Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-11-20
THE WILD BELL WRINGER AND
A BRAVE BOY.


ent river. In the summer time no giri
or,boy of Aquasco need to go to the
seashore, for salt water flows at Their
feet and the same salt breeze that sweeps
fleet after feet of white sails up and
down the Chesapeake Bay blows in the
windows Of the houses in Aquasco. The
good people of Aquasco go to bed so
soon after supper that the whippor-wiil
cries and complains without one person
to pity him, and the grunt of the bull
frog is the only voice that answers the
whirr and ring Of the clocks when they
strike twelve, midnight.
So it was that when in the middle OF
the night of the 25th fast June, Cyrus
Wallace, an Aquasco boy, heard the
church bell ringing, he sprang out of bed
and ran barefooted into the street. AS
he reached the gate he saw men run
ming by at the top of their speed.
"What's the matter 7" shouted Cyrds,
TO one of the flying figures.
"a fire guess" said the man.
"Fire, fire, frew shreked Cyrus, as
he ran after the others, and in a few
minutes the whole town of Aquasco was
aroused. Everybody was in the street
and everybody was hurrying towards
the church. Women seized water buck
cts and children gathered up pals.
Aquasco had been very still five minutes
before, but now Aquasco was beside it
self with excitement.
But where was the fire. The first
man who reached the church put his
hands to his mouth and hallooed to the
top of the bell tower, where the bc'' r''
still changing away. The second man
did the same and the third called aloud
and so did the fourth. Not a word would
the person in the bell-tower answer
though he rang and rang, unr' "'
Aquasco gathered on the grass below
1.-THE door of the steeple is locked !"
said one of the men. ''Nobody under
stands it."
"No, no." said Mr.. Westcoat, the sex
ton of the church." / was up there In
the afternoon, and there wasn't anybody
in the tower; it's a spirit OF goblin,
that's what it ISL Mr.. Wesc0at shook
his head, while some of the children
huddled together and held their breath.
ats old Tappan's ghost" continued
Mr.. Wescoat. "Tappan was sexton be-
fore l was, and he rang that bell up
there for twenty years. He's come
back.
Cyrus laughed when he heard the sex,
ton say such things. Cyrus knew very
well that only towards believed in
ghosts. He was afraid of big dogs enc
drunken men, but common sense tolt
him that there was no such thing as .
ghost or creature of the dark OF any
kind.
"Give me the keys" said a man to tht
sexton. 'Tll go up and stop that ring
jng.n The sexton fumbled in his poke
only to find that he had left the keys al
home. half mile away. Glad enough
to get away from the haunted church
the sexton started home after the keys
Meanwhile the bell still rang. Ever,
now and then the strokes would b.
faint, but the next instant would com
a loud clang, as though the old bel
didn't like such mysterious work bit
The wind was blowing stihy in the top
of the tall oak trees, but all knew tina
the wind could Enot ring the bell be
eause of the lattice-wOrk around tn
belfry. While the people were whisper
ing together around the church, Cyrn
was busy looking for way to get int
the belfry before the sexton could return
with the keys. He knew that ther
was little round window, just larg
enough for him to crawl through, som
distance up the side of the tower, an
when he at last got ladder that reacl
ed to this little window he stepped boo
lily up the rounds.
'I'll bring down that ghost before M
Westcoat gets back" laughed Cyru
and the people could see him by the di,
starlight as he put his head through til
window and disappeared
Cyrus found himself in a queer plac'
1t was so dark in the belfry that
couldn't see where to move. He grope
from one step to another, going mp IL
belfry stairs slowly, while the SCUM
from the bell above seemed to eras
down from above with tenfold clango
He reached the crank which the seXtC
turned when ringing the bell. No 81
was there.
l.Hello no, there, hop shouted c,