The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-04-19

side of the lake. After while, twOlo
them went after deer. An hour later
the others also started for the hunt. III
narrow inlet near the hsuse they cav
this sort of q specter floating, buffeted
by the waves The hunters cried:
"Oh, there's the Wandering jew 7
Let's put him out of his misery; he'll
make good target"
Some one raised his rife, took delibe-
rate aim, fired, and hit the mysterious
object. His companion fired, hut his
shot was quite unfortunate. Over III
the underbrush opposite to them q man
jumped into the air and fell dead. The
hunters stray bullet had killed one Of
mis- friends who chaneed TO be there, con-
caaled, Watching for deer not lar away
Just around point OF land. The deer
was coming down To tine beach 10 drink,
| The first shot OF the markzman had
startled it. IbstGcd with head appraised,
ears turned forward, ewes wiue open,
nost1ils dilating and shutting, ant its
right tore.foot impatiently stamping tlie
grassy SGD. When the second rife
cracked, the deer, like lightning, gath
cred its feet together, with one tremen
dous bound regained the friendly tilicket,
and then fed - like deer" through the
! woods
! After this melancholy day the specter
was more than ever summed Nobody
new whether anyhody had ever exam
ined it, or had ever been close enough To
it to tell exactly what it was.
In less than two years fine harmless
thing mad Gin one sense Of tine word
many diabolical attributes forcibly tied
to its narrative 81 the tai of homeless
dog is sadly familiar with old, battered
tip-pans.
One winter night a truly awful tenn
pest ragged in the lake region, and Lake
seneca mad TO bear tine brunt. Each one
of the scheonerE, barges and sailboats
upon it had made good harbor, except
the staunch schooner Ais" having or
board q cargo of sundriee, and crew of
air. Latin, skipper, two other men and
a boy. One of the crew was q negro
named Stone, but commonly called
Pete Mig"
During one of the flashes Of lightning,
the crew saw the Wandering Jew"
about ten fathons from their bow, bear
ing down upon them.
+" Pete Mig" was very superstitious
darkey, and the specter 60 zcared him he
lost his presence Of mind. 4 sudden,
mighty sea swashed over the deck, and
3" Pete Mig" went overheard. Another
fash granted his ahipmates to see him
meet MS enemy they grappled, then all
wss blackness again. They were seen no
more. Tine furious storm threatened 20,
tine chip was so hastened by the blast,
nothing could be done to save the poor
castaway, except TO throw overheard
couple of pianks which CHANGED to be
loose upon the deck
One afternoon last summer ] was
stretching near Starkey. During an
interval OF rest, while slowly walking
along the beach, saw in the sand and
gravel q piece Of bone, which ] kicked,
and unearthed human right" humerue
OF the African type. Much surprised, ] /
searched and made an important di.eov~
cry. Wiahing to have the skeleton for
my own private collection Of anatomical
cnriositiea, and being DESTROYS OF avoid
ing all scandal, j covered up my L" find'
and told nobody about it.
AT the noon of night, when unlaid
ghosts are said to arise, reached nv
treasure,troye. 1t was there; 70 the old
Saying about tine movements of ghosts
IL quite wrong. Working briskly for
about ten minutes, i obtained a lnegro's
skeleton tolerably well preserved. 1t
was IN Close contact with q section of a
maple tree whose roots clasped large
stone, over which they had grown in the
forest.
1had heard the tradition of the specter
OF the lake, and also of the drowning of !
the negro j now sarmised that the me-
gro, clinging even III death to the tree.
vas washed ashore and buried in the
beach by the tempest, where ne had lain
nndisturbed till, by chance, i found his
bones.
nall dreaded to strike match, but j
did 80, and, surely enough, j saw the
ancient serrG OF the lake. The marksof