The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-20
THEGATE CITY
NJ sPuYrEkDUYAxL.

4 I'M . UoS0 Oouss
Such were some Of the remarks that 70
lowed SANS opening observation. We vel
sonad Of the I'll cavalry, aud were eathe
! ed round the bivuoac Ere The regimel
had been ..,r-ed, IL the midst ofe sever
rain, into low. Oct nsadow, which saa d
ready IN incipent morass, 70 bivouac for q
night, ard - lying down Vas out Of the quee
ton, We had contrived to construct rud
benches or perches Of fence rails on vhic
we we're s.roostiDg' likeso many birds aroun
{ r fire. We had eaten what had to pass mus
IT,, CIR supper, bad managed to light gu
pipes, sud voting sleep impossible, had r.
solved to make night Of it. No doubt thi
decision WAS affected somewhat By the dis
covery that HANG Wasrous caateen va
full Of whisky-ine ID, it was seldom full q
anything else, though where he obtained 8
much Of the scontraband'' ! do not beliey
/ even the Commissary cold have told.
/ II was raining With fierceness never see
| except in the South. and occasional fasbe
Of the most vivid lightning, with the .accom
| psning peais Of thunder made up . nigh
such rs ghosts hobgoblins and witches Ar
said to delight in, but not the sort Of nigh
for panic. Underline circumstances it ma
readily be imagined that the prospect Of
story from Sam was hsiled With eager delieh
| BY us all Having taken preliminary pul
| 1t the canteen, that veracious racoRtesr com
menced.
"Well, it wss Z good deal such niebt i
| this, o. ,Aid. that saw the ghost. / va,
travelling then in Canada, buying cattle, aDt
every time made trade with farmer,
I had to 70 10 the house and drink With him
You see they are all Scotch and Irish abon
there, and had natural taste for the Crater
on both sides. used 70 ride round the coun.
try and buy the cattle, and appoint day
when they should come to town Ind deliver
them and then it Was my turn 70 treat.
II had been to . good many farms that
day, and as . natural consequence. you see,
had drank . heap ofwhisky, 90 it isn't strange
! took the wrong road, and found myself late
81 asghs senae twenty miles from town and
wet 70 the bone. Fortunately, whom made
The discovery, was near country tavern
where was well known, and you may be sure
/ didn't loose much time in getting to it.
Honest Tom Guest, full-ied, red-faced
Enslishman who kept it, caL.e out to the
door himselfto receive me, and in less than
no time found myself 10 front Of the rons-
ing FIRE in the bar>room. with tumbler OF
bot punch in my hand, while my horse was
cared for in the stable. By the time had
got into dry suit Of Toms clothes, WHICH
were big enough to have allowed Of my tax
ing in partner IN them, eatin hearty sup
per Of ham snd eGss, and seasin myself again
before the Are, with pipe in my mouth, and
plenty Of greg on the table, you may be sure
didn't care much for storms.
Except the usual crowd Of settlers. there
was no one there but Tom and l, and Nip.
NIP wss Tom . dog. . big square, heavy
jawed, ugly-looking brute, with the funniest
stnrun nf n tail ynn aver aav
- I'm verv I'D to see you muster Ward
said Tom 'b1. Why didn' you come earlier
I've got ne er an empty bed IN the house.
No empty beds, Tom? How's that?
You see this tavern Was big rambling con-
Germ, that looked IS If it might hold regi-
ment, but, like good many country taverns,
its roominess was more apparent than real
So Tom explained to me that travelling party
had been driven in there by the storm, and
had filled all his rooms. Here Was prettv
ow-de-do! How ever, was too thoroughly
comfortable at the moment to care much for
the future.
'Just then some one spoke from the cor
ner.
"'Why not give him the ghost room
Tom p
"'Now dry up, Jem Cox eaid Tom, do
you suppose Id put such slight on Muster
Ward?'
but, Of course, my curiosity was excited
by this time, and insisted on knowing what
i all means. So, after assuring the unfort-
lnate Jem Coz !. be would punch his head
1t the first or or.unity, Tom told ne,though
reluctantly, how pedler had been murdered
n the room Immediately over US 1.-THE best in
be house by the way, some years before be
bought the. place, and ever since that bis
L.. knA hnn cd III aha, Il
&c. to relish company, 50 that though many
lad tried, no one had been able to sleep
here, b.. that now the room was closed, and
10 attempt made to use it.
"Has it good bed, Tom p said |.
"'Deed, it has, Muster Ward, none better.
"'Then, I'll sleep in it.
But this proposition Was negatived at once
" him in the strongest terms. He WIS real
= fond Of me and would not allow me the
discomfort or fright to say nothing Of actual |
injury, which he felt sure would follow an en-
sounter with his ghostship. However. you
nay imagine that opposition only made me
more determined and at last he gavein
"sTell ee what, Muster Ward, said he, |
If you really will sleep there all night, I'll |
i've ee ten dollars-dane me, if DON'T
This offer. and certain looks saw pass
NJ between those around mo, made me . |
lttle less eager than had been ct first not
hat feared the ghost, but / began to sus-
ect some practical joke was intended at my
Expense However, wasn't going to back
mt. 80 said:
".I don't want your money Tom but il
ou II have the bed we'll aired, and let me
Ike Nip with me, I'll sleep there, and the
evils in it i'll don't get good nights rest. y
"You see had been there 30 much Nip
rould obey me nearly ~ well as he would
ON himself.
"'What, take the dawg?' said Tom. aye,
nd welcome, but you'll see he won't stay.
i" .I'll risk that | answered.
$50 it Was arranged, and after some more
unch, and IN immense amount Of wonder
NO on the part OF tbore present whistled
liz, Who, at sign from Tom, followed me
,illiusly TO my room. As has been sid. it
,as directly over tho bar, aud was large
ouare room, with windows on two sides. the
DOR being on the third. and the bed on the
purth. About the middle of one side, aud
early opposite the door, waa the chimney
at instead Of q fireplace, the room contsin-
d rtove-one Of those square box affairs
"Well, vent in-Nip after me-snd hAv
~ locked snd bottled the door. and dragged
heavy wsshssand befor il, prepared to in
ess,sate nsastses. You - dido't fear the
host At all, but coaldn't ct rid Of the idea
hat some joke would Be attempted BY those
Inside The door being secure, my next
move Was to search the room thoroughly, Il
cling Nip q the same time 70 seek 'sm,'
,hich he did. running under the bed, into I
lard, obe which stood into the room, under
nd behind Ill the furniture, snuf9ing furious
, and wsgging, not his tail, for there wasn's
noush Of Il, but his stern, furiously all the
me. At, last, his inspection completed. he T
,oked up into NJ face, and reported with
ink and Z muss complicated wag, which
.emed to say, "All right, old fellow-vhst
ext
"Feeling secure then, commenced nm
ressina, when there came sudden blast of
ind, flash Of lightning, which lii mp the
hole room, : dsafening peal Of thunder,
nd, at the same time, there rang through
he room the most unearthly scream ever
card. It startled me and even saw the dog
1ake for the door, - though he would pre-.
er being on the other side Of it. However,
wasn't going to give it up 20, especially %
heard voices on the landing outside, and
new Tom and the others were speculating
n the probabilities Of my rstrsating. So /
another search, and again order
d Nip too 'seek en- N order which he
ha-oI -;th alanr;tv ~an~su~ h;~eo1f III