tormentor, set the furniture in mo-
ton, aud tripped up both the shepherd and the
doctor; while an ivy branch kept tapping mt
the window! Will any one doubt the exis-
tence of ghosts and spirit-wcrld after this Z?
have only to add that the doctors skill
was employed during the night in cutting the
hook out Of the cats lip, while his poor pa
tient yet most impatient was held by the
shepherd in bag, the head alone Of puss,
with hook and minnow, being visible NJ III.
Donald made his appearance in day or two,
rejoicing once more to see his friend, and
greatly enjoying the ghost story. As the doc
tor finished the history of his nights horrors.
he could not help laying down a proposition
very dogmatically to his half superstitious
friends, and as some amends for his own ter
ror. depend upon it," said he, "if we could
fhnrnnsrbtv mir int oil he. q