The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-05-18
PheGhoSts ChatelouSSe.

Talk about ghosts (said Jack Scott,
the toughest time | ever had with gen
try of that sort was when | was travel
ing for Frost & Co, up in Canada We
were in the fur line, you know, and |
happened to fall in with gentleman by
the name of Flint, who agreed to go
across the country with me. He was not
all the sort of fellow one would choose
for travelling companion, being ex-
tremely taciturn nd grim; but, apart
from sharing expenses, there was the
necessity for some sort of sympathy and
affection in such a confoundedly bleak
and forbidden country. Our team of
Canadian horses took us further and
further from civilization; hostelries of
any sort were few and far between.
But an honest sheep-dog would have
been lollier companion than Flint; his
thin lips couldn't seem to take the shape
of hearty laugh Without divulging
any commercial secrets, | told Flint
what / could of my errand into this will
derness, hoping to get some little conf
dence in return. He did 90 so far as
to hint that he also was connected with
hunting and trapping, but he was ex-
tremely close mouthed and reticent as
to particulars, and after little spurts of
chat on my part the conversation lam
guished.
The third morning of our Journey we
had little controversy, Flint and |,
about our route for the day. We want
ed to get on TO Chatelousse, where / had
letters Of introduction, and where Flint
hoped to find out the whereabouts of a
Monsieur Bernard, in whom | was also
interested, as Flint had told me he had
been dealer in skins. We were told
there was short cut across the country,
but it would be safer, perhaps, to take
the public road. Flint was rather in
favor of the latter plan, being of eau
tious and prudent temperament; but
although the words of our senior partner
came into my head, they only seemed to
push me the other way. "Never take
by-path when you can get a highway"
were the parting works of Mr.. Frost;
but | considered them some of his oracu-
lar fogyisms.
It's only twenty miles, Flint" said
Twenty of these Canadian miles," he
added.
"With fresh horses" | went on; sand
our host here has pointed us out the
way"
q Yes, yes" said the inn-keeper,
straight ahead, gentlemen, till you see
big cross set up at the end of three
cornered field. Turn to the right, and
you'll soon see forest of fir-trees; that is
the beginning of Chatelousse, and close
at hand lives Adrian Bernard. There is
house little this way, messieurs, that is
all black and empty, and has about it
the melancholy of the grave. 1t is
pardon me, messieurs-it is given over
to the devil They say it is haunted"
Yes, yes" broke in Flint, craning his
neck eagerly forward; what is it about
this house,"
1t is that crime has been committed
their, messieurs; that lights are seen,
queer noises are heard, groans and
shrieks of terror. have it for q fact that
night after night the tragedy is repeated
over and over again"
"Let us get on" said Flint, ain the
direction of this house."
Six hours later we had reached a big
bar of wood that had fallen and was
plunged fathoms deep in the snow. As
for roads, there were none, neither to the
right nor the left That imbecile of an
inn-keeper must have known that at this
season Of the year ordinary landmarks
were obliterated. We had long since
been gliding over an unbroken surface
OF snow; but dimly Swallowed upon the
horizon | had seen the forest of frs. and
pushed the jaded beasts onward. 1t was
weary work, as we were perceptibly
going up hill
The short Canadian day was drawing
to a close. If you want an idea. nv
friends, of complete and utter desolation,
take campaign of that sort when dav
Is expiring at the hands of a pitiless and
unrelenting night; the vast sheet of
white, unbroken by fence or forest, be-
comes in the shifting and fading light as
apall drawn over dead world. From
early morning we had not passed a roof
or seen living creature. The bitterness
OF cold was somewhat ameliorated. but
this was another source of anxiety. as it
limited of snow, and the idea made US
shudder; snows.orm would be utter and
irretrievable ruin. To add to nv alarm
/ could no longer distinguish the line of
fir-trees.
"This must be snow blindness" l
said. "Can you see those fir trees,
Flint?"
"No," he replied, calmly; 81 have
not seen them for some time. They'll
probably come sight when We get to
the top of this hill"
But having reached the summit, and
beginning to descend, said again, "Can
you see them now, Flint"
NO." he replied
| refined in the horses, and got upon
my feet. One unbroken, glittering
desert of snow surrounded US. In the
yellow light of the western sky it glis-
tened like the folds of a snake; further
on, under the stormy clouds that scud-
ded along, it grew livid and steel colored,
and looked more horrible to me than the
widest and blacklist of seas.