The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-08-19

with my Saddle-DagS IN one hand an(
stable lantern in the other, / salliet
from the door of the cabaret and strug
gled up the broken hill in its rear t
gain my uninviting place of rest.
rude porch, which seemed to hav.
been long unconscious of door, ad
mitted me into the building, and, max
ing my way with some difficulty through
a long corridor, of which the door ap
peareG to have been ripped open here
and there in order to apply the boards
to some other purpose, l came to {
steep and narrow staircase withou
any balustrades Cautiously ascending
[ found myself in large hall OF
which were several rooms. 1t appeared
to be GIFTED by couple of Windows
only which were partially glazed il
some places, and closed up in others by
rough boards, nailed across in lieu O
shutters. It had evidently, however
Judging from two or three ruinou.
pieces Of furniture, been inhabited. A
heavy door whose oaken latch ant
hinges, being incapable of rust wer.
still in good repair, admitted me into
an adjoining chamber. This had evi
IDENTIFY been the dormitory ofthe estab
lishment, where the guests, after the
gregarious and most disagreeable fash
ion of our country, were wont to be
huddled together in one large room
The waning moon, whose bright
autumnal crescent was just beginning tc
cast above the hills, shone through a
high window full into this apartment
and indicated comfortable looking
truckle bed at the further end, before
the rays Of my miserable lantern had
shot beyond the threshold.
Upon approaching the pallet [ OBJ
served some indications of that end Of
the apartment being still occasionally,
occupied, The heavy. beams which
traversed the ceiling appeared to have
been recently whitewashed. There was
a small piece of carpet on the foor'be-
side the bed, and a decrepit table and
an arm chair whose burly body was
precariously supported on three legs,
were holding an innocent consultation
in the corner adjacent.
'1've had rougher roosting-place
than this" thought I, as 1 placed my
lantern upon the table and, depositing
my saddle-bags beneath it, began to
prepare myself for rest.
My light having burned low, l was
compelled to expedite the operations
ofundressing, which prevented me from
examining the rest of the apartment;
and, indeed, although had, when first
welcoming with some pleasure the idea
of sleeping in haunted house, de-
termined fully to explore it for my own
satisfaction before retireing for the night
yet fatigue or caprice made me readily
abandon the intention just when my
means for carrying it into execution
were being withdrawn; for the candle
expired while was opening the door
of the lantern to throw its light more
fully on a mass of drapery, which
seemed to be suspended across the
further end or the chamber The COM
plete darkness that momentarily en-
sued blinded me completely; but in the
course of few moments the shadows
became more distinct, and gradually,
by the light Of the moon, I was able to
make out that the object opposite to
me was only a large old-fashioned bed
stead, prodigally hung with tattered
curtains. gave no further thought to
the subject, but, turning over, compos-
ed myself to rest.
sleep, however, whom Shakespeare
alone has had the sense to personify as
a woman, was coy in coming to my
couch. The old mansion wheezed and
groaned like a broken-winded buffalo
hard pressed by the hunter. The wind,
which had been high, became soon
more boisterous than ever, and the
clouds huddled SO rapidly over the face
of the moon that her beams were as
broken as the crevices of the ruined
building through which they fell. A
sudden gust would every now and then
sweep through the long corridor below,
and make the rickety staircase crack
as if it yielded to the feet of a portly
passenger-again, the blast would die
away in u sullen moan, as if baffle ed on
some night errand, while anon it would
swell in monotonous surges, which
came booming upon the ear like the
roar of a distant ocean.
am not easily discomposed, and
perhaps none of these uncouth sounds
would have given annoyance if the
changing Of a window shutter had not
been added to the general chorus, and
effectually kept me from sleeping My
nerves were at last becoming sensibly
affected by its ceaseless din, and wish
ing to cut short the fit of restleaapess
which found stealing upon me, I de-
termined to rise and descend the stairs
at the risk Of my neck, to try and Sc
cure the shutter SO as to put an end to
the nuisance.
But now, rose in my bed for this
purpose, found myself subjected to a
new source of annoyance. The mock
ing wind, which had appeared to me
more than once to syllable human
sounds, came at length upon my ear
distinctly charged with tones which
could not be mistaken. It was the
hard suppressed breathing Of man.
1 listened, and it ceased with slight
gasp, and more fully upon my ear. 1t
was like the thick suspirations Of an
apoplectic. Whence it proceeded, I
knew not. But that it was near me, l
was certain. A suspicion of robbery
possibly Observation-Disclosures upon
me, but were instantly discarded, as
foreign to the character of the people
among whom was travelling.
The moonlight now fell on the cur
tanned bed opposite me, and | saw the
tattered drapery move, as if the frame
on which it was suspended was agitated.
I watched, confess, with some peculi-
ar feelings of interest. Twas not alarm
ed, but an unaccountable anxiety
crept over me. At length the
curtain parted, and naked human leg
was protruded through its fold-the
foot came with numb deadlike sound
on the floor resting there, it seemed
to me, at least half a minute before the
body to which it belonged was disclos-
ed to my view Slowly, then, pallid
and unearthly looking figure emerged
from the couch and stood with its stark
lineaments clearly drawn against the
dingy curtain behind it. 1t seemed to
be balancing itself for a moment, and
then began to move along from the bed.
But there was something horribly un-
4 a r. r a