The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-26

ing freely, the hollow eyes glaring Wild
ly at him. A clttle-drover deposed that
going home from the market town,
shortly after midnight, he saw near the
ecene of the murder strange lights dane.
ing, and heard distinctly the noise as Of
heavy chain dragged over O pile OF
stones. A young man who had been
visiting his sweetheart, testified that
passing the place he heard his name
called three times, and looking toward
the hut saw il lighted mp and the
murdered Hu beekoning him to come
in.
The ghost became the absorbing theme
OF the town. Nothing else was thought
or talked of. 1t was made the subject
of special meeting of the local author
tiles.
1t was at this time the incident hap
pened that exercised such controlling
influence over my future life. A lot OF
MS young fellows had been carousing at
the village tavern. We had made good
haul at our herring fishing, and were
spending our money freely. The con-
versation naturally turned to the subject
of old Hu's ghost. All were firm be.
levers in the apparition, except myself,
who stoutly insisted that the whole
thing was gotten up by some interested
person, in order to get possession OF the
cabin. Now, / will tell you what I'll do
says Shon Cadwaller, captain Of our
fishing smack; Tll lay wager Of five
guineas that you dare not go to the
haunted hut, and stay there all alone,
from m dnight till three in the morning.
Ihad been drinking heavily, and prompt
ly replied, Il agree.
The matter was soon arranged, the
money was put down and I started for
the hut, accompanied by three of my
companions, who were to see me enter.
The night was dark and dirty-so dark
you couldn't see the length of your arm.
/ must say felt little uncomfortable,
as approached the haunted tenement;
but I walked boldly up to the door,
pushed it open, entered and extempor-
izing light (matches were not invented
them, lighted candle with which had
provided myself, and took a survey of
the place. 1t was a miserable thatcbed-
roof, mud walled hut, with hard earthen
floor, nearly bare of furniture, and in
expressibly dreary. The air was close
and dank, as if the taint OF the bloody
deed, enacted few weeks before, still
fingered. Everything remained as it
was when the murder was committed.
L thought I could even zee traces of the
struggle on the nodded walls. The
floor in several places bore the dark
stains of the dead mans blood. Alto
gether, the sight was one to make, even
as hare Drained a fellow as /, timid.
But [ sought to drive unpleasant fancies
away. l threw myself down on bench
by the table, and waited the issue of my
adventure. lay quietly some time-so
quietly, l could hear my heart beat.
The Stiffness was oppressive. / grew
nervous under the awful hush OF the
midnight, and fGncied thousand hor-
rible sights and sounds. l thought /
saw the old mau as he lay in his shroud
thought heard the old familiar voice
pleading for mercy at the hands Of his
assassin. Little by little, however, my
perceptions became less and less dis
tinct. Ny eyelids dropped, and / fell
into slumber. How long slept, have
no idea; but woke up suddenly, and
became conscious that | was no longer
ALONE. ! I.feH-for my eyes were still
closed-that there was something or
somebody-something or somebody that
had entered while | slept--near me.
Its presence was pGlpable to all my finer
senses. seemed to be, as it were, en-
folded by invisible arms-wrapped in q
spell so absolute and terrible, that l was
powerless to resist. But knew that TO
yield would be fatal; and SO, with a
mighty effort of will, opened my eyes,
and looked in the direction whence the
strange influence came. On the other
side of the table, directly opposite, and
not more than four feet distant, sat
human figure, or what seemed one.
The face was in shadow, the side of
the head turned toward me. That it
was that OF an old man, | could see from
the stoop of the shoulders and the thin
locks of gray that dropped from the
temples. He was dressed in the quaint
long socks and knee breeches of the
Welsh peasant. His hands rested on
his knees, his head was bent toward
the floor. For a moment was paral
yzed with terror; but, by one of those
revulsions of feeling we cannot explain,
the next instant had half-persuaded
myself that my companions had been
playing trick upon me. One Of
these fellows, said TO myself, has
dressed himself to look like old Hu
Hirwan, has come in while slept and
means to frighten me into losing my
wager Determined to be even with
the rascals, Icaught up stout walking
stick that lay beside me and aimed
blow at the shoulders of the mysterious
intruder. 1t struck impalpable air. L
could see it pass through what seemed
solid body without meeting the least
resistance, striking the floor with
crash. The next instant the figure rose
slowly from the chair, turned around
and faced me. Shall l ever forget the
paralyzing agony Of that dreadful mo-
ment? There stood within few hands
breadth of me what seemed once the
mortal part of old Hu Hirwan; but how
awfully changed The face had the
livid hue of death; the eyes were sunken
and burned with ghastly glare: the
dampness of the grave was upon the
shriveled brow. The wound on the
side OF the head gaped hideously. was
too terrified to speak-too terrified to
move-but stood helplessly staring at
the specter. / had not even will enough
to shut my eyes on the awful vision; yet |
l Ind sufficient self.possession to know
that the spell by which I was held must
be speedily broken Or / should die; and
remembering what / had been 30 often
told me Of the efficacy Of speech, I sum-
moned all my energies for a last effort,
aud gasped cut: In the name of the
Most Hioh I command x,o,, talI mo