Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-08-22
THE eHosTLY RoBBER.
A STORY OF THE BLACK FOREST.

y uoe do SuO Gun "oS SoiuS " ICot lOl
the day, when the gloomy shadows were
beginning to stalk, he drew rein as he
said
"This must be near the spot, surely
I'll stop here, anyhow, for awhile, and
Isee what / can learn
He thereupon dismounted and enter.
ed the parlor of the inn, where he sal
down before small table.
"How can I serve you meinheer
said the landlord.
"See to my horse outside" replied
the guest, carelessly, but at the same
time cycling the landlord from head te
foot; and let me have some wine-Rhine
will do.
The landlord was turning to withdraw
from the strangers presence, when he
stopped and said /:
which way, meinheer do you travel?
To Nanstadt," replied the guest.
"You will rest here tonight, I sup
pose?" continued the landlord.
81 will stay here for two or three
hours, but I must then be off, so as to
reach my destination there in the morn
ing. l am going to purchase lumber
for market"
s'And you have considerable money
with you, no doubt?" asked the land
lord innocently.
"Yes, considerable, replied the trav.
eler, slipping his wine unconcernedly
Then if you'll take my advice
said the landlord, "you'll stay here till
morning" ,s-T
"Why?" inquired the stranger look.
ing up curiously.
"Because," said the landlord looking
around as if he was disclosing great
secret, and was afraid of being heard
by somebody else, "every man that
passes over the road to Nanstadt at mid.
night, for the last ten years. has been
robbed or murdered under very singu-
lar circumstances"
"What were the circumstances" in.
quired the stranger, putting down his
empty glass and preparing to fill it a
second time.
"Wby, you see," the. landlord went
on, while he approached his guests table
and took seat, 81 have spoken with
several who have been robbed, and all
lealn of them is that they remember
meeting in the loneliest part of the wood
something that looked white and ghast.
ly, and that frightened their horses SO
that they either run away or threw their
riders; they felt a choking sensation
and sort of smothering, and finally died
as they thought, but awoke in an hour
or SO, to find themselves lying by the
roadside, robbed of everything"
Indeed" CALCULATED the stranger,
looking abstractedly at the rafters in
the ceiling as though he was more in
tent upon counting them than he was
on the landlords story
The innkeeper looked at him in as
tonishment. Suoh perfect coolness he
had not witnessed for long time.
"You will remain, then?" suggested
the landlord, after waiting some time
for his guest to speak.
OPP cried the stranger starting from
his fit of abstraction, as though be was
not sure that he was the person address
ed. "Oh, most certainly not i; Pm 60
ing straight ahead, ghost or no ghost,
to- night"
Half an hour later, the stranger and
a guide, called Wilhelm, were out on
the road, going at pretty round pace
toward Nanstadt.
During flash of lightning the stran-
ger observed that his guide looked very
uneasy about something, and was slack
ening his horses speed as though he
intended to drop behind.
LEAD on" cried the stranger, don't
be afraid"
"Im afraid I cannot" replied the
person addressed, continuing to hold
his horse in until he was now at least a
length behind his companion. "My
horse is cowardly and uumanageable 10
a thunder storm. IF you will go Oh
through, I think l can make him follow
close enough to point out the road"
The stranger pulled up instantly. A
strange light cleaned in his eyes, while
his hand sought his breast pocket, from
whence he drew something. The guide
saw the movement and stopped also.
"Guides should lead, not follow y
said the stranger quietly, but with a
firmness which seemed to be exceedingly
unpleasant to the persor addressed.
"But" faltered the guide, "my horse
won't co.
"Won't he ?" queried the stranger
with mock simplicity in his tone.
The guide heard a sharp click and
saw something in his companions right
hand. He seemed to understand per-
fectly for he immediatelydrove his spurs
into his horses TANKS and shot ahead
of his companion without word
He no sooner reached his old position
however, than the stanger saw him give
a sharp turn to the right and disappear
as though he had vanished through the
thick foliage of the trees that skirted
the road. r
He heard the clatter of the horse as
he galloped off. Without waiting an
other instant he touched his horse light
y with the reins, gave him prick with
the rowels, and off the noble animal