The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-12-25

haunts it after nightfall; that's only on
the anniversary of her death, though,
so-but l say, boys, what day of the
month is this?
"'The TENTH was the answer.
drew in my lips in long whistle
and looked hard at Silas.
"' Then I'm glad don't have to go
that way tonight l muttered in a low
tone, but not so low but that he heard
me, as | meant he should.
"'Why, why?' he stammered, turn
ing white as a sheet; lis it
80 Yes, it is, since you must know.
But do not be afraid, old fellow, dom
believe the story. anyhow. Who ever
heard of ghost with fiery ribs and fiery
spots all over its face? Pshaw, it's all
humbug.'
But poor Silas was thoroughly
alarmed; indeed, L intended he should
be and thought his terror fine sport, or,
rather, the beginning of some fine sport,
for / had made up plan, of which this
was only the prelude.
while Silas hesitated, divided be-
tween the fear of meeting the ghost
and the certainty of getting whip
ping if he did not perform his errand. l
called my brother John aside and in a
hurried whisper told him of my plan,
which we decided to keep to ourselves.
"As a result John proposed to ac-
company Silas on his errand, an offer
the poor fellow gratefully accepted, and
so they set off together and the rest of
our party started for home.
/ made some excuse to turn off be-
fore reached my own home and ran
with all speed to the drugstore, where
/ bought stick of phosphorus; then
darted home and succeeded in getting
possession of a small sheet and in Slip
ping off again unnoticed.
Every soon l found myself at the
bridge and there, hidden behind bush,
proceeded to trace over my dark jack
ct the outline or skeleton ribs and very
startling they looked-the white, glow
ing lines shining out clear and distinct
through the darkness, for by this time
it was entirely dark. Then 1 put some
of the phosphorus on my hands and
face aud wrapped the sheet around my
waist, leaving it to trail behind me-
THUS prepared, Iposted myself
few yards beyond the bridge, on the
side the boys would reach first on their
return path.
T" Directly heard Silas' voice.
$50 John, I'm afaid, I'm afraid
"' Nonsense answered my brother.
The idea of ghost. l only wish
there was such thing. I'd like to see
one.'
80, don't, don't say that. o, ohr
" Such cry of intense, utter horror
hope never to hear again, and as Silas
uttered it he fell all in a heap on the
ground. John, according to our agree
ment, shrieked also and started to run,
as if terribly frightened. An instant
Silas lay there. and my heart gave a
great leap. Was he dead? Had l
Killed himp But no, my boys, l had
done nothing so merciful as that.
Silas sprang to his feet again, and
uttering shrek after shrek, rushed
headlong down the road towards the
bridge. BY this time, seeing how ter
ribly in earnest he was, began to think
that my fun had gone quite far enough,
so followed at full speed, calling out
to him that it was all a joke and no
ghost at all.
" But he never needed a word ut
tered; on and on he ran, shrieking all
the way, until he reached the bridge,
and there to my horror he sprang with
one leap over the wall down into the
soft, Shiny mud and water at the mar
gin of the pond.
John had turned back and tearing
loose the sheet from around my waist,
rushed with him down the steep bank
TO the spot where Silas was. There was
more mud than water just there, as we
well knew and the force of his descent
had sent him down into the deep, Weld
ing slime until his head and shoulders
were above the surface and to our fur
Their alarm we saw that he was slowly
sinking down, down. down!
Something must be done, and that
speedily, or he would be buried alive
before our eyes. Some heavy planks
we're lying on the shore. and Selling
.hese we dragged them out in the mud |
until we had formed line reaching to
The spot where poor Silas was still
The ghost! the ghostl the
yhostr
How we two boys contrived to drag
him out of that oozing slime l cannot to |
his day understand. But we did it
and between us we got him
back home. though he broke from us
several times with the old cry of The
yhostr
He was very i'll for weeks after that,
md when his body got well the doctors
'aid his mind would never come back
lgain, and from that time to this he has
been just as you see him now.
T" AS long as his unhappy mother
ived your Uncle John and helped her
% take care of him, and ever since her
ieath, long years ago, we have entirely
the miserable victim of our
,ruel fun though it was more my sin
han your uncle's, for 1 was the ring
eader.
my sons, that piece of Jolly fun
has saddened my whole life and clouded
is brightest moments"
My father ended his story and sat
boxing down at our awe-struck faces
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