New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-11
An ENGLISH GHOST STORY
A SPECTRE IN A DOG-CART.

SPECTRE IN A DOG-CART.
The breed of ghosts appears To lie not quite ex>
tinct in England yet Seldom, however has one OF
those shadowy yistants the hart!ihOOd to expose
itself to such unobstructed and pont-blank Invests
CATION as did the phantom which introduced itself
the other day in England to Mr. I'll, the
son of the wel.known Admiral c. c.. One
day at the beginning of this month Mr. c q
was going to call on tAe Duke of RI at B. Caa-
tie and he probably did not trouble his head much
about things hereafter, when he found himself at
small country station some miles from his destina-
ton. with no vehicle o get HIM over the muddy
country lanes in between. After worrying round 3
b,t however he succeeded in hiring trap-a COM
mon-place dog-cart enough, with nothing ghostly
obout it-and a horse that looked as If, with good
management it might hang together in this life for
a few weeks yet. Having turned out horse ana
tran however the resources of the place were at an
end Not a man was to be found who coud accom-
many him to look after tho beast SO, having dond
orumblinp Mr. CT took the reins himself
and started for B. Castle. Nor was there any
thing to suggest ghosts i'll the drive there; and tho
Duke of r. was as real and heshly as "ellcon-
Quoted duke ought 10 he. So far. then, the odds
seemed all against ghost finding room to como
into the days events. When Mr.. CT. how
ever had got ha f-way back the station he passed
n pond by the roadside which ne had not noticed on
lis way out. Turning round 10 look PACK ~ u, no
was astonished TO lind there was another man on
fine trap sitting back TO back TO himself. Ioe
stranger was to ali appearances iarm laoorer'
drsssed in corduroy and "a red neck-cloth. Nr.
O O. at once concluded that his companion
had been sent after him by the innkeeper from
Nv hom he had hired the trap; but what pnzzed
him was how and where a stout farm ia0orer In
hobnailed boos could have climbed up without nus
feeling it. he shortest way 10 settle inns was 10
ask him but unfortunately, the intruder paid no
afteniton TO the question and seemed quite uncon-
scious of ANYTHING unusual when Mr C-G--
sbonted commonplaces on the weather at the top OK
his voice. Nothing remained, therefore, but 10 WHIP
nm thn dapidated hos Sc and vile away the rest OF
ttc inurney with cursng the Inn keeper who could
Gnd no better man to send him than q deaf ana
dn,nn farm laborer. On arriving at The ina Ar
cd hauaed the reins back 10 the stranger
and wake INTO the house. Meeting tha landlord
his first remark was naturally on tne sorI vi "@h
tbe other had seen fit to send after hun.
- What man - was the reply; Il sent no man
+" Surely Won did, said Mr. c. c., "a man
in corduroy with n red scarf round his neck
:" Good God SIR" returned the other. that man
was drowned an hour ago, and is upstairs now J"
{" Nonsense. He is in yonr trap now; come and
Soc"
However. he was not in the trap; that was empty.
So Mr. c. C followed the landlord UPSTAIRS
and there on a bed lay his companion OF the dog
cart-corduroy, red neck-cOth and all-dead' 40
had been found drowned half an hour before Mr.
C c. passed. in the very pond close by whlsn
he had taken his seat in the dog-cart, ana had aP
parently awaited himself of the first pas sung 'en'oo
10 get hit to the place where bis BODY lay