Telegram-herald., 1890-01-09
A SPECTRAL TRAGEDY.
Strange, Weird Experience In the
Far West.

years OF sge-in perfect health and o.
steady nerve. I was no believer IN tne
Vncsnny "a the supernatural
and had always pooh-poohed 81 tales ot
! ghosts. phant0ms and visions of al sorts
Bat 81 the time mentioned above tho
/ experience I am about 70 relate put my
/ intellect and seuslbility 70 test IN such
a manner as 70 make me sparing hence
/ forward OF ridicule and forced me % ind
= place in ersdence for the possibility
Of spparitio
IL Is unnecessary 90 explain how l
came TO Do travelling IN the FAR West
without companions, except for horse
and dog ard gun. Following the gen
eral route OF the old overland trail,
camped one night IN the edge OF a con-
siderable forest and st 3 point from
which | could look forth over broad,
open plain.
IL was already after sundown. The
good horse was picketed, and, having
provided q supper for myself and the
dog from a rabbi. which my dog had
brought down an hour or two earlier,
disposed things for the night, and, as
the stars came out, lay down TO sleep,
comfortably rolled in blanket.
II was probably in the small hours OF
night that / awoke and rose 10 a sitting
posture. The moon was climbing the
eastern sky, with not feather of cloud
in her course, and every object stood
forth as clearly as in the day.
But IL was not for me TO contemplate
in quietude the rare beauty OF the night.
In almost the first moment Of conscious
ness my eyes fell upon a slowly-moving
object in the distance. It was one OF
those canvas-covered wagons, the ''prai-
rie schOonsrs" so familiar in the early
DAYS OF overland travel TO California.
It was approaching almost directly to-
ward me and my curiosity was at once
aroused. Why any one should be trav-
cling thus and so late at night / could
not imagine. The movement was heavy,
as II the horses were jaded, and the man
who walked by their side had weary
step.
Twenty minutes passed, the vehicle
approaching nearer and nearer. Still
on ii came, until when about thirty
yards from me il suddenly stopped, and
the man looking about seemed 20 be
considering the wisdom of making camp.
At this point | suddenly realized that
the approach Of the wagon had been ut
terly noiseless. Not a chuck of the
wheels. not the sound Of step either of
horse or man. And furthermore there
was no indication that l had been dis
covered, although | should have been as
visible to this man as he TO me. What
could this mean? Was dreaming? No,
! was never more awake. Was this
hallucination? No, for the dog, who
had been aroused by my movement in
awakening, now turned his head in the
direction OF the new arrival and uttered
low growl. l laid my hand on him to
keep him quiet.
The man now stood by the forward
wheel, looking in at the opening Of the
canvas top. and though I heard no voice
] imagined that he was speaking TO osome
one within. A woman's head appeared
and after glance around gave a nod of
assent and the man proceeded 20 unhar-
ness the horses and turn them loose TO
grave. Then, after moment, in which
he seemed to be anxiouoly surveying the
trail over which they had come, he
helped the woman 10 alight
And now their movements greatly
puzzled me. Walking 20 asd fro they
seemed TO be searching for some par
ticular spot OF ground. As said above,
l had selected my campingground in
the outer edge of the forest. They
were moving about therefore amid
mingled shadows and moonbeams, but
every motion was visible. Finally the
woman pointed a space between two
young trees, and the man after looking
at It for moment went TO the rear end
Of the wagon and brought forth a spade.
With the edge OF this implement he
marked OF q rectangular space about
five feet By two, and began TO dig. All
this, let IL be remembered, was IN abso-
Lutte silence. Here were apparently
living beings, actively engaged, and not
more than ono hundred feet away. and
yet no sound was borne TO me on the
quiet air.
By this tine ny curiosity had turned
70 marvel. Here was q contradiction Of
common sensel could not believe that
what saw was real; these beings must
be apparitions. And yet here by my
side was the dog. "a alert as I, and
trembling with an impulse 70 investi-
gate. while obedient 70 my hand Of re-
straint
The digging proceeded. a7d tho coil
being soft. some f.e feet Of depth was
soon reached and then tho man threw
ont the spade Upon the ground The
woman meanwhile had been piucking
branches Cf evergreen. bringing them
in armfals and throwing them beside
'.tbe grave. -" ! thought Ard now. with
Tire utmost care end patience. the Whole
cavity vas tined wita these sprirs of
evergreen. held ir place hv tw.cs thrust
into che banks or ci--er sl3o.
This done rhe man cprarE ont The
tH-o surveyed t-a.r vorz for moment,
snd tbon- after cazf Y once uo-e. a. y
in anxiety over tle route bv which
ehsy had CONE, the7 approached The
raron. Having rolled I'D she canvas
On cae side t-e7 llf-ed o1t . snail
mattress. den-sl-i-7 "a u7on blanket
aa na- aa.1 :,
3s-. The beams of the fell noon eua-
l-I -a FL e-e thereon a slight form
trst-f te ~- who had scarcely lived
olt -hr-e yea-s- The pre-tr white lands
vra fod.i over tta t-e7et TolE
e. Zen curs f-ll uror ere or Tho
face n-.ea & ,oa3 see 0th ascending
c.-a-ness vas r.-1e 1er'al.- -esltif.l ia