Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-09
THE GH0sTs or cH1yELOrSsE


Yes, hut remembered by wha, have done.
Hordtto HOH0rS
THE GHOSTS or HITELOUSSE.
Talking about ghosts (said Jack Scott. the
toughest time / ever had with gentry Of that
sort was when | was travelling for Frost Il
Co. up in Canada. We were in the fur line,
you know, and | happened to fall in with a
gentleman 10y the name of Flint, who agreed
to 20 across the country with me- lie was
not at all the sort of fellow one would choose
for travelling companion, being extremely
taciturn and grim but, apart from sharing
expenses there was the necessity for some
sort Of sympathy and affection in such q con-
foundodly bleak and forbidding country. Our
sturdy team of Canadian horses took us far
ther and farther from civilization hostelries
of any sort were few and far between. But
an honest sheep.dog would have been iolli-
er companion than Flint his thin lips couldn't
seem to take the shape of a hearty laugh.
Without diyulging any commercial secrets,
told Flint what | could of my errand into this
wilderness, hoping TO get some little conf
dence in return lie did 60 so far as to hint
that he also was connected with hunting and
trapping, but he was extremely close mouthed
and reticent as to particulars, and after little
spurts of chat on my part, the conversation
langushed
The third morning of our journey we lad
Il little controversy, Flint and |, about our
route for the day. We wanted to get on to
Chateloussr, where had letters of introduc-
ton, and where Flint hoped to find out the
whereabouts Of a Monsieur Bernard, in whom
l was also interested, as Flint had told me he
had been dealer in skins. We were told
there was a short cut across the country, but
L.. lofs f. ful L.. 4.
road. Flint was rather in favor of the latter
plan, being of Il cautious and prudent tenn
perameut but although the words Of our
senior partner came into my head, they only
seemed to push me the other way. Never
take a by.path when you can get highway" &"
were the parting words of 8lr. Frost but
considered them some of his oracular old
fogyisins.
ITS only twenty miles, Flint" l said.
Twenty of these Canadian miles," he adj
ded
with fresh horses, | went on and our
host here has pointed MS out the way"
Yes yes said the innkeeper; straight
ahead. gentlemen, till you see big cross set
up Mt the end of three cornered field. Turn
to the right, and you'll soon see forest of
tir-trves; that is the beginning of Chatel-
ousSc, aud close at hand lives Adrian Bernard
There is a house Il little this way messieurs,
that i all black and empty, and has about it
the melancholy Of the grave. 1t is-pardon
me, mcissieurs-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
there, messieurs that lights are seen, queer
noises are heard, groaus and shrieks of ter
rOr. / have it for fact that night after
night the tragedy is repeated over and over
again.
Let us get on, " said Flint, Tin the direc-
ton of this house
Six hours later we had reached big bar of
wood that had fallen and was plunged faith
oms deep in the snow. As for roads there
were nOne neither to the right nor the left.
That imbecile of an innkeeper must have
known that at this season of the year ordina-
ry landmarks were obliterted. We had long
since been gliding over an unbroken surface
of snow but dimly Swallowed upon the hori-
zon had seen the forest of frs and push
ed the jaded beasts onward. 1t was weary
work as We We're perceptibly going up hill.
The short Canadian day was drawing to a
close. If you want an idea, my friends, of
complete and utter desolation take a cam
pagna of that sort when day is expiring at
the hands of pitiless and unrelenting night !;
the vast sheet of white unbroken by fence or
forest becomes in the shifting and fading
light like pail drawn over a dead world,
From early morning We had not passed
roof or seen a living creature. The bitterness
of cold was somewhat amelioated, but this
was another source of anxiety, as it hinted of
snow, and to think Of this was to shudder
n snow storm would be utter and irretrevable
ruin. To add TO my alarm, | could no long
er distinguish the line of fir-trees.
This must be blindness" l said,
Can you see the hr-trees, Flint?'
No" he replied calmly; II have not seen
them for some time. They'll probably come
in sight when we get to the top of this hill"
But having reached the summit, and be-
ginning to descend, 1 said again, Can you
see them now, Flint"
mo, he replied.
reincd 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 glistened like the folds of n
snake further on, under the stormy clouds
that scudded along, it grew livd and steel
colored, and looked more horrible to me
than the widest and blackest of seas.
At that moment ilmy particle, soft as
down, touched my cheek. In an instant we
We're enveloped 10y the soft, white, accursed
flakes.
my God Flint" cried, sinking back in
the sled, I'VE are lost :"
'I'm afraid so, said Flint
Great Heaven" | exclaimed, 'our bones
will be bleaching here for months. Our fam
lilies won't even know what has become of
u.s."
Il haven't any family" said Flint.
Neither have |, for that matter" said l,
"But that does not make it any pleasAnter,
does'it, to die here like dogs?"
"Of course not, said Flint. YOU'D bet
ter take some brandy, Scott It's uufortu-
nate I'd like to have hunted out that Ber-
nard, but it can't be helped"
He took pull at the brandy flask and
handed it over TO me. Hewas as cool as the
climate, my friends. In the meanwhile the
horses, feeling the reins falling loosely from
my fainting hands, trotted rapidly ON. Heav-
en- help those egotists that hold the human
intellect supreme The ponies chose the
right direction, In less than ten minutes
those blessed ponies took us within sight of
the line of fr-trees l was transported by
the felicitous view of some honest smoke,
wreathing up between the scraggy branches
which sheltered long low, struggling build
ing red-roofed, with diamond-shaped panes
in the windows, through which we could see
the red light of the household fire. The