Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-06-19
miscellaneous.
PILOTED BY A GHOST.

l cueCkeu my uoTsc, huu ui'ci oho
long, straining look around owned to
myself that was lost. had suspected
the fact some time since, but had stub
bornly fought down the suspicion.
though my horse evidently realized.
With patient endurance he plodded
along. resignation plainly expressed 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 su nset, there
was nothing 10 be seen bef6se,. behind,
on either hand, but the dead level OF
the plain. There we're paths in plenty;
ir fact, the trouble was there were too
many-all narrow and winding, for
whose meandering there seemed not the
slightest excuse. except the general ten
iiNSency 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 cattle.
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 gath
cred fast and the chill of coming rain
smote me through and through, while
in the distance there was the roll Of
thunder. Glancing up saw that the
masses of cloud had closed together in
curtain of gray mist.
Ny horse strode on of his own accord,
and hoping that his instinct would lead
us to some house, lot him have his
will. Presently it began to raia, sort
of heart.broken passionless weeping,
but with steady determination to per-
severe all night, that awoke graver ap-
prchension in my bosom than any amount
of clustering, showery dowDpour could
have done.
1t was now quite dark, and very dark
at that, thocgh at short intervals close
to the horizon faint CLEAN of lightning
showed, too distant to cast brightness
on my path and only sufficient to inten-
sify the blackncss about me.
All at once I saw man walking
about fifteen feet in front Of me. Yes,
know | said it was intensely dark, but
all the same, | repeat it. saw man
walking in front of me, and further
more | could see that he was large
man, dressed in rough, but well fitting
clothes that he wore heavy red beard
and that he looked back at me from
time to time with an expression Of keen
anxiety on his otherwise rather fixed
features.
'IIallol" | cried, but as he did not
halt concluded he did not hear me-
As second hail produced no result |
spurrcd my weary horse up to overtako
the stranger. But, though the gray
responded with an alacrity most COM
mendable under the circumstances, |
soon found that this strange pedestrian
did not intend to let me catch up with
him. Not that he hurried himself He
seemed without any cxertion to keep n
good fifteen feet between US Then
began to wonder how, with the intense
darkness shutting me in as four black
walls, was yet able to see my strange
companion SO clearly, tn take in the de-
tails of his dress, and even the express
sion of his face, and that at distance
more than twice my horses length when
| could hardly see his head before me.
| am not given to superstitious fancies,
and my only feeling was of curiosity.
We went on in silence for nearly half
an hour, when, as suddenly as be ap-
peared, he was gone. looked around
for him, half afraid, from his instant
and coh,plete disappearance, that had
been dreaming, when | perceived that |
was close to a small, low building of
some sort. | refined in and shouted
several times, but not the slightest re-
sponse could l 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
stumbled upon some deserted house, or
it was the abode Of my eccentric friend |;
SO, dismounting and tying the gray. l
resolved to spend the rest Of the night
under roof or TO find some good reason
for continuing my journey. felt my
way along the wall till reached a
door, iand, trying this aud finding that
it yielded to me, I stepped inside,
striking match as | did so. Fortu-
nateIv, carried my matches in an air
tighycase, and as it was dry the one
str9ck gave me light at once. found
leif in a large room close TO fire
Be-, over which rude shelf wa
ced, aud on this mantel ] sax an OF
up, to which | applied my m.tch.
DIN the hearth was heaped quantit
ashes aud over thess crouchea child
Wittle girl of 5 or O. AT ths other en-