The Osceola times., 1876-06-10
HAUNTED ISLANDS,
BY JOHN II. wHITsoN.

BY JOHN II. wHITsoN.
A party of hunters were SLOWLY pick.
ing their devious way among the bowld.
ers OF canyon, at the base Of the Rocky
mountains, on the evening Of pleasant
day in the early autum of 1855. The
sun was rapidly sinking in the west, and
the gray shadows Of evening were set.
Ting over the earth, shrouding the can
yons in pail Of gloom, and casting a
spectral haze over the giant peaks, ex-
cept where here and there their tops
were tinged with crimson glory.
The party numbered three. two of
whom were bronzed and hardy trappers !;
men who had been Injured to the wild
life Of the mountains, deserts, and wilder
ness from their earliest youth, and who.
IN consequence of their constant contact
with the wildcat phases Of human exist.
cnce and the isolation of a hunters life
were fair representatives of that class
OF men who form the connecting link be-
tween savage and civilized life. The
other was young man Of perhaps twen-
tty-hve years, and with the broad Intel.
lectual brow that bears the stamp and
seal OF civilization. One could tell At a
glance that he was not an ordinary hun.
ter, and would reach the conclusion that
ne wal here rather for the sport and ex.
citcment Of the chase than ANYTHING
else. He was, in reality, a wejl.to.do
merchant of San Francisco. who long;ng
to escape the distracting din ard hustle
OF business and the suflocating heat OF
the hot season, had engaged the two
trappers, who were old acq Ia
accompany him in pleasure jaunt 10
the Rocky mountains, and we now find
them near the base Of this noble range.
and directing their steps to a line q,
timber short distance In advance and
which fringed the banks of n river
known as the Gold Stream, probably be.
cause no gold had ever been discovered
anywhere near it.
The name Of the young merchant was
Charles knowland, and bis guides were
Black len and Shasta Joe, two lannon's
scouts. '"'
AS they neared The fringe of timber
BLACK Ben turned partially, and address.
ing Knowland, said:
Hev you ever heerd O. the Gold
Stream ghost?" o"
:" No, ! have never heard of hi, pbost.
ship, What of him ? Is the stream sup-
posed to Be haunted?
supposed, the deuce There's no
supposin' about it when Rlack Rem sees
anything, he ginerally sees it. | tell Won.
theresa critteras stays somewbar aro1nd
an Island about halt a mile down this
yer erick, an Almost every night he
comes out an list makes things bile.
ihere amt tiapper or an Iniun in the
country butts a feered to 60 near the
island on account o the thing, and IL
amo;t makes my blood run cold when.
ever think o. IT," '
What is il like?" queried the youpp
man, in a half-serious half.jocular tone
see yer" said the trapper, turning
upon him, angrily, mebbe you think
as how lie about this7"
beg pardon, l,en," replied the
young man, seeing his mistake. - hut
l am skepticsl upon the subject of
ghosts; in fact, l dent believe there are
such things. l think everything of the
KIND can he accounted for in a natural
manner, and as the result of natural
causs put what appearance does this
ghost or hobgoslin prescntg'
"Well,' said Ben, slightly modified
s ! sAid before, il stays around this yer
isiand, though no one ever seen il on The
island itself, fer it alters comes up in the
middle Of the river, and gives veil like
ten thousand Blackleet howlin' ali IN
once. You could on'y zee it's shoulders
an head, for the rest of il was unrlcr
water 1t he'd face suthin' like a hu-
man face, but all over hairy, and ON it's
hairy lookin' head war two horns that
stood right strait up, and as white AS
snow. When | seed it, the tarnal thing
hepPed right up within ten feet of me
and let off the most ear-splittin' veil We
ever heerd. Why, l could feel nv flesh
creep on my very bones, an INV hair
stood up till it a'most lifted the cap often
my head. | couldn't move hana or :oo,'
until the thing div under water agin.
and then was 50 weak could scarcely
walk"
knowland felt like laughing, but the
serious tone and lugubrious expre sion
upon the face of Black Ben warned him
that, il he wished to retain his friendship.
he must not be too reckless in scotiing at
the trapPers superstition. He knew
that Black Joe had really seen some
startling sight, but what, II the mystery
were solved, he believed would he robbed
OF hall Its terrors. However, he said, in
a serious tone:
Ben, I am greatly interested in thi.
account you have given me, and would
like to see this monster for myself.
would like to have you and Joe here nc.
company me 10 the vicinity Of the island
tonight, and we will see If we can un
ravel this mystery"
The trappers protested against any
such procedure, Ben bewailing his foil,
in revealing his knowledge, and declar
ing that he would rather face a Who'll,
tribe Of blackieet. Knowland, however
was firm in his resolve, and as they wer,
In his employ, and bound in duty I,
shey him. and besides, ~ friends, die