Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-01-23
thould be found this morning. Today Gs rl,r;ctroac dav vo,, kpov,

must talk to somebody; if he don't he'd bust; to he talks to me. That Cossey's coming for his answer from Miss Ida this morning Poor young lady, saw her yesterday, and she looks like ghost, she du. An, he's a mean one, that Cossey. Laryer Quest warn't in it with him, after all. We'll, cooked his goose for him, and I'd give summit to have a hand In cooking that banker chaps too. You wait D minute, colonel, and I'll come along, gale and ghostesses and all. only hope it mayn't be after fools errand, that's all;" and he retired to put on his boots. Presently he ap- peared again, his red night cap still on his blow Q hat off-and carrying an unlighted lantern ill his hand. Now. colonel, I'm ready, sir, if you be-" and they started.
 The gale was, if anything, iercer than ever. Indeed, there had been no such tenn pest in those parts for years or rather cen- turies, as the condition of the timber by 10 o'clock that morning amply testified.
 ''This here wind must be like that as the squire tells us on in the time of King Charles, as blew the top of the church tower off on a Christmas night" shouted George; but Har- old made no answer; and they fought their way onward without speaking any more for their voices were almost inaudible Once the colonel stopped and pointed to the sky lipe. Of all the row of tall poplars which he had seen bending like whips before the wind as he came along, but one remained standing now, and as he pointed that vanished also.
 Reaching the summer house ill safety, they entered, and the colonel shut and locked the door behind them. The frail building was literally rocking in the fury of the storm.
 "I hope the roof will hold, ," shouted George, but Harold took no heed. He was thinking of other things. They lighted the lanterns, of which they now had three, and the colonel slid down into the great grave he had so in- dustriously dug, motioning to George to fol- low. This that worthy did, not without t'epidation. Then they both knelt and stared down through the hole in the masonry, but the light of the lanterns was not strong enough to enable them to make out anything with clearness.
 ''Well," said George, falling back upon his favorite expression in his amazement, as he drew his night capped head from the hole, tiff that ain't master one, niver saw a masterer, that's all What be you going to do now, colonel9 Hev you a ladder herean
 "No," answered Harold; II never thought of that; but Two good rope; I'll get it."
 Scrambling out of the hole, he presently returned with long coil of stout rope It belonged to some men who had been recently employed ill cutting boughs off such of the oaks as needed attention.
 They undid the rope and let the end down to see how deep the pit was. When they felt that the end lay upon the floor they pulled it up. The depth from the hole to the bottom of the pit appeared to be about sixteen feet, or a trifle more.
 Harold took the iron crow bar, and having made the rope fast to it, fixed the bar across the mouth of the aperture. Then he doubled &..>I IA down into the pit preparatory to climbing down it.
 But George was too quick for him. For getting his doubts as to the wisdom of grop- ing about Dead Mans Mount at night, in the ardor of his burning curiosity, he took the dark lantern and holding it in his teeth, passed his body through the hold in the ma sorry and cautiously slid down the rope
 "Are you all right2" asked Harold in a voice tremulous with excitement, for was not his life's fortune trembling on the turns
 "Yes," answered George, in doubtful voice, and Harold, looking down, could see that he was holding the lantern above his head and staring at something very hard.
 Next moment most awful howl of terror echoed up through the pit, the lantern was dropped upon the ground, and tho rope con- menced to be agitated with the utmost vio- lence.
 In another two seconds Georges red night cap appeared through the hole, followed by a face that was literally livid with terror.
 "Let me up, for Gods sake," he gasped, Cor he'll hev mo by the leg!'
 "Hel who?' asked the colonel, not without a thrill of superstitious fear, as he dragged the panting man through the hole
 But George would give no answer until he was through the hole and out of the grave. Indeed, had it not been for the colonel's eager entreaties, backed to some extent by actual force, he would have been out of the summer house and half way down the mount by now
 What is itf' roared the colonel, in the hole, to George, who, shivering with terror, was standing on the edge thereof.
 Its blessed ghost, that's what it is, colouel, 7 answered George, keeping his eyes tarily expected to see the object of his fears emerge.
 "Nonsense," said Harold, doubtfully. "What rubbish you talk! What sort of ghosts'
 IA white un," said George; ''all bones like"
 "All bones2" answered the colonel; "why, 1t must be Q skeleton
 'I don't say that he ain't," was the answer; "but if he be, he's seven foot high, and sit ting airing of hisself in a stone bath"
 "Oh. rubbishl" said the colonel "How can a skeleton sit and air himselfs He would tumble to bits"
 II don't know; but there he is; and they don't call this place Dead Mans Mount for nawthing."
 Well" said the colonel, argumentatively, "a skeleton is a perfectly harmless thing"
 "Yes, if he's dead, may be, sir; but this ones alive; saw him nod his head at me-"
 Hook here, George" answered Harold, feeling that if this went on much longer he should lose his nerve altogether, "rm not going to be scared. Great heavens, what gustl I'm going down to see for myself"
 Every good, colonel" answered George; "and I'll wait here till you come up again that is, If you 1ver du."
 Thrice did Harold look at the hole, and thrice, like false Sextus, did he shrink back.
 ""Come," he shouted, angrily, ''dont be an tnfaFnal fool; get down here and hand me the lantern"
 George obeyed with evident trepidatiop. Then Harold got through the hole and with