Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-06-05
GUIDED BY A GHOST.


GUIDED BY A GHOST.
checked my horse, and after one
long, straiuiug look around, owned TO
myself that | was lost. | had sus-
pected the fact some time since, but
had stubbornly fought down the Sus-
picion, though my horse evidently re-
allied it. With patient endurance he
plodded along, resignation plainly eX-
pressed in the droop Of his tail and
ears. In place of the ranch, the
hearty welcome, pleasant words, bed,
supper, and fire | had expected TO
reach by sunset, there was nothing to
be seen before, behind, on either
hand, but the dead level of the plain.
There were paths in plenty in fact,
the trouble was there were too many
narrow and winding, for whose me-
andering there seemed not the slight
est excuse, except the general tenden-
cy to crookedneSs most things, ami
mate and inanimate alike, possess
But it would have taken the instinct
of a bloodhound or trailing Indian
to have said which paths had been
made by horses feet or those of cat
tie.
Now that the sun was gone, | found
my knowledge of the point of the COM
pass gone with it. As | sat perplexed
and worried, the gloom of twilight
gathered fast and the chill Of coming
rain smote me through and through,
while in the distance there was the
roll of thunder. Glancing up l saw
that the masses of cloud had closed
together in curtain of gray mist.
My horse strcde on Of his own ac-
cord. and hoping that his instinct
would lead us 10 some house. Pres
entity it began TO rain, Il sort of heart .
broken pas-ionless weeping, but with
a steady determination TO persevere
all night, that awoke graver appre-
hension inmy bosom than any amount !
of clustering, showery dowu-pour
could have done.
1t was now quite dark, and very .
dark ut that, though at short inter
walls close to the horizon a faint CLEAN |
of lightning showed, too distant TO
east brightness on my path and only |
sufficient TO intensity the backness |.
about me.
All at once | saw n man walking /.
about fifteen feet in front of me. Yes, !
| know | said it was intensely dark, |
but all the same repeat it. | saw a
man walking in front OF me, and |
furthermore | could see that he was |
large man, dressed in rough, but we'll
fitting clothes ; that he wore heavy
red beard, and that he looked back at |
me from time TO time with an express
sion Of keen anxiety on his otherwise
rather fixed features
Hello cried, but as he did not
halt concluded he did not hear me
As second hail produced no result | /
spurred my weary horse up to over
take the stranger But though the
gray responded with an alacrity most
commendable under the circum
stances. soon found that this strange
pedestrian did not intend to let me
catch up with him-not that he hur
ried himself He seemed, without any
exertion, to keep a good fifteen feet
between Us. Then began to wonder
how, with the intense darkness shut
ting me in "a four black walls, | was
yet able to see my strange companion
20 clearly, TO take the details of his
dress. and even the expression Of his
face. and that at distance more than
twice my horses length, when | could
hardly see his head before me. am
not given tosuperstitiOus faucies, and
my only feeling was OF curiosity.
We went on in silence for nearly
half an hour, when, as suddenly as he
appeared. he was gone. l looked
around for him, half afraid, from his
instant and complete disappearance,
that | had been dreaming, when !
perceived that | was close TO small,
low building of some sort. reined
in and shouted several times. but not
the slightest response could hear,
and at last | rode boldly up and
tapped on the wall with my riding
whip. Then, as this elected no sign
of life. | concluded that | had STUN
bled upon some deserted house, or it
was the abode Of my eccentric friend;
so. dismounting and tying the gray,
resolved to spend the rest of the night
under a roof or to find some good rea-
son for continuing my journey. felt
NV way along the wall till reached
a door, and trying this and finding
that it yielded to me, stepped in
side. striking a match as l did so.
Fortunately, carried my matches in
an air-tight case, and as it was dry,
the one | struck gave me light at once.
IL