The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-05-06
miscellaneous.
Prom IIArpsrs weekly.l
THE CAMDEN GHOSTS.
ATaie OF the Revenue Service.

Go you now at any time this night. II you
dare. and I bet anything you'll come back
believing
Done; what'l you bet?'
'I'll bet my horse against your pony
Done. III take it.
Done IL is. Here Brown, you'll TO TO
hold the stakes
The above conversation took place In
the Red Lion Inn Mt Camden. n little vii
lage ON the coast of Maine. The first
speaker WAS fine. freshed-faced. broad
shouldered.. honest looking fellow, who
under rough clothing. bore the unmistak-
able sign of q gentleman. The other had
the air off sea faring man, though his
dress WAS that of farmer. Two Others
were with him. both OF whom had very
much the same appearance. Five or six
others were present, all OF whom took n
deep interest in the conversation and
gave hearty assent tO the bet.
As the bet was made, the man Brown
arose and proceeded to take charge of the
stakes. The two men who had made the
bet also rose. BY the air of the rest Of the
company Il was evident that they consid-
cred that the bet was already lost by the
unbeliever. They were all inhabitants OF
the village. The one who had made tho
bet WAS stranger; and local pride was
aroused, even If there were no other feel
Ing to animate them.
The man who had accepted the wager
laughingly departed,
WELL said one of the spectators after
he had departed, hes gone-thc young
feller's gone. He'll get enough Of it,
That he will said another.
Hell be backas soon rs he gets there.
They've driven of better men than
HIM
The clanking Of the chains is enough.
.Yes-let alone the voices
The first time / heard II l was struck
dumb
And should have fallen dead If there
hadn't been another man with me-
Its nice pony the young fellow will
have to give up, anyway
We'll. he ought 10 know better than to
be so free with his bet
He's never been much in these parts
before
No, of course not, or he wouldn't have
been SD free with his bet
The company mt the inn were engaged
in various speculations rs to the result OF
his experiment the young adyenturer was
going on toward the place. Ii was onth
summit of wide, bleak. and desolate
ridge. terminated by cliff. Mt the base OF
which the ocean surf beat Here. some
wears before, n murder had been commit
ted by n gang Of ruflians. They had been
captured. andrfrccurrin-r ring.icadcrymttf
been hanged in chains upon a LOFTY gibbet
on the very spot where the crime had been
committed.
As the adventurcr ncared the spot the
wind blew in gusts over the ridge. The
moon occasionally shining out from behind
cloud revealed the scene. The gloom of
the night formed background. and in the
foro ground rose lofty three-armed glib
bet from each arm of which there hung
suspended the skeleton of man in chains.
The rushing wind gave TO the scene addi-
tional elements of terror. As it drove past
IL swung the skeletons, making them vi
brate slowly to and fro, with all their load
Of chains and fetters. so that they creaked
and ratified. and made n thousand weird
and ghostly sounds. In the lonely dark
ness. From the distance came up deep,
low sullen sound. at regular intervals dy-
ing and rising again, TO die away in low
rcyerbcr,tions. Ii was the ocean surf,
which beat upon the shore not Ear away,
for Camden WAS fishing village. and the
gibbet stood upon high cliff which over
hung the beach. The moaning Of the
wind. the sullen roar of the surf. and the
, clank of the chains, were sufficient to in
spirc dread in the boldest heart.
The young man. however. seemed quite
unaffected by any superstitious terrors.
He quietly dismounted. flung the horses
bride over his arm. drew his cloak about
! him and waited. For about m hour he
waited patiently. keeping n wary look
about him, so rs not to be surprised in that
gloom.
At length he felt conscious Of low
moan which was entirely different from
any of the sounds which he hal hitherto
heard. Itsecmed 10 arise from the ground
behind him. II was moan OF peculiar
and penetrating power.
, The watcher graspcd his pistols and
turned toward the direction from which
the sound came.
, Then followed heavy sigh. He wait
ed. Then came deep groan. \ smile
|: of contempt passed over the watchers
|, face.
Suddenly there was grating overhead.
He looked up. The skeletons in chains
{ were descending. They were moving
down slowly. As they descended they
!, swung i'm the wind. and were knocked to-
: gcther and dashed against the gallows-
. tree. Still they We're suspended, and
were not coming down without being
a lowered down.
The watcher stepped hack and coolly
waited with q grim smile on his face.
: The skeletons came down slowly. till at
last they touched the ground. Tho watch
, or coolly took one of them and gave vi
olent pull. 1t fell down, dragging arope
aiier Il, which crcake,l as il run through a
. pulley overhead. The watcher pulled
. away Mt it. and dragged down line
, which was at least u hundred feet In
{ rllencth. Meantime the other skeletons
: kent rising anil falling. He caught one
! of them with the same peculiar jerk. and
, pulled the rope in the same way. Sud-
ldenly the other skeleton began tn ascend.
q NO, no. my fine fellow muttered the
: watcher. catching the chains Of his feet
/ before IL GOT out of his reach. and pulling
' with all his force. IL was u sudden and
violent pull. and the skeleton yielded.
? ? Down itfcll, along with the watcher. who
!. fell To the ground. But in n moment he
. aruse. and. with an audible chuckle, he
pulled this rope down also.
Then he stood waiting cautiously Ms bc-
!. fore. Some time now passed, during
' which nothing was seen or hcar,i. The
. skeletons lay around on the heath. The
) watcher waited. IL, ,-rFrt
AT last bright light flashed up from
. the ground about twenty yards in front OF
him. Ii was close by the edge Of the
clif. and looked Ikea crevice. In the
! midst OF the light three figures appeared
! : each wrapped in long white sheet.
!. Tho three figures, with low groans