The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-10-22

most re-eutered the land OF dreams.
when. both to his vexation and alarm,
the footsteps he had previously heard
again sounded upon his ears-the same
firm and measured tread-and soon his
former visitor repeated his mysterious
intrusion.
This time the gaunt figure looked agi-
tated and angry, and to our traveller
amazement and fear, carried in his right
hand large, long and cleaning knife.
Pointing his hand in similar direction
as before, he shook his grizzly head and
violently winked his eye and stamped
his foot, yet never uttered word' put
kept perfectly silent; and concluded his
wild actions by drawing, not his lnger:
but the huge knife determinately and
slowly across his exposed throat. After
this CHASTITY pantomime, second time
he took his leave, proceeding along the
narrow, fioored passage and down the
step-ladder to the inn-yard.
The man before whom this awful
dumb. show had been performed
crouched and trembled in his bed. He
had often heard of spectral and super
natural appearances, and had affected
to laugh at those who declared they be-
licyed in them. But was not this. after
all, and unearthly visitation 1t looked
extremely like it. He would not, how
ever, fully conclude that he had really
seen an apparition; yet he. would guard
against third invasion OF this uncaany
guest. He would do what he now re-
membered he had unfortunately hither-
to neglected-he would fasten the door
of his room and thus put stop to any
| further ingress.
To his disappointment, however.
when he came to secure his room door,
he found that it was destitute OF all
fastenings. Feeling with his fingers in
| the dim twilight, no lock nor bolt nor
bar could he discover. Here was
desperate fix; and what plan for his
safety could he now resort to? Think
ing rapidly over the matter. nothing
better, it seemed to him, remained to
be done than to roll his bedstead head
| foremost against the door, and thus eff
| fectually block up all means Of entrance.
| Luckily, the bedstead was upon casters;
it was therefore easily moved, so that
our friend had no difficulty in carrying
out his scheme, and returned once more
| to bed somewhat more certain OF immu-
| nifty from intrusion. He could not,
however, settle himself for further
sleep; he had been too much disturbed
and unnerved for additional repose, SO
he resolved to lie awake in his bed until
broad daylight. :.
"A quarter of an hour had but barely
passed when our traveller for the third
time heard the same footsteps approach.
inc his bedroom. He felt somewhat
calm and Indifferent, however; for had
he not rendered his apartment com
pletely impregnable? But short-lived
was this feeling Of confidence. for in q
few minutes the steps had reached his
door and he heard hands moving oveI
and pressing hard against it. Then 9
violent push was made. and after thai
another and another, till the bedstead
on its facile casters, was driven bach
into the middle of the floor. Again hi
dread visitor approached him. and with
tenfold added horrors; for his face an(
hands were smeared with blood, as wa
also the knife which. on his secont
/ coming. he had carried. Holding it a.
. before in his right hand, he drew thu
crimson-stained weapon for the secont
, time across his throat, repeating his &C
ton once, twice and thrice, and; theI
,, again shook ominously his dishevelet
locks, and turning upon his heel. witt
a look of angry portent, left the apart
ment.
Our traveller was almost sick witt
: terror; he shook in every limb, Will
the cold perspiration oozed from ever
: pore of his body. He was an unbeliev
, er in apparitions no longer. He coul
! not stand out against positive proof
! and here he had the clear and certain
! and repeated demonstration OF his bod
: ily senses. When he judged tho spec
ter quite gone and the coast clear b
. rose and hastily dressed himself. rush
= inc down the step-ladder and into tn
4 inn, where he reused the whole inmate
! of the house with his erie
4 that some dreadful TRACED
4 had been committed on th
premises, and that every effort shoul
be made to discover and arrest the mu
q derer.
!. So much for the ghost. and now II
! the laying of it. 1t turned out, upo
q inquiry, that the gaunt and grotesqr
n figure which had haunted our travel'
. was only poor dumb lad, who W,
# accustomed to help the hostler to X
pigs. On this morning three OF the
" animals had to meet the common doc
r. of their kind. The first visit of the Ii
4 to our traveller room was to inform b
% comrade-who, he knew usually sle
# there-that the hour was come for the
10 deadly work. intimating the manner
e, e it by the three passes Of his finger aero
20 his throat. Upon leaving the room al
q finding, after due interval. that Il
Il hostler--as he took our traveller to be
AZ had not arisen for his task, he returns
is the second time. angry that his c.
ht had not been obeyed, and took q
ne Strengthening knife with him, as q tok
81 and Sign of what the lazy hostler b
w to get up and do. BY the time of
r. third visit to the room, he had hims
re done the work of death without the 9
as of his fellow, and he brought the bloc