Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-09-17
WARNED BY A GHOST.


bright as day. The horses breath
seemed to ill the air with clouds, AID
his coat already began to sparkle with
frost. Oh, it was good TO be home
again. Canada for the Canadians"
Is it any wonder we love our beautiful
country with such passionate devotion?
From these high and patriotic
thoughts | was aroused by coming to
a turn in the road, fork. Now, there
were two roads TO the village from this
point, one leading down long, steep
hill, at the bottom of which an
aboideau, or primitive bridge, built of
fir trees and brush, with alternate lay
ers of earth and stones-a sort of
earthwork, in fact-spanned a deep,
treachcrous little creek, in which the
ice pile in huge blocks in winter, and
As II was all estuary of the river, il
was dangerous spot when the tide
was high. Taking this road would cut
off more than half a mile of my Jour
ney, SO / decided to try il, despite a
curious reluctance on the part of my
horse. The road certainly did not look
as if il was travelled much, but just at
the turn the snow had drifted off, leav-
ing it near.y bare. So | forced the
unwilling nag into the roadway and
logged on cautiously.
The spot bore an un ,leasant name,
and still more unpleasant reputation.
1t was called ..Ghost's Hollow
Fifty years ago, i'll the old days when
the province was thinly settled and
weekly stage coach was the only means
of communication between the d fer
ent towns, the hoi ses of a heavily
laden coach had taken fright at the
top of the hill, and dashing down at
mad speed had gone over the aboideau.
The tide was full in at the time and
the creek filed with great blocks of
ice. There were none TO help in that
lonely spot, SO every one had been
drownsd, and the fuperstitious coun-
try people insisted that on wild winter
nights anyone standing at the top of
the hill and listening intently could
hear the muffied sound of sleigh bells,
the shouts and groars of the drowning
people and the splashing and ST. ug-
Cling of the horses. Certain it was
that, when the tide WAS very low and
the wind high, the wafer rushing
through the sluices under the aboideau
made an weird, gurgling sound that
WAS not by any means cheerful. /
could hear it now with painful dis
tinctness, though there was no wind.
And my thoughts travelled back to my
boyhood and to old Angus Mcdonald,
a queer old Scotch farmer, with whom
i had been a great favoriie, who lad
taught me how to make fox traps and
to shoot rabbits, to believe in omeus
nd to f,.i.,l,,a,nI -,
A superstitious old fellow, who de
clared that he had the gift of second
sight, and who had always insisted
that TO hear the sounds of the groans
and struggles in Ghosts Hollow"
was sure forerunner of coming mis-
SortuDe TO the one hearing them.
i smiled to myself as | remembered
1t, and made a mental note that |
would tell An yus the first time | saw
him, and ask him what he made of
the omen now.
the horse stopped SO suddenly that
/ nearly fell over the dashboard!
And directly in front of the sleigh |
saw a man plodding slowly ong
through the snow. Icould have sworn
that he waS not there half n minute
before, and yet he could not have
come out of the woods without NV
seeing him. "Holloai" | called. He
turned slowly, and | saw that it was
old Angus himself
why, Angus, old fellow" / said,
"what in the world are you doing in
this lonely spot? Jump in and I'll
drive you home. l was just thinking
about you"
sshonxr thonGa WaltaF for
and yer thoughts, too; but it's a cold
night, and I'm not that wrapped up
for driving; walking's warmer" he
answer ed.
"But what brings YOU out here on
such a night, Angus?' 1 persis ed.
Your rheumatism must be better
than 1t Cas, or you would not run
such risks"
LAY, the rheumatism's not that bad.
wa seein' to the fox traps, an then
i heard the bells an knew some one
was going down the hill, so | came out
to warn them. The 'bito's' all down,
Walter, an you'd g,t an ugly fall
amongst those Ice cakes if We went
over; turn back, boy, and 90 the long
way"
but, Angus" cried, 81 don't like
TO leave you here"
"Tll do well enough, lad; I'm go
ing home now; good night"
Good night" | answered reluc-
family, "Pll see you tomorrow"
He made no answer, and L turned
the trembling no. Sc, who pranced and
snorte and tried TO bolt until he real
lied that he was going the other way.
When / looked back Angus was gone.
Once on the main road aga we
wen: IL c the wind, and coon the
light of home sho out, and in a few
minutes more | was in the hall being
shaken hands with, and kissed, and
questioned, passed around from one TO
the other like sort of cordial, eX-
claimed over ard commiserated be
eau lad not had any tea, and read
ing a welcome in Maggie's sweet eyes
more "truly sustaining" as the
old ladie. say, than all the teas in the
world.
"Walter dear" said Maggie, "you
have not been taking care of yourself.
You look terribly worn and pale.
.'Never mind, Maggie" l answered,
al am going to rest and get strong
again now.
The boys were both home for the
aey. Jack was in the civil service and