Wichita eagle., 1886-09-17
UNCANNY STORIES
WHICH SEEM TO SHOW THAT AMI
MAILS ARE SUPERSTITlOUS.

Tho Dog and the Doii-A Demoraiized
Pussy-Gctting Ahead OF an Unrul,
Strange Tale.
1t is not unusual for the Scottish shepherd
to gravely say, when his sheep CAREFUL,
avoid some particular locality, that "they
must haze seen geast there" and he will as
sure you that there are "auld kinks and brig
and lthcr uncanny places which all the doug
IN Scotland could ia get his sheep to gam
by. But the doug will sometimes see TIKI
geast, too, and then be viii ma gang by there
himself"
Upon one occasion the writer had the op
portunity of studying the superstitious pro
ciIvlties of a great Newfoundland dog who's
chances OF association with children had beel
very limited. With some visitors to hi
house came a child with q doll large enough
for the dog to take ii the human Characters
tics Of is head and face, surrounding thC
dress iii their proper order and proportion
this, united with such fairyliie dimensions
constituted q mystery too profound for thl
mental penetration of Bruin. He was de
lighted with the association Of the child, as il
was the first Of its kind with whom he was on
terms of intimate acquaintance. He would
follow her about everywhere and lavish upon
her the most friendly attentions; but the doll
"none OF it in mine, thank you," and he was
always careful TO keep on that side of his lit
tie friend furthest away from the doll. No
ticing these actions, the writer took the doll
and advanced it toward the dog, who re-
treated with the utmost precipitation, but
finally he was backed into a corner and, on
finding his retreat cut off, he made dash past
the doll with an energy which could not have
been more desperate if his life had been
at stake. But the most comical part of the
circus was the pretense he made Of not being
frightened. As soon as he secured an open
line of retreat he would take up position al
u respectful distance and skip and caper and
bark in manner which clearly indicated
"Who's afraid! If there's any dog in this
neighborhood that is afraid of fairies he can
not be discovered in this direction" But the
moment the doll was advanced toward him
he ran, all the same.
A DEMORALIZED PUSSY.
1t Is not uncommon for cats to play with q
soap bubble without appearing to be moro
than aStonished or mystified by its sudden
disappearance. In one case, however, pllss
was so demoralized at the mystery as to grow
big tailed and spit at any soap bubble which
might happen to fall to the tloooc and drift
across it. Another, which up to that time
had never seen a coiored person, fed SO pre-
cipitately from a good-looi.ing negro girl that
it tunbled into n grating, from which it could
not bc coaxed until hunger overcame its ter
ror; and the oddly of it was that pUss herself
was as black as coal.
A farmer was greatly annoyed by his neigh
boris pig getting into his potato field and
harvesting on his own account. Whenever he
drove the aggressor out he was forced to lay
down panel Of the snake fence, as bacon il,
the conscious state is always careful never to
bctray the place where it enters bonanza by
going out there, unless he is very hard pressed
by dogs. The farmer had diligently searched
for defect in the fence, but failed to find ono
where the pig could by any possibility enter,
SO he concluded to watch, and soon had the
satisfaction Of seeing the thief enter the end
of crooked, hollow log which made a part
of the fence, one end being in his field and one
in that of his neighbor. After driving the
burglar out he changed the position of the
log, so that both ends were in his neighbours
field and concluded to watch the result. Soon
the pig came along and went through the log,
rs usual, but upon searching for potatoes he
found only pasture grass, and after some
little delay he seemed to arrive at the conclu-
sion that he had not gone through tho log at
ALL SO he went through again, and upon
emerging into the pasture field seemed moro
mystiiied than ever; but after n more pro-
tracted search for the potatoes than ever be
fore he seemed TO conclude that owing to some
blunder of his own he had not really gone
through the loy, so III he went again and out
into the pasture field, but this time he stood
still as a statue for about half minute, and
slowly the bris.les began to stand erect along
his back, and with two or three tremendous
shifts he set of at the top OF his speed for tho
house of his owner, and never afterwards
could be induced to approach that part of the
pasture field.
THE MARE AND TIE GHOST.
A gentleman who is now, rs the old Greeks
would say, with the gods, pledged his veracity
upon the following statement: "When u
youth on nay fathers farm near the boundary
of Canada and Vermont l owned a young
mare which | called Kitty; she was black as
let Upon the occasion of n social gathering
OF Young people at Il neighbours some miles
of | rode there on this fayorite colt. When
the party broke up towards midnight my
friends advised me to take the roundabout
way home, as the short cut led through the
glen. where the headless ghost of q British
officer. said to have been killed by a cannon
shot in some frontier encounter, was in the
habit of appearing. laughed at their fears
and took the short cut home. The night was
darl, and the shadow of the trees made tho
glen darker. Just rs got TO the spot where
the ghost was said to appear the colt stopped
from the canter so suddenly, by bracing her
fore feet. that she almost threw me over her
head, which made me show some temper III
endeavoring TO force her past, but she would
not go. After fruitlessly struggling with hes
for some time concluded to ride back Ut
tie way aud set her over her fright, then
turn and go home but sllo did the same thlrl,
the So ond time and at tho same spot. Again
l rode back. but this time | could hardly hold
her from running away, and l had great
difficulty in turning her head hoIneward this
third time, but finally got her started and
then put her to her speed. In order to give
the whip just at the dreaded point. and it
seemed 10 me that ct single bound we went
fifty feet through the air, and then she went
like the wind l could not hold her in.
"When we got home she was teeming with
persp;ration and trembling like leaf Ipus
her in the stable, rubbed her and covered her
with blankets TO keep her from taking cold:
then stole to my room through the back
door so that my father would not know how
late had been out. In the morning I was
startled out of my sleep by the old gentleman
STANDING 10y my BEDSIDE aud wrathfully do