The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-10-27

ever. take no action--at least for the
present. Indeed, he felt himself now.
erless to do this in this lonely mart !,
the premises. But he Certainly whan
go. up, would make complaint to Mrs.
bonlIace of tho way in which he had
peen annoyed Fixing this purpose IN
ms = nnnu, our isolated 1odger sbetook
hlmseif again to slumber, and had Al.
most re-entered the land of dreams
when, both to- his vexation and alarm.
tne footsteps he had previously heard
again sounded upon his ears-t6e same
nrm and measured tread-and soon his
former visitor repeated his mysterious
Intrusion. - 10
This time the gaunt figure locked ac;.
taled and angry. and to our traveller 8
amazement and fear, carried in his RIGHT
nand. 2 large. long and cleaning knife
Pointing his hand in a Similar d;rect;on
as before, he shook his grizzly head and
violently winked his eye and stamped
ms 1oot, yet never uttered word. but
Kept perfectly silent; and concluded his
wid actions by drawing, not his finger.
out the huge knife determinately and
slowly across his exposed throat. After
this ghastly pantomime. a second time
NARROW III soasa aHd aSys IT,
step-ladder to the inn-yard.
The man before whom this awfuI
dumb show had been J sperformed
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-
iieved IN them. But was not this, after
all, and unearthly visitationp It 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 uncanny
guest. he would do what he now re-
membered he had unfortunately hither-
to neglected would fasten the door
OF his room and thus put stop to any
further ingress. ,sss.s
To his disappointment, however
when he came to secure his room, door
ne found that it was destitute Of air
fastenings. Feeling with his fingers in
the dim twilight, no lock nor bolt nor
bar could he discover. Here was a
desperate fix; and what plan for his
safety could he now resort TOP Think
ing rapidly over the matter, nothing
better, it seemed to him, remained fo
be done than to roll his bedstead head
foremost against the door, and thus eff
fectually block up all means of entrance. 1
Luckily, the bedstead was upon casters:
it was therefore easily moved, SO that
our friend had no difficulty in CARVING
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 sbeen toosmuch disturbed
and unnerved for additional repose. so
ne 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 |
lime heard the same footsteps approach
ng his bedroom. He felt somewhat
calm and indifferent, however. forshad
ne not rendered his apartment com |
oletely impregnable? But short-liyed |
vas this feeling of confidence, for in
eW minutes the steps had reached his |
ioor and he heard hands moving over
md PRESSING hard against II. Then a |
Tlolent push was made, and after that |
lnother and another, till the bedstead. |
N its facile casters, was driven back /
nto the middle of the aoor. Again his I
Tread visitor approached him, and with
enfolds PADDED horrors; for his face and +
lands were smeared with blood. as was
lso the knife which, on his second
oming. he had carried. Holding it as
efore in his right hand, he drew the
rimson-stained weapon fersthe second
lme across his throat, repeating his ac-
ion once, twice and thrice, and 4 then
gain shook ominously his disheveled
ocks, and turning upon his heel, With
look OF angry portent, left the apart
lent. fs l
Our traveller was almost sick with
error; he shook in every limb, while
he cold perspiration oozed from every
ore of his body. He was an unbeliey-
r in apparitions no longer. He could
OF stand out against positive proof,
nd here he had the clear and. certain
nd repeated demonstration of his bod
y senses. When he judged the spec
II quite gone and the coast clear he
ose ana hastily dressed himself, rush
lg down the step-ladder and into the
IN, where he reused the. whole inmates
the house With his cries
lat ssome' = df6adftlf ss0 trapedy
nd been committed 3 on the
remises, and that every effort should
> made to discover and arrest the MUIR
erer.e fsawyssew - - esq II
So much for the ghost, and now for ,
le laying Of il ltstuEned ont. upon
lquiry, that the gaint and grotesque
cure which, bad haunted our traveller
as only a poor dumb lad, who was :
;customed to help the hostler to kill
gs.. On this morhing. three of these
lirhals had TO meet the common doom Fl
their kind The first visit of the lad s
our traveller room was to inform his I
,mrade-who, he knew usually slept I
the hour was come for their J
,adly work, intimating the manner of ~
by the three passes of his finger across {
$ throat. Upon leaving the room and 9
lding, after dlia 1ntergaI that the I
,stler-as he took our traveller to be-
ID not arisen for his task, he returned e
9 second time, angry that his call a
id not been obeyed, and took the
knife with him, as token
n c;orp ~ {tn