Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-02-03

his purchases out of the cart, he enter.
ed his cottage, lighted his pipe, sal
over the Ere with his better half, and
gave her an account of how he had
disposed of his produce, and whas be
had brought back from Sydney In re.
turn. After this he said to hes. swell
Betty, I'm mot drunk tonight any how
am II"
..No." said Betty. aYou are quite
zQphwS ouno11 11ni&1 tnun -
therefcEe you have COM home Withoul
any ghost in your head. Ghost! Don't
believe there is such things"
"Well, you are satisfied 1 am not
drunk; but perfectly SOBER" said the
old man.
ayes Ben," said Betty.
"Well, them" said Ben. 81 tell thee
what, Betty, I saw Fisher tonight
agin!'
"Stuff !" cried old Betty.
"Yo1 may say stuff" said the old
farmer, "but / tell you what-I saw him
as plainly as l did last Thursday night.
Smith is a bad 'un. Do you think
Fisher would have left this country
without coming to bid You and me
good-by 2"
"It's all fancyr said old Betty.
"Now drink your grog and smoke your
pipe, and think no more about the
ghost. won't hear ont
"Pm as fond of my grog and pipe as
most men," said old Ben; "but Tn not
going to drink anything tonight. 1t
may be all fancy, as you call it, but I
am now going to tell Mr.. Grafton all l
saw, and what / think" and with
these words be got up and left the
house.
Mr. Grafton was a gentleman who
lived abort mile from old Weir's farm.
he had been formerly lieutenant in
the navy, but was now on half pay, and
was settler in the new colony; be was,
moreover, in the commission Of the
peace.
When old Ben arrived at Mr.. Graf
ton's house, Mr. Grafton was about to
retire to bed; but he requested old Ben
might be shown in. He desired the
farmer to take seat by the fire, and
then inquired what was the latest news
In Sydney.
1.-THE news in Sydney, sir, is very
small" said old Ben; wheat is falling,
but maize still keeps its price-seven
and sixpence bushel; but want to
tell you. sir, something that will as
tonish you"
What is it, Ben ?" asked Mr.. Graf.
ton.
"Why, sir" resumed old Ben, "you
know l am not a weak-minded man,
nor fool, exactly; for was borne a nd
bred in Yorkshire"
mo, Ben, l don't believe you to be
weak minded, nor do 1 think you a
fool" said Mr.. Grafton; "but what can
you have to say that you come at this
late hour and that YOU require such a
preface?"
THAT have seen the ghost Of Fisher,
sir" said the old man; and he detailed
the particulars of which the reader is
already in possession.
Mr.. Grafton was at first disposed to
think, with old Betty, that Ben had
seeu Il iSuSt SuoSe thiVuSu an eAtId
glass Of rum on the first night; and
that on the second night, when perfect
ly sober. he was unable to divest him
self Of the idea previously entertained
But, after little consideration, the
words How very singular !" involun-
tarily escaped him.
"Go home, Ben," said Mr.. Grafton
''and let me see You tomorrow at SUM-
rise. We will 60 together to the place
where you say YOU saw the ghost"
Mr.. Grafton used to encourage the
aboriginal natives of New South Wales
(that race which has been very aptly de-
scribed as 'the last link in the human
chain") to remain about his premises.
At the head of little tribe then en-
camped on MIR. Grafton estate, was a
sharp young man named johnny Crook.
The peculiar faculty Of the aboriginal
natives of New South Wales. of track
ing the human foot not only over grass
but over the hardest rock; and of track
ing the whereabouts of runaways by
signs imperceptible to civilized eyes, is
well known; and this man, Johnny
Crook, was famous for his skill in this
particular art of tracking. He had re-
Gently been instrumental in the appre-
tensions of several desperate bushran-
gers whom he had tracked over TWEEN.
ty miles of rocky country and fields,
which they had crossed hare-footed, in
the hope of checking the black fellow
in progress of his keen pursuit with
the horse police.
When old Ben Wier made his an.
pearance in the morning at Mr.. Graf.
ton's house, the black chief, john,
Crook, was summoned to attend. III.
came and brought with him several o.
his subjects. The party set out. ole
Wier showing the way. The leave,
on the branches Of the saplings winch
he had broken ON the first night o
seeing the ghost were withered, ant
sufficiently pointed out the exact raj
ON which the phantom was Represented
TO have sat. There were stains upol
the rail. Johnny Crook, who had the.
no idea Of what he was required for
pronounced these stains to be whit
mans blood" and, after searchin,
about for some time, be pointed to
spot whereon he said q human bod
had been laid.
j ln-New South Wales long drought
are not very uncommon; and not q sin
, gle shower of rain had fallen for seve
months previously-not sufficient eve
70 lay the dust upon the roads.
In consequence Of the time that ha
, elapsed. Crook bad no small difficult
: TO contead with: but in ahout two honr