The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-12-17
A TRUE GHOST STORY.

icer who had already made himself
distinguished for cool courage and a
owe of adventure, and whom his
brother soldiers considered the best
pistol shot in the army, the converse
lion happened to turn upon the al
most universal belief in the super
larural.
We discussed the genii OF the tales
If the east, the witches and ghosts so
generally accepted a century ago, and
The spiritualists of to-day. Suddenly
F. turned to me and said: perhaps
7ou may be surprised if l tell you a
;rue ghost story, one l can vouch for
MYSELF" Knowing him to be con-
irmed skeptic upon all superna tural
subjects, l smilingly assented.
"Youneed not SMILE" he continued,
my experience was enough to shake
The nerves of the bravest man living,
and to have rendered timid one
mad"
"Some six or seven years ago, short
~ after graduating from the military
academy at West Point, Twas sent
with my command, part OF u COM
pany of heavy artillery, to take pos
session of the little fort on Bedloe's
Island, in the harbor of New York; the
island, you will remember, on which
Bartholdi's Statue of Liberty is to be
placed. The place had been long de-
serted, had acquired an evil name,
was known to be the resort OF thieves
and slnugglers, and, the New York po-
lice said, was the headquarters of a
gang of river pirates. 1t was, indeed,
to break up this nest of scoundrels,
who had found that, being United
States property, the old fort was
never visited by the police, that
I was to take possession of the is
land"
cit was a gray, raw day in Novem-
DER; rain had fallen in the afternoon,
and, when boats containing my little
command reached our destination, a
cold fog hung over the harbor and the
rising wind howled about the old bar
rack, adding to the gloom and in
creasing the dreary desolation OF the
widowed old walls. 1t was already
O'Clock and daylight beginning to
Jade so | made the necessary prepa-
rations for the night as rapidly as pos
sible Inside the tiny fort there was a
house, but in SO dilapidated a state
that but one room-a large one, which
had probably once served as a mess
toom-was habitable, and this the
bare floor, the broken ceiling, the
walls from which the paper hung in
strips made uninviting enough. In
this. however, being the best, my
trunk was placed, a stove put up,
which was roaring in a cheerful way,
lamp lighted, bed. bedding, a table
and two chairs brought in, and /
started on a tour ofinspection. Ihad
told my sergeant to prepare the quar-
ters for the men in a long, low building
outside the fort, which seemed in
fairly good condition. Soldiers are
rapid, because systematic, workers,
and before niehtfall all were made
comfortable, and the supper served to
them which did credit to the com
pany's cooks. visited and inspected
every part ofthe island-a mere speck
in the harbor, as you know-looked
into the old easements, went through
the ruinous old house from cellar to
attic, examined bolts and doors,
then, having given orders for the
night, closed the great gate leading in
to the fort and retired to my quar-
ters."
II certainly am not either timid
or an imaginative man, but there was
something to the last degree depressing
in the place that night. The wind,
which had driven away the fog, howl
ed and mourned in the deserted place;
the rats trooped Up and within the
partition walls, and there rose a
strange, earthly smell which reminded
me, l scarce knew why, of new-made
graves. Now and then some sea-bird,s
scream, gould be heard, Or the distant
-oar OF ths foghorn of some passing
ship vas added ss the signing and
eroaning of the wind. | SAT down and
read the one or two newspapers
CHANGED to have in my pocket, wrote
out few memoranda, then opened
my trunk, lifted out the tray, which
placed upon the little table, put a
number of articles of daily use on 9
little shelf, and then, although it was
still early, not more than 10. ] be
lieve, made my toilet tor the night,
turned out the lamp and jumped into
bed. l had placed my pistol, a self
cooking Colt of the largest size, under
my pillow, but no sooner was
the lamp out and all was
dark than the tales told by
the New York police came foreibly to
my mind, and l almost regretted not
having posted a sentinel inside the
little fort. Then felt like laughing at
myself for spch absurd apprehensions.
Still I could not sleep. was just doz-
ing off when rat skasrying along or
thu wild scream OF some passing sea-
gull would arouse me with q start ts
toss and fret for another quarter OF
an hour"
At last sleep came; calm, peaceful,
dreamless sleep. How long | slept
have no idea: perhaps for an hour,
perhaps for two. Then, from within
my very room, of which had seen
every window barred, every door bolt
ed and locked, there came long, low
moaning cry, ending with shrek SO
horrible, SO CHASTITY, that ! am not
ashamed to say that, as ] rose in my
bed, my heart seemed to stop for a
moment and my hair rise stiffening on
head"
1t was but for a moment. 4 iaint
light from the waning moon came In
through the shutters, and, as rose,
there rose across the room a lone
white feursi What? / saw it start
from the floor and grow to mans
size or more, and Ms gaZed, heard
that dreadful shriejI Wi,at9 No
matter. 1t was something, and IT.
presence returned all my combative
ness and anger; hot, fiery wrath was
fn~1ss,<r ~