Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1878-03-30

CIRCUMSTANCES t1at leu them 10 DelleVt
he had been murdered. This. then, must
be his ghost returned to see his sister.
But pooh..' thought l, .sthere are nc
such things rs ghosts! "'rhs must be
some poor traveller who has cut himself
by accident
AT all events, made up my mind to
address him. took one step forward
and as opened my lips to speak, the
figure disappeared. There was no way
| ing OF the curtain now-nOthing to show
that there had been ghostly presence
behind it. Outside the wind made a
fearful racket around the corners of the
house ard amohg the bare limbs of the
ems. Occasionally the slam of a door
reached my ears, telling how the wind
was using it. Presently distinguished
the tramp, tramp of horses feet. The
stable was connected with the shed, but,
strange To tell, the sounds were approach
| ing the kitchen, seemingly but few feet
away from the very door. In second
more was Mortified to hear horses
hoofs stamping across the kitchen floor.
There is something awful i'm such
sounds at such an hour; for the first time
1 felt my hair Begin to rise from my
scalp. Looking round, saw the odd
figure once more at the window The
sight of that CHASTITY face and those
glazed eyes Watching me so intently
drove me to decide upon acting at once
''Speak!' L cried; rare you man or
ghost?"
There was no response; only side
mOtiOn-a slight movement of the head.
and the spectre had disappeared again.
No sound of wind this time, but those
hoofs meandering here and there were
more dreadful, and | concluded it must
be some horse thief who meant to rob
and murder me at the same time.
Reaching above the fire place. took
down my louble-barrelled shot gun,
cooked both barrels, and deliberately
pointed it toward the window, resolving
to lire it ut the first glimpse of his ghost
ship. or, as | more than half suspected.
horse thief. All at once, there came a
terrific gust that shook the whole house
from foundation To chimney. 1t made
the old clock stop for the first time i'll
dozen years; roaring down the fireside,
scattering the ashes about the room, and
half blinding me.
Through tue cloud of dust l saw the
face again at the window. In another
second my eyes were nearly demolished
by the report of my gun. Both barrels,
heavily loaded with buckshot, had gone
right through that vest window. taking
nearly the whole sash with it, and send
ing me flat OH my back by the force of
the conclusion.
Whats the matter, Tom? What we
been shooting at, at this time o. night 2"
were the first words l heard, after pick
ing myself up from the floor.
There, in their night clothes, stood the
old folks, and right behind them, in the
doorway. the two Soys-,IOhn and Harry.
Grandfather held candle In his hand.
and looked at me with alarm i'm his face.
The boys were whimpering with the
cold.
Ghosts or robbers, l amt quite sure
which," replied.
| started toward the window. On
looking out. beheld the figure stretched
at tull length on the ground. The sight
gave me courage.
That ghost won't want to haunt these
parts any longer, guess" said l. He
has two charges OF buckslOu in his body
mewhere-enOugh to kill eYen g,iOsi.
Hold the lantern. grandpa, while take
close look at him."
After placing tile lantern in his hand,
sprang through the window frame, and
WAS soon bending over thd supposed
dead body. WHAT was my establishment
and chayrin to fiud il neither ghost nor
man, but "A lot OF straw stuffed into my
great-grandfather's old cloths, which
had been used 10 scare crows; it had been
aud fastened to nbil with Il
long cord, reaching from the bbys' room
down. Ii all flashed over my And il an
instant. The boys, knowing my late
hours, play ed the trick Oh Inc. re-
turned 10 the house, replying to inquiries
that the corpse would lay where 1t was
for the present. As for John and Harry,
they had no further occasion to complain
of the cold that night, for the warming
thoy got before they went up stairs
again was enough to last them until day
light, and gave them Il lesson that they
will not soon forget.
Soon after | Went out in the kitchen,
and found the old mare standing with
her head over the sink, patiently waiting
tor a drink. Her halter having become
loosened, and the doors from stable TO
kitchen open. she had improved the OPP
portunity To go Oh tour OF inyesti-
CATION.
This, boys, is the sum total of my ghost
story; about as real, guess, as any thlt
happen hereabOuts. l never took much
stock i'm these shrouded images-there is |
always some human agency about them;
and as for the scare-well, l don't want
to see any more ghostly faces peering In
at The windows, tell you.