East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-03-30

'1t certainly has ON ominous name,"
rejoined /.
:" 1t was not given to it without rea-
son, you may be sure
"Woll," said my friend, II have no
fear of anything unearthly-because
i have no faith in ghosts-but there
are such beings as robbers, and in
some of these old, deserted castles and
towers, 1 doubt not they find refuge
and play their cunning of upon the
ignorant and superstttious."
CT believe you sir; but l believe
moro that some of these places are
at times tenanted by beings from
another world"
My friend and / exchanged glances
with incredulous smiles. We finally
terminated the conversation by the
declaration that we would visit the
Castle of Ghouls, and the old man
made us promise that we would writo
~ hi... ~.i give him an nccount of
our adventures.
1t was just at the dawn Of beau
tiful summers morning, that we set
of, with a guide, to visit the Castle OF
Ghouls. We had ten miles to ride,
over hilly country, and then about q
mile to toll up steep acclivity on foot.
by ten o'clock we saw it high above
us, looking as wild and romantic as
heart could wish. 1t formed the apex
of steep, rocky hill, and seemed as
if perched among the clouds. The
last approach to it was by artificial
steps, for so sharp was the ascent
that the foot could not have kept its
hold without. 1t was built of heavy
stone, on tho edge Of a cliff, and on
three sides had sheer descent Of five
hundred feet, to where mountain
stream went brawling and foaming
over its rocky bed. The foundation
stones were immense, and the whole
massive structure caused us to wonder
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bringing them up such an awful
height, and forming them into an edi-
fee destined to endure for centuries.
There was no moat around the walls,
and no need of any-for with its huge
gate shut its portcullis dropped, and
its garrison on tho alert, ten thousand
men could not have taken it. ~
We passed through q gloomy arch,
a small ante-room, and entered spa
cious hall, where there was everything
to recall the days of feudalism-for
the castle, Notwithstanding the fearful
name which the superstitious peasant
ry had given it, really belonged to
living count, who took pride in keep
ing It furnished as in ancient times,
and pleasure in permitting strangers
to visit it. No one had lived in it for
a quarter Of century; but persons
were employed to go through it Ms of
ten as once week, sweep and dust It,
and SEQ that everything was kept in
order.
From the moment we entered it, till
we had spent hours in passing through
the different apartments, we We're 50
deeply interested in looking at the an
tique furniture, the old-fashioncd
hangings, and the ancient implements
of war and tho chase-that we COM
pletely lost sight of the terrors suppos-
oil to DO connected with the place.
"Well, fancy we have seen oil
there is worth looking at, and now
suppose we go below !" / said TO the
guide, as we at length returned from
our explorations to the great hall.
"No," said the fellow shaking his
head, Il shall not go below I"
"Why not 2"
81 don't want to tempt the devils. ~
40 ho SO tho devils are down
there, arc they?"
In the daytime"
"But where are they in the night ?"
Gall over the castle"
"Did you ever see any ?"
q never spent the night here, and
wouldn't for all the gold you gentle
men have got"
"Why II seems you have become
timid oil Of q sudden When we
asked for guide to conduct us TO the
Castle of Ghouls you were sent to us
and when we inquired if you had any
fear Of visitingithe haunted place, you
laughed in derision, and led US to be-
lieve you were above the superstitions
of your class" en h.ssl|
"lf l hadn't perhaps you wouldn't
have employed me-" said the fellow,
frankly. -,
You deceived us, then Z"
q have fulfilled my agreement in
bringing you here and showing you
over the castle"
"But not oil over two have not
seen the vaults and the dungeons"
And if you take my advice you
won't either"
"But suppose we decline your ad-
vice ?"
"Then you can 90 down, if you
choose-but l don't"
What are you afraid Off"
"They say there are strange sights
and sounds down there?"
"Who says?"
Everybody who knows"
"But why down there any moro
than up here ?"
because tho demons love tho dark
1t Is the same up here in the night
And who ever saw or heard any
thing unnaturolg'
2 Hundreds of people have heard
strange noises here in the night, and
have seen the castle lit up when no
body was here, with different colorel
lights
"Of course somebody must have
been here, or they could not have been
here TO see themselves
"They ,aw from a distance they
didn't dare to come here; they might
have been carried of, or torn TO pieces
or struck dead, or made blind, Or
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