The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-18

DR.. Wis not timid man, as his
friends well know. A doctor has many
strange experiences. Some of his eX-
periences are quite amusing, and were
made especially 50 to others when re-
lated by himself.
On one occasion when we were
riding over the Brook road, romantic
and lonely path threading the banks of
a babbling stream, the doctor pointed
to decayed stump out among the
woods. and said:-
"You notice that old pine stump out
there?"
yes"
"Well, that gave rise to one of the
most perfect illusions | ever met with.
| had very rich patient in the village
beyond, whom | visited twice in the
twenty-fOur hours, and of course the
last time had to be when had gone
the rounds of my other patients, and it
was generally very late at night for
country doctors have something to do
besides write out prescriptions. One
night, as / was driving along pell-
nell through these woods, | no.
ticed man with lighted cigar in
his mouth, standing where the stump
is, and supposing it was workman on
his way home, said Good evening,
and rode along. An hour after | came
back, and to my surprise the man was
still there, with the cigar in his mouth,
and to all appearances the same as
had left him. As there had been rob-
berries and one or two fires in the neigh
borhood about that time, which had not
been accounted for we were all on the
alert to discover the transgressor. This
was what especially directed my at
tention to the circumstance of man
remaining in that lonesome place that
length of time, and so late at night.
When | made the trip in the morning,
there was no one upon the road, and
had quite forgotten the circumstance
when | approached the spot again in
the evening, until my attention was at
tracted, as it had been the night before,
by man with a lighted cigar in his
mouth. 1t was the same man evidently,
and to all appearances the same cigar;
so | refined in, and to crafty my curl
osity, asked the stranger to ride. AS
there was no answer, [ rode on, a
little more briskly, am free to con-
TESS, and when | came back | kept my
eye upon the man pretty sharply until
| was beyond his reach. BY this time,
l had made up my mind it was not wise
to be riding alone through these woods
at midnight, with such mute people
abroad, so the next night | took the
precautiOn to take one of my students
with me, and also pistol Sure enough
the man was there before us, his cigar
blazing more brightly than ever.
Now for it, cried the student.
Just cock your pistol, and l will hail
him.
"'Halloo there, my friend. A nice
little shower we We had! Any more rain
to-night?'
"The stranger apparently smoked,
but made no sign.
d" i say, who are you?
''No answer
''By this time my own patience was
full exhausted, and not relishing the
young students civilty, | cried out
" look here, stranger, you have been
proving about here two or three nights,
and as | have business this way, have
right to inquire into yours. You may
advance and explain; 1 have pistolin
my hand
''The mysterious smoker took no no.
tice of the insult. He was as silent and
steadfast as before. then leaped from
my wagon, determined to solve the mys-
terry if grappled the evil onemyself. "
'Well, and what then"' asked inn
patiently.
"Wh&t 1 had taken for a man was
that pine stump, and nothing more"
But the lighted cigar? what was
that?"
at was a bit of what boys call 7at3ak,
that is, decayed wood which, in damp
places, or after rain, glows with
blush light, owing to the.phosphorus it
contains. Every boy that is familiar
with swamps is accustomed to the mys-
teries of punk wood
during a long practice of many
years, during which have rode over
the widest regions atall times of night,
have never seen anything that ! could
not account for-but if | had not ex-
amined that stump with my own hands
and eyes, | should to this day have be-
lieved | met aman smoking a cigar. -
YOUTHS Companion.