The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-06-15
HAUNTED ISLANDS,
~ JOHN II. WHIISOE,


party Of hunters were slowly pick
my Their devious way among the how'd
cfS oI u canyon, at the haze Of the Rock,
mountains, on the evening Of a p%Icasan
day IN the early autumn Of 1855 IN.
sun was rapidly sinking in the west An,
Va" gray shadows Of evening were set
1IIng over the earth, sIrondinr the can
yohs in a pail Of gloom, and casting
spectral haze over the giant pc,ks rx
ccPt Wl'r" mere ana there their ton
were tlnpcd with crimson glory.
ia" party numbered three. two u
whom were brouIcd and hardy TRAINERS
men who had been Injured to the wild
me ol the mountains, deserts, and wilder
ness from their earliest youth, and who
IN consequence Of their constant contact
wItIl the widest phases Of human exist.
"ncc and the isolation Of Il hunter life
were lalr representatives Of that rlos.
"' men VINO form th" connecting link be.
tween savage and civilized life. The
"Ihcr was a young man Of perhaps TWEEN
~ lIvc years, and with the broad intel
IrrtuaI brow that bears the stamn and
seal OF civilization. One could tell y, n
f'aNcr mat he was not IN ordinary hun.
Ter, and would reach the conclusion that
he wa here rather for the sport and ry.
cil"mcnl Of the chase than auytLino
else tie wa', in reality, a well TODD
merchant OF san Francisco, who Iouping
10 csciP" til" dlstractin" din and bIIstlr
CT business ana the SulIocaLing heat of
the hot season, had engaged the two
'rHlp"r', who were old acquaintance. To
accompany him in Il pleasure haunt To
me Rocky mountains, and we now find
Il"hI near the base Of this noble ranpc
""' ''''','n@ lh"Ir steps to a line Of
IlniO'f u short distance in advance, and
WhI'h lnngcd the banks of n river
known "a the cold Stream, probably be,
cause no gold had ever been discovered
anywhere near it.
ihr name oi the young merchant was
lharIcs knowland, and his guides wrrc
h''ck Zen and Shasta Joe, two famous
scouts.
As they ncarcd the fringe Of timber
hlarE Zen turned partially, and, address.
ing knowland, said:
" Hey you ever hcerd o the GoId
Stream ghost!n
no, ) have never heard of hi, ghost.
snip, What of him Is the stream sun
posed to he haunted? F
Supposed, the deuce! There's no
'lPP"'in about it when Black Ben goes
anything, he g%incraIIy gees it,. tell Won
'h'tr "a cfIllrras stays >omcwhar around
an island about halt q mile down This
yer 'II'N, an amort every night he
comes out an list makes things bile
'ne'e am u C'app"r "r an lniun in the
country butts a fccrrd to 20 near the
','and on account - the thing. and il
a most makes my blood run cold when.
ever ! think O it."
What isit like qucricd the Young
man, IN n half serious ~halCioculor tnnr"
"Scc yer" said the TRAINER, turnin,
upon him, ongriIy, " mcbbc you think
~ how a lie about this q"
Beg pardon, Ben" replied the
young man, seeing Ilis mistake, "but
am AkcPtical upon the subject of
ghosts; IN tact, ! don't believe there are
,,icl things. ! think everything of the
kIid can ~ accounted for in n natural
manner, and a. the result Of natural
%r,iHr7. But what appearance does hi,
ghost or hohgohlin PRESENT."
Wcll' said Ben, slightly modified.
~ Hiln before, it s%tnysaround this yer
NJ aild though no n ever seen il ON Tho
I'lani ltScIl, fer it alters comes M in The
middle Of th" river, and gives n veil ike
ten Thousand Blackfcct howlin' all ia
once. You could on'y scc It's shoulder,
an neat Tor the rest of it was undcr
water. II he'd a face sutlin' like n I'm.
man face, but all over hairy. and an If.
Ma'ry 'onRlh head war two horns that
stood right strait ip, and AS white as
snow hen seed it, the larnaI thing
h"pp'd right mp within ten feet of M"
ana Jet on The most car-splittin' veil We
ever hccrd. Why, ! could feel my flesh
creep on my very bones. an my hair
'I"o,f up trIl ii Almost lifted the can often
my bead. couldn't move banu or foot.
until the thing div under water ocin
'Hl, 'hrh ! was 50 weak | could scarcely
walk"
knowland felt like laughing, but the
4'rlou3 tone and lugubrious cxprr.,ion
n1"n the face OF Black Ben warned him
that, II he wished to retain his fricnd,hip.
j." must not be too reckless in soothing at
The trappcrs superstition. He knew
that Black Joe had really seen some
startling sight, hut what, if the mystery
were solved, he believed would be- robbed
OF hall its tcrrors. However, he said, in
a serious tone:
Zen, am greatly interested in thu
n,oonnt yon have given me. and wonII I,
,,Sr '" zee this monster for myscIf I f,
would Ike to have you aud Joe here ,c. !
company me to the vicinity of the island
"ni9ht and we will see if we can un.
'ancl thI' mystery" ;
,"e t'apl'ers protested against any
NNn'h procedure, Ben bewailing his folly
10 Tycding his knowledge, and dcclar.
W" mat he would rather face n whole
'noe OF blackicet. knowland, however
was ilrnl IN his resolve, and as they were
IN hi, employ, anil Lound in duty TO
Obey him, and besides, as friends, did