The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-11-23
Miscel
A HAUNTED FAMILY.

had ridden all day through an apparent
y iuterminable pine forest OF north Georgia,
and rs evening closed in both myself and my
horse, tired and hungry, began to look out
for some place at which we could obtain rest
and refre,hment for the night. My ohjec-
tive point was Calagban's, n stage road
station, where cxpec cd to meet my friend
Whipple, with whom | had promised to stop
for day or two. | should have reached his
place before sunset, but rs twilight descend.
cd became conscious that must have taken
a wrong branch road, and so missed my way.
In this dilemma WAS glad 10 perceive at
some distance before me Il faint and uucer-
tain light, toward which l urged my tired
| horse.
A few moments brought MS ~ a substan.
tial log house standing little buck from the
roud, in the midst Of II Clearing" The bars
were down, in the careless fashion of
this thinly settled part of the country, so,
riiing directly up to the house, | raped
smarDly upon the door with my whip handle.
1t struck me rs rather strange that ON u warm
September evening such as this both doors
and windows should be closed, and, as a
bright pine knot blaze was visible through
the chunks, was still more surprised at re-
ceiving no answer to my summons. Rappng
again, was conscious OF stir within a
wOmau's voice broke out in a half suppress
ed exclamation, and two children began to
cry.
Surmising that these might be timid pco-
Pile left alone in the cabin called out cheer-
ly, and at the salLe moment my horse whin-
MED in friendly manner. Upon this the
door was partially opened by woman whose
half eager, half frightened face was made
visible by the light of pine torch which
she held above her head. | briefly ex-
planned the situation, and the woman ut once
opened The door wide.
Come right in T. she said almost eagerly.
"You'uns hes follcred the wrong road an
LET Calaghans MORN five miles back. Thar
amt place roun' here whar you kin git a
bed an supper less you be kintent to say
here tonight. Thar's II nice bed in Jenny's
room, seem Jenny away to her gran'fther's;
an for viltles we kin give you fried chicken,
an bac'n-an'-egls, if that'l kintent you
Here, Joe, take the boss an see he's tended
too"
But Joe, a boy of some 10 or 3years, held
back He pcered apprehensively out into
the darkness, and at length proposed that
should accompany him to the stable, as he
said, to see that the horse was properly at
tended to. With this request | complied
and on my return to the cabin felt consider
ably enlivened by the welcome odor of boil
ing coffee and other viands which my hostess
WAS preparing for my supper. now observed
that there was man lying on a bed in a cor.
ner of the neat and comfortable room, pale,
anxious looking man, who, his wife told
me, was "down with spell O. the shakes"
meaning chlls and fever, complaint not
uncommon in this part of the country.
at amt took a how'll on me for many
l,..l l.po u Il.
pillow, "nor wouldn't this time eff twarnt
for considerb shake up and Juckin' | got
two nights ago. Did you'ns come by the
ford four miles below hereH An did yer
happen to view anything anyway out o. the
common"
had come by the ford, replied, but had
seen nothing at all unusual; and then |
noticed that the husband and wife looked ut
each other and then glanced nervously to-
ward The curIained windows.
Tell him bout it, Dick, 1.-THE woman said,
AS she turned the nicely Drowned chicken in
the frying pan. "Mebbe he'll know more
bout ihe nature of it than we'uns."
AT this the man abruptly commenced.
Eye see was down to Woods mill with
ole Hickry an two bags o'corn to be ground
an twas purity late when l come to start
home. Their moon was jes risin outer the
crossed the ford and come nigh ter the ltndin'
The warter was pretty deep thar an the bank
high, and jes tz we WAS a.wadin' through
happens to look up, an'"-pausing and re-
gardng Inc keenly-"you'u ns wont skeerce-
ly believe it, but see misty shaditr of a cree
ter--a mans shape 1t was-come skimmin
long in an out behind the bushes 'thout
techin' o the groun', an all of student melt
out o sight, like notnin' on airth could melt
but n-spOok."
The woman rocked herself uneasily in her
chair and her husband put up his hand and
wiped his damp brow.
"Look-a-hyar, stranger" he resumed, inn
prtssively, mara body kin say tibet Dick
Carney's one To b'lieve in spooks an sperits
an se,ch like, but what seen tibet night
seen, nor carn't make it otherways l seen
tibet critter fly like bird in the air 'thout
fetching anything, nor maxim one bit o.
noise, but jes' clawin' his way long like lie
was swimmin'. An what's more, ole Hick-
'ry seen it likeways, fur he gin a snort
an backed inter the river, an afore ! could
git grip Onter the bride over he went an
| had swim fur dear life afore | got on
tolher side. Wal, tramped up to tile ferry
nigh three mile above here, drppin wet, an '
three mile back this side, an was all
shook up with the chills when | got home
'UOut day-DreaK. Olc 1icRTy come nome
safe an SCUM leetle later, but faint likely
him nor neil forgit what we seen tibet night"
hardly knew what to say to this singular
stCry. My own idea was that Mr.. Carney
had probaly taken drop too much at "the
mil"-but not daring 10 hint at this l con-
tented myself with suggesting an optical il
fusion, and explaining the nature of some
ordinary nearly similar cases of which had
heard. But here my hostess interrupted.
Tibet mought be, mister, Of 'twan't no.
body but husband I'M ole Hick'ry as seen
this thing the very night, an e'enmo's tibet
very mint when they 'un's seen it, you see,
was stan'in al the doc lookn' down the road
en- lstenin' ell could heer Dick a-comin',
an noticed the moon jes risin' atop O. the
big pine on Breen's hill. Jes then, l couldn't
a-been a-standn' thar q couple O. minis
skeersly, see sothin' like man with hat
on come flynn long the road EASTERN old
Hickry ever cut up. When he got past the
bars he'd view O. him all over an sure's
Pm q Twin woman thar warn't sign O. his
tetchin' the yearth but jes walkin' an a.
clawin' along in the air, this Always, an
strange sort O. light sparklin' round him.
He never turned his head, but jes whipped