Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-26

swamp gnOst Win which to scare the
life out of the teacher and the scholars.
1t may be mentioned that on the oc-
casion of this party, the teachers
father and mother were away visiting
some where, and would not be back
that night. This we had learned from
the fortunate invited pupils, who told
it as an indication that joy would be
unconfned and that there would be
no older heads present to interfere
with the amusement. The ghost was
made up as follows: A pillow was
taken and string tied around the
middle of it. Then black pieces of
cloth were pinned to represent mouth,
nose and eyes. A piece of red fan
mel was pinned to the black mouth so
that it hung out in a picturesque
fashion and added to the attractive
ness of the pillow as we had fixed it.
A rope was then tied around the
center of the pillow to give to it a
a general resemblance to a man be-
ing hanged, and with this all the con-
spirators started along the road that
led through the big swamp. The ter
rors of the swamp may be understood
some when l say that as we silently
passed along the lonesome road that
was cut through it, we became ter
rorized at our own pillow, and one of
the weaker brethren became so fright
ened that he started back, but real
izing the fact that he would have to
tread the rest of the fearful way alone
he stuck by us, being less afraid to be
in our company even with the fright
ful ghost that we had with us, than
to. go back to the village alone
When we cautiously climbed over the
fence and got into the yard that sur
rounded Swampy Johns house, we
crawled up along the fence to the res
idence itself. Of course, we might
easily haye gone in by the gate and
up the walk. but that wouldn't have
had the dare devil effect. That we
wished to produce even among our
selves. The house was gaily lighted
up, and the noise of revelry could be
heard. The curtains in the front had
been pulled down, but the side win
dow was curtainless, and there we ar
ranged our nefarious business. A
pole was stuck up against the house,
to which the rope was tied that sus-
pended the frightful looking pillow,
and the pillow was then swung to and
fro, so that it would beat gently
against the window pane. The eff.
tects of a great scheme are never
noticeable until the scheme itself is
tried. We now saw that we should
have brought sheet with us to wrap
around the lower part of the pillow,
so as to give more realistic view to
our ghost. Taking down the pole
again, and lowering the rope some
what, it was so arranged that the
head of the apparition appeared just
above the window sill, and there was
nothing below to intimate that the
ghost came to an abrupt conclusion,
and nothing to show an investigating
person that it was a pillow and not a
ghost. Over the sill Of every window
a conspirator was peering in to see
who would first notice the apparition
at the uncurtained pane. When it
was discovered an unearthly shrek
rent the air. / never knew who it
was that saw it first or who it was
that gave the shrek. But instantly
every eye was directed to the terrible
specter at the window. One -univer-
sal howl went up from the guests.
The little girls and little boys clung
around the skirts of the school mis-
tress, and she-for she must have
been only young girl herself, al
though we thought her at that time
the embodiment of old age and wis
dom-was just as frightened as the
rest. She stared at the apparition
with dilated eyes and white face. /
had a very good view of her and /
thought for the moment that she was
going to faint. The children all
around her were screaming and cry
ing and bowling for help when
there was no help. But the school
ma'am was clear grit. Like the other
lady of the adage, she did not be-
lieve in ghosts, but she was afraid of
them. She knew the lonely situation
of the house and realized the fact
that it would still be an hour or two
before the first of the parents came
with lanterns to bring home their
children. She knew that if the child
rem were not calmed down, there
wouldn't be any of them to bring
home before another ten minutes.
SO she quickly shook her skirts
free from the clinging youngsters,
and for moment we thought that
she was going to come out and scat
ter us, and then our hearts stood still.
She sprang to the door and threw it
wide open, and the next word she
spoke struck terror into the hearts
IF the villainous conspirators.
Here Tiger! Here Tiger !" she
and great big dog bounded
IN from the kitchen, while we broke
IN dismay for the fence at the road.
Then there we're screams and yells
from an entirely opposite party.
Tiger, who was a great big, brutal
sprang out into the darkness
md instantly followed the fleeing mob.
He took away most of my wearing
apparel as | scrambled over the fence.
Every one Of us suffered more or less,
snd we ran the whole way through
he swamp road into the village.
Then we thought with terror, at least
did that tha nillow was still hang. |