The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-06-11
Tzse Gss M Il es.s G. host.

II E5gilide, never see suehluek in all my lif
most as bad as we had two years ago Wit
e We was camped away down East by Il
head OF Martins River. uzrememhe
sir, the night we saw the little fire in Il
woods close by, when there was no o.
there to make iit2 Very curious that wat
{ cam t make that out at all. What was it, {
I. Een thinls2''
: $ Perhaps ghosts making a fire, John,
:. said l.
Eyes, sir, mebbe: some of our peopl
E belieye=in ghosts, sir; very foolish people
) some Indians .
"Don't Feu john -
! so, no sir never seed no ghosts.
} have seen and heard some curious things
though. Twas hunting once wiisz==z..=zsz W.T.
gentlemen near Rocky Riyer-.yeSs eSs....=| es....=I
the place well, sir. We were all sS=szsz====
camp; winter time, sir; pretty late.=
bedtime. The gentlemen were driiIifKzzzsze
their grog, aud we We're smoking and talk
ing, sWhen we heard some one walking
coming up to the camp. Hello" said ont
Of the gentlemen, SwIlo can this be at this
| time Of nigilt2' Well, sir, we stopped talk
ing, and we all heard the man walk up tc
/ the door. II ! soul, sir, we could hear his
moccasins erunching on the hard, dry snow
quite plain. He walked up to the door,
but did not open it, did not speak, did not
knock. So, after alittle while, one Of lis
all, sir Next morning there was not a
| track on the snoW-not a track-and no
snow fell in the night. Well, sir, we stay
ed,there a fortnight and most every night
we could hear a man in moccasins walk up
to the door and stop; and if we looked,
there was no one there, and he left no
tracks in the snow. What was it, do you
think, sir?''
ssDon't know, John, am sure" l said,
ssunIess it was some strange effect of the
wind in the trees
s.Well, sir, / seed Il curious thing once.
| was hunting with a gentleman-from the
old country think he was-my word, sir,
a long time ago, mebbe thirty years or
more. My soul and body, sir, what asight
Of moose there was in the woods in those
days! ard the caribou run in great herds
then; all failing now sir, all falling. We
were following caribou, right fresh tracks
in the SNOW; we We're keeping q sharp
lookout respecting to view them every
minute, when l looked up and saw a man
standing right between US and where the
two hundred yards Oft could see him
quite plain. He had on a cloth cap and a
green blanket coat, with a belt around the
middle-not Il leather belt like we use, sir,
but a woolen one like what the FEenchmcn
use in Canada. There was braid down
the seams Of his coat and round his cuffs.
could see the braid quite plain. lie had
no gun, nor AK, nor nothing in his hands,
bat just stood there with his hand on his
hip, that way, right i'll the path, doing
nothing.
sOur hunting all over, SIR | said to
the gentleman we may as well go home,
Why, what is the matter, John?' says he.
why, look at the man there, right in the
track; he's scared our caribou, guess.
Well, sir, he was very mad, the gentleman
was. and was for turning right round and
going home; but wanted to go up and
speak to the nlail. He stood there all the
tinle-neyer moved kind Of bowed, nod
ded my head to. him, and he kind Of nodded
his head, bowed just the same way to me.
Well, started to SO up to him, when up
rose Il great fat coW-moose between him
and me- Look at the moose, captain,
said |. Shoot hort Good heavens,
John. he ssays, If [ do shall shoot the
man, too!' No. no, sir, never mind !
cried, fire at the moosc.' Well, sir he up
with the gun, fired, and downed the moose.
She just ran a few yards. pitched forward,
! and fell dead. When the smoke cleared off,
the man was gone; could not see him no.
where's. My soul and body! what's be-
come of the man, captain? | says, Dunno,
John; perhaps he Is down, too saye he.
We'll, sir, says I, you stop here, and
will go and look: mebbe he is dead, inebbc
not quite dead yet Well, I went up to
the place, and there was nothing there
nothing but a little pine tree, no man al
al. / went ali around, sil->11o tracks, nc
sign of : man anywhere OH the SHOW.
What was it, do you think, sir, we saw?''
ssWell, John, replied, 81 think that
was a curious instance Of refraction
20, lnebbg,' says John,
after Sixteen Wears.
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