The Democratic advocate., 1883-10-06
VOL. XVIII.-NO. 47.

but when the time for showing your met
tie comes you back out like the coward
you are. You needn't get mad, for you
know YOU are coward
The blacksmith, whose courage had
never before been disputed, bit his lips and
walked away.
Captain Lomal rode on the seat with the
driver "Tell me, the captain said, 'when
we get nearly to the place
1--WE are nearly there, said the driver,
after few moments.
The captain examined his pistols. "For
Gods sake" exclaimed the driver, "don't
shoot | tell you the thing, whatever il
is, amt to be fooled with"
'sLeave that to me" the captain replied
''Hello, what's this p
The horses stopped, and the driver whis-
pered, "Thats it. y
The arm arose. The white, phospho-
escent hand cleaned with pale light
The captain, despite the whispered pro-
testations of the driver, leveled pistol and
fired.
The hand laughed.
The captain leveled another pistol and
fired.
The hand laughed again.
The passengers got out of the coach and
the captain dismounted. "This is certain
" very wonderful, he said Bruxton
what do you think of it?''
II don't know" replied the person ad-
dressed. ''Neyer saw anything like it be-
fore, and I hope I never shall again.
"What do you want p the captain de-
manded of the hand.
Money Your relations in hades are
suffering. Your grandfather is urging you
to relieve him. Satan holds his note fol
fifty dollars and he will burn until il is
paid"
"You are liar" vociferated the cap
tain.
The hand drew up its fingers and laugh
ed. such horrible, shrill shrieking laugh
that old Bruxton turned to one of the ad
venturers and remarked, "Wish [ hadn't
come. y
'Im going to see what that is, the cap
tain declared. ~ have come here to in.
vestigate, and I'm going to investigate.
sDon't 90 near it l'' implored the driver
"Come backp' but the captain pressed for
ward. When within few feet of the
hand the captain stopped and turned back
but too late, for the hand seized him. Ii
whipped him against the ground, tossec
him up and caught him and shook hin
again. The poor fellow yelled and begged
his companions to come to his assistance
but paralyzed by fear, they stood, seem
ipgly unable to move When the captain
was released he hobbled back to the stage
and implored his friends to give up theil
valuables. The hand stretched itself or
the ground, and Bruxton, after being as
sured that he would not be harmed, depos
tied the money in its palm. Then the
hand disappeared. When the stage reached
the next town the villagers were thrown
into high state of excitement. The ad
venturers would not return by the Rock
Pass route; but walked over the mountain
When they reached Little Rock, the cap
tain sought David Caldron, the blacksmith
and apologized to him.
The road was abandoned, for people ac
tually were afraid to go through the pass
Sometimes private vehicles, owned by ad
venturers, would go through the pass, bu
never without being stopped by the hanC
until long time afterward, when thu
hand failed to appear, but the memory o
the terrible arm deferred the stage compan,
from ever afterward resuming their busl
ness as public carriers.
David Caldron would never so to th'
place. Several years after the first excite
ment caused by the hand, he disappeared
suddenly and every one decided that he ha'
been murdered.
Several days ago while railroad work
men were cutting through Rock Pass, the.
suddenly broke into cavity. Near tn
center of the place they found skeleton
under large rock that had fallen iron
above. Further research discovered a grea
arm ingeniously made of wood and iron
and here, broken off by the fall of rock
was an enormous hand made of steel. Th
fingers were jointed, and the thumb wa
hollow like a speaking tube. Anothe
turn disclosed machine, to which one en-
of the arm was attached. The whole al
\ rangement was a wonder of mechanism
By a closer search scraps of papers wer
found in an old pocketbook bearing tn
name "David Caldron, y Thus the old
time mystery was explained,