The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-02
The Pirate Hoard,
CONCLUDED.


"Hal hal bal"
They fairly yelled their delight
How old Carr scampered. Who would have thought
that fear could give to his bulky body such pair Of
legs"
one Of the cubs went him. Had there been stump
stone in his way his neck would certainly have been
broken
'They'li not come back tonight
They've left everything. Here srs the coats Of the
whole party"
"And here's the family bible Good heavens to
what uses has it been put. What strange jumkhng
Of cupidity and superstitonlt
Religion harnessed by avariee'
"Aa il is daily by thousauds who thus deceive them
selves, and fancy that they are deceiving GOO.
"What are we to do with these things! Take EN-
up and carry them for safekeePing to the canPi
MOI thew are safe where they are. We are the only
~ersous on the island" -,
.,Ir-less The devil, as young Roger fancied.
ali, .bey all fancied, when they heard the Yelling
~ Toyc n-ouEhton, / never dreamed thas you nae
.sAbf Il was YOUR scoslehral voice that did thelr
b,s;ness. and by the way, what fine effect was pro
duced IS the hows of the dogs-sS'
Of od Slow, through the folds Of tie E9nokefcn.el
"Certainlv, we did produce fine cor'pinatl9n y
clanors; t3e of devils, just out Of leasG, eeUiu N0
more eHectually have done the business" IL.
"Wel we've done 1t for our goid-diggers, to-n'bh'
laey II never venture mere aEs a. - 80
And as the two friends thought oyer the tioIculo"s
scene their laughter into yslls 81 oengn' onoe
more subsdng into mutual yawns. w.,
I'm for sleep, Charley" said Holcombe ~ -
done great days work."
"And nights We may certainly give ourselves rest
after it, What's the hour?"
He touched his repeater. II half-past two.
1.-The very witching time of night
when graVeyards yawn!"
"And we've got good mile to walk yet to get to
the camp"
At this moment both Of them invountarily shud-
dered Was it the cooling of the morning air they
felt? They were suddenly silent At length, Hol-
eombe paused and caught the arm ct his companion.
Charley do you see there? What is that"
They both stopped startled with new interest,
which made them wholly forgeful Of their recent mer-
rimeut They hsd been pursuing route back to their
ca,np, which keeping the margin OF the beach, thre"
the sea upon their right and the woods upon the lett
little stretch of billowy sand lay between them and
the woods skirng them all the way with grny fringe
that conrasted strongly with the sombre background
of the thcket little on the left and this fringe
Of sand Just in front of small groups of trees,
they distinctly beheld slightly luminous column, a
vaporous FORM about five feet high, little lifted from
the ground that seemed oat in air and yet remained
stationary II may have been foot or more in breadth,
and without taking any decided shape, it seemed to
upduate in figure, some portions being OF greater
width then others. The object of faint orange
complexion that sometimes grew lighter; but which, all
the while that they gaZed, remained luminous 1t en-
countered their eyes, first, at distance OF not more
than Fifty steps.
AZ is very strange, Charley! What can it be-"
Strange, indeed ! see nothing to produce the
effect Thera is The starlight is all that we
have There are no trees between US aud this object
By which the haze could be shaped to such an outline
It Is very curiouS"
That indefnable and sudden consciousness that we
cannot describethe abrupt rising Of an instinct into
au DauaR yla Ehe spectral ana supernatural
Had our young friends been prepared Tor TINS oy thel
reyious adventure? Rather against 1T since e super
natural fnds difficult 70 keep its ground against 'e
rij;rplous Il vas in the very midst OF their merFl
n,qat lust when they were convused with laughter
,a b0.h felt themselves shudder-both beheio the
mnwonted and unexpected objectwhich still lowered
before them-for which they could not account, aho
Which seemed to demand or to defy investigation.
,.By love Charley though feel monstrous stFsngt
and uncomfortable, l am not wiling TO oe scaFeo'
wIl ace what this means-what this thing IS
ave will both se said Broughton, with 10" tones
significant Of hi6 compressed resolution Let US au
! vance towards il" 1,
b;sner ito play coward ike friends, the Carrs"
And they moved forward, side by side.
Tie luminous aspect remained, though 1t seemed
--ar f,;nter 1t seemed to flicker they drew nIgh
9As light gauze shaken by the breeze with treino
ii eitaer bosom, the two friends steaoly M Nm ~
tbev rame M to where it had been seen They saw
uo r,' ioogar Tbev passed through it. They felt yer
~ .Taooiy brt encountered no obstruction. - wa
.Tet % 20 back and see If it again appears.
They receded walking backwards, ana the IaInoel
object began to reappear as they Weh'' assuming -
same appearance as before. .f
.Very strsngcl Does it actually disappear, or IS
o1fy nat il escapes our sight near approach,
those who are in the cloud, fail sometimes to see i
+ worth farther investigation. Do you, Charley, rt
main here and watch, while approach It. pee !.
stiIl rpm
to YOU Wills am it. This simple test VIII nei
n determine the question Of its natural or supernatur
origin ;,,,ort,rc,
But let me go, while you look.
'No, Charley--I am already on the way nee
yoar eyes bright e-. r.
And one watched while the other went forward l
he latter as before the object grew fainter at his a.
proach, and finally disappeared
nWellYn said he to Broughton
sit did not Disappear but you seemed actually 70
through it, Edgar"
That would show It to be not supernatural ~
events.' .ho
were probable causes founded in absolute laws, aoo
uhich We might inquire, and for which we might III
a soluton; but that would not preclude the sPiriLu
agency which may operate through natural agents II
. object that we see s to OR obuse touch ntangoei
ia an exhalaton; it is luminous as II there we're pnt
phoric basis for it. The secret lies below. IL Is
exhalation from that little hillock, in certain con'
ton Of the atmosphere. 1t belongs to that class
objects which old superstition described as corp
lights or corpse candles. Il was usually beheid
rf9ave-yarde, or above grave. 1t vas said always
distinguish place of bariaE and the ancient faith
rsrded it as the soul OF the inmate doomed to CT
; esn nenapce in this situation sent, under spec
providence for the terror Of the guilty In rece
time philosophy has decided that the effect is natu
and from natural causes, wholly mere chem
result Of animal decomposton-lne and phosphor
being the chief agents and the suoter gases escaPi
through the pores of the earth"
"Yes; but why should this exhaiation cling to
gpotp WHY remain stationary--wby not gradually
corporate with the surrounding atmosphere
"Tbat is question which am not prepared
answer in fact know but little Of the philosophy
which others have sought to solve these problems
= serves il in consistent form. Wherever the form