The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-25
A TRUE GHOST STORY.

ACcI WlO HUI ultctiuy lititio lliHocii
distinguished for cool courage and a
love of adventure, and whom his
brother soldiers considered the best
pistol shotin the army, the converse
ton happened to turn upon the al
most universal belief in the super
natural.
We discussed the genii of the tales
Of the east, the witches and ghosts SO
generally accepted a century ago, and
the spirituaiists OF to-day. Suddenly
+. turned to me and said: Perhaps
you may be surprised if / tell you a
true ghoststory, n I q vouch for
myself?" Knowing him to be a con-
6smed skeptic upon oil supernatural
subjects, | smilingly assented.
MYouneed not smile," he continued,
nmy experience was enough to shake
the nerves of the bravest man living,
and to have rendered a timid one
mad
Some six or seven years ago, short
II after graduating from the military
academy at West Point, / was sent
with my command, part OF a 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 snugglers, and, the New York po-
lice said, was the headquarters OF a
gang Of river pirates. It 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
was to take possession OF the is
land"
1T was q 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 forthe night as rapidly as pos.
sible. Inside the tiny fort there was a
house, but in so dilapidated q state
that but one room-alarge one, which
had probably once served as a mess.
rOom-was iabitable, and this the
bare floor. the broken ceiling, the
walls from which the paper hung il
strips made uninviting enough. Ii
this. however, being the best, my
trunk was placed, a stove put up
which was roarins in q cheerful way
lamp lighted. u bed, bedding, q table
and two chairs brought in, and
started on q tour ofinspection. IhaG
told my sergeant to prepare the quar-
tiers for the men in q long,low buiidin,
outside the fort, which seemed il
fairly good condition. Soldiers ar,
rapid, because systematic, workers
and before nlsht}nll all We're mad,
comfortable, and the supper servedte
them which did credit to the com
pany, S cooks. / visited and inspected
every part ofthe islnnd-a mere specl
In the harhor, rs you know-lookec
into the old easements, went through
the ruinous old house from cellar tt
attic, examined bolts and doors
then, having given orders for TIN
night, closed the great gate leading in
to the fort and retired to my quar-
ters."
u certainly am not either @ timit
or an imaginative man, but there wa
something to thelast degree depressin
in the place that night. The wind
which had driven away the fog, howl
ed and incurred in the deserted place
the rats srooped up and within tn,
partition walls, and there rose
strange, earthly smell which reminded
me, | scare knew why, Of new-mad
graves. Now andthen some sea-bird'j
scream could be heard, or the distan
roar of the foghorn OF some passin
ship was added to the signing AM
grooming of the wind. / sat down ant
read the one or two newspapers
CHANGED to have in my pocket, wrot
out o few memoranda, then opened
my trunk, lifted out the tray, which
placed upon the little table, put
number Of articles of daily use on
little shelf, and then, although it wa
still early, not mor than 10, / be
lieve, I made my toilet Tor the night
turned out the lamp end jumped int,
bed. l had placed my pistol, a sell
cooking Colt of the largest siGs, unde
my pillow, but no sooner wa
the lamp out and al wa
dark than the tales told b,
the New York police came forcibly t.
my mind, and | almost regretted no
having posted a sentinel irSide TIL
little fort. Then I felt like laughing a
myself for such absurd aprrehensions
Still could not sleep. / was just do2
ing off when a rat s%kurrying along o
the wild scream of some passing sea
gull would arouse me with a start t,
toss and frcs for another quarter G
an hour
At last sleep came; calm, peaceful
dreamless sleep. How long slept
have nG idea. perhaps ior an hour
perhaps for Two. Then, from with
my very room, of which / had see
every window barred, every doorboli
. ed and locked, there came a long, 10,
moaning CRY, ending with q shrek S
horrible, 80 ghastly, that / am no
ashamed to say that, as / rose in IN
bed, my heart seemed to stop for