Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-06-26

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poohed at tales OF ghosts, phantoms
and visions of all sorts,
1t is unnecessary to explain how l
came to be travelling in the far west
without companions, except for horse
and dog and gun. Following the
general route of the old overland
trail, l camped one night in the edge
of a considerable forest, and at a
point from which l could look forth
over a broad, open plain.
1t was already after shutdown.
The good horse was picketed, and
having provided supper for myself
and dog from rabbit which my gun
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 u
blanket.
TWAS probably in the small hours
of the night that awoke and arose
to a sitting posture. The moon was
climbing the eastern sky, with not a
feather of cloud in her course, and
every object stood forth as clearly as
In the day.
But it was not for me to contem-
plate in quictude the rare beauty OF
the night. In almost the first mo.
ment OF consciousness my eyes fell
upon a slowly moving object in the
distance. 1t was one OF those cam
vass covered wagons, the "prairie
schooners" so familiar in the early
days of overland travel to California.
1t was approaching almost direct
~ toward me, and my curiosity was
at once aroused. Why any one
should be travelling thus, and so late
at night / could not imagine. The
movement was heavy, as if the
horses were jaded, and the man who
walked by their side had a weary
step.
Twenty minutes passed, the vehicle
approaching nearer and nearer. Still
on it came, until when about thirty
yards from me it suddenly stopped,
i and the man, looking about, seemed
to be considering the wisdom ofmak-
ing camp.
| At this point ! suddenly realized
that the approach of the wagon had
been utterly noiseless. 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 a low growl. l laid my
hand on him to keep him quiet.
The man now stood by the for
ward wheel, looking in at the open
ing OF the canvas top, and, though |
heard no voice, imagined that he
was speaking to some one within.
A woman's head appeared, and, after
IA glance around, gave a nod OF assent,
and the man proceeded to unharness
the horses and turn them loose to
Craze. Then after moment, in
which he seemed to be anXiOusly sur
veying the trail over which they had
come, he helped the woman to alight.
And now their movements greatly
puzzled me. Walking to and fro,
they seemed to he searching forsome
particular spot of ground. Finally
the woman pointed to n space be-
tween two Young trees. and the man,
after looking ut it for a moment,
went to the rear end of the wagon
and brought forth spade. With
the edge of this implement he marked
off Il rectangular space about five
feet 10y two, and began to dig. All
this, let it be remembered, was in abb
solute silence.
BY this time my curiosity had turn
ed to marvel. Here was a contradic-
ton of common sense! | could not
believe that what l saw was real;
these things must he apparitions.
Aid yet here by my side was the dog,
as alert az l, and trembling with an
impulse to investigate, while obedient
to my hand of rest~ai1t
The digging proceeded, and, the
coil icing soft, some five feet of