The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-04-18


other people have eyes for good fur as
we'll as ones self; and the moment my
cabman set eyes upon this nov shoob
Of mine worth a hundred and fifty
rublcs, good, if it was worth kopeck
i saw then glitter like fire. just
for one mohent-I can't deny it, the
old majors warning came back to me
rather uuplessantly but laughed it
off, scrambled into the sleigh and
away we went.
There were two ways to go to my
quarters, one rather long but passing
through we'll frequented streets; the
other somewhat shorter but going
past one of the great burial grounds
Though the very lonelest' part of the
whole town | took for granted, of
course, that he'd 90 by the frequented
way and indeed, being rather tired
frem being ON my feet all night, l fell
asleep before could see whether he
did or not.
All at once | was awakened by the
sleigh stopping suddenly, and the first
thing saw when ! locked out was
the great black waste Of the burial
ground right ahead, with the white
graves glinting here and there in the
moonlight. Not living soul in sight,
not sound to he heard everything
was silent and lonely rs if we had
been in the middle of desert Then
the fellow turns round to me and says
roughly, "Get out"
"What do you mean ?" | asked
pretending to be much frightened.
Get out, this minutew says he,
and he jumps off the box and clutches
hold Of me.
Now before I go any further, l
must tell you that the character | had
assumed that night was that of a de-
mon; horns, tan black face, fiery eyes
andyall ; and really l looked q very
ghAstly ebjoct Well, when he fell
low caught hold of me I, scrambled
out of the sleigh in helpless sort Of
way as if were frightened out of my
wits. He seized my coat by the col
lar and threw it open, my cap falling
off at the same time and there l stood
revealed in all my terrors, as grim a
demon as ever breathed fire, with a
face as black as ink, and my eyes
flaming like live GOALS!
| have seen many men in my time,
but never anything like that fellow.
For moment he stood like statue,
with his eyes staring out Of his head,
and then he gave a yell that you might
have heard mile off, and fell fiat Oh
his back as if he was killed and | sat
down on the rim of the sleigh, and
laughed till every grave in the church
yard ha-ha had in answer.
However, l had something more to
do than sit there and langh; 80 as soon
as | got my breath again, bundled
the fellow neck and crop into the sleigh,
got on the box myself and drove as
hard as l could pelt to the nearest poe
lice station. When | got there | Gre
ated almost as great sensation as l
had with my friend, the cahman but
the whole bushes was soon explained,
and when they had heard the story
there was such laugh that it almost
tore the roof oil. The fellow that took
ny evidence could hardly write for
laughing; and when the poor cabman
himself began to come to again, the
frst thing he saw was my horned head
and fiery eyes hanging over him in a
glare Of light, and roars of Internal
laughter, making the air ring where
upon he tainted again worse than be-
fore.
l didn't want to he hard on the poor
chap, after the fright had given him,
but the inspector said now that the
thing had got to such height, an ex.
ample must be made Of him, and we
believe he got his deserts, and big
scare to boot. But from that night
forward our officers never called mo
anything but the cabman's terror,
and have not got rid of the name
yet"