The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-02-13
THE GHOST RUBBER.

On fine evening in the spring of 80,
a stranger, mounted on noble looking
horse, passed slowly over the snow-white
limestone road leading through the Black
Forest
just as the sun was going to rest for
the day, and gloomy shadows were begin
ming to stalk forth, he drew rein before
the door Of an inn, saying:
"This must be near the spot, surely. /
will stop here for a time, anyhow, and see
what can learn"
lie thereupon dismoanted, and entered
the parlor of the inn, where he sat down
before small table.
Chow can [ serve you, mynheer z"
asked the landlord.
''See to my horse outside" replied the
guest eapSiassly, yet at the<same time eye
! ing the landlord from head to foot. "Aud
let me have bottle of Wine," he added.
The landlord was turning to withdraw
from the strangers presence, when he
| stopped and said
(Which way, mynheer, do you travel ?'
'To Naustadt," replied the guest.
"You will rest here tonight, l sup
| pose 2" continued the landlord
81 will stay here two or three hours,
! and then must be off, so as to reach my
| destination In the morning. l am goin g
/ there to purchase lumber for market"
"An6 you have considerable money
| with you, no doubt ~ said the landlord,
| innocently.
"Yes, considerable" replied the guest,
in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Then, if you'll take my advice" said
| tho landlord G.yOrI bod battor ctau boro
till morning"
"Wby ?" asked the stranger, looking
| up curiouEly.
Because" whispered the landlord,
looking around as if he were disclosing a
great secret and was afraid of being over
heard, "every man who has passed over
the road between THE and Naustadt at
night, for the last ten years, has been
robbed or murdered under very singular
| circumstances"
"What were the singular circumstan-
| ces ~ asked the traveller, filing his glass
with vine, bottle of which had been
placed On the table, and then slowly emp
tying it.
"Why, you see," the landlord went on,
| approaching his guests table aud tax ing
a seat, 81 have spoken with several who
have been robbed, and ali that I could
| learn from them is that they remember
meeting, in the lonesomest part of the
| wood, something that looked white and
| ghostly, and that frightened their horses
SO that they either ran away or threw
their riders. After that, all was confu-
sion with them they felt choking SEN
sation 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"
''IndeedP ~ CALCULATED the stranger,
looking abstractedly at the rafters in the
ceiling, as though be were more intent on
| counting them than he was In listening
to the landlords story.
The innkeeper looked at him in amaze
ment. Such perfect coolness he had not
witnessed in long time.
"You will remain, then p suggested
the landlord, after waiting some time for
his guest to speak.
81 p exclaimed the stranger, starting
from his fit of abstraction, and speaking
as though he were not quite sure that he
was the person addressed "oh, certainly
not. am going straight ahead, ghost or
no ghost, tonight"
An hour later, the stranger and guide
called Wilhelm were out on the road,
pushing through a driving storm at a
pretty rapid pace toward Naustadt.,
During fash Of lightning, the stran-
ger observed that his guides face wore