The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-04-25
LAYING A GHOST.
BY WILL p. Pond

An old friend of mine, . retired sea
captain, has a house overlooking the
Narrows, near Fort Hamilton. 1t was
built from his own plans, and is chiefly
remarkable for square structure rising
from the roof, generally taken for
an observatory, but which is really the
old mans sanctum, known as "the
J cabin" The privileged visitors are his
| grandsons and nephews, who obtain en-
trance by going on the lawn and shout
ing ship ahoy.' meeting with the reply
"ahoy there then lis the skipper
aboard.' and the answer to this query
settles the matter of whether
they will be admitted or
not. If they are, story is the
natural result, and as the old gentleman
is an enthusiastic sportsman, he has many
"reminiscences of the sea. i have several
times been one of the audience, and not
one of the least interested by any means.
The boys had been spending the sum-
mer in the Adirondacks last year, and on
their return speedily made visit to
1.-THE cabin" where the captain and |
were seated. The usual ceremony was
/ gone through, the boys reported the
events of the holiday, or, as he termed
| it. "overhauied their log" and then
without any asking. the old gentleman
said: ''Boys, l have a story about
Raquette Lake that is worth hearing.
Did anyone tell you about the ghost |
caught there?'
"Ghost," echoed the boys, 'what was
itl'
81 suppose it was about twenty years
ago, " began the old gentleman, "when
found myself with friend
at Raquette Lake, after a prolonged
fishing trip in that most lonely
region. For a week or more luck had
not been ours. and we had moved from
Saranac to Raquette Lake, in hopes Of
finding some big fish worthy of our steel
Arriving at the hotel in the evening, We
had supper, and then sought the piazza,
where we found mutual friend to whom
we applied for information about the
fishing, and who gave us the name Of a
good man to engage, ending his re-
marks with, he has only one fault
supersttion-you cannot keep him on
the water after shutdown, and money
cannot hire him to take YOU over to the
Pool as they call it. although the best
fish are said to lay there.
"Why not." we asked.
"Afraid Of the ghost" was the reply.
"What ghost?"
Our friend laughed. "Well, the local
story is somewhat indefinite. Many years
ago a young couple came here on their
honeymoon, and spent good deal of
their time in fishing. In the woods, Dor
dering the pool, was a gypsy camp, and
by some means the young fellow incurred
the enmity of the gypsy woman, and
was cursed by her. The following week,
bride and groom were drowned il the
pool by the accidental upsetting of their
boat, and their bodies were never recov-
cred. The gypsy's curse is said to have
doomed them to eternal wandering, like
her own nomadic race, and local ira
dition says, the ghos. of the girl in hel
husbands arms Is still to be seen in the
pool at night, and evil follows to those
who are unlucky enough to see them.
Il laughed at the story, although,
like all sailors, was superstitious to q
certain degree, and would not have liked
the daily appearance of shark along
side. or have tempted Providence by
catching Mother Cary's chickens, any
more than many other sailors who know
what these things mean.
las was saying, laughed at it, bu
my friend, a younger man by ten o.
twelve years, jumped at the chance o
some excitement, and declared we mus
investigate. The next day We engaged
our fisherman, and made arrangement
for him to rent Us a light canoe, which
we could keep on he lake front, for on
own use, independent of the large boa
we used with him. We found the fish
ing very good, but the fish were no
extraordinarily large. so at last we pro
posed to our guide to take us to tn
pool. To our amusement he fatty, bu
|; civillv refused I. do so, and so one da
we went alone, and dared the dangers
probable and improbable. 1t was preit
nook, with deep, black water, the hill
rising to considerable height, CLOTHED
with hemlocks and frs. We caugh
one good fish, p ten-pound pickerel
and number of fair sized ones.
The next day it rained in torrents an
the next; then about noon it slowl
cleared away. and as the sun went dow
not a cloud was to be seen, and the waite
was like glass.
What night for fish, said m
young friend; let us take the canoe an
try the pool; the fish ought to rise ;
soon as the moon comes up
Nothing loath, l got my pole. an
away we rent, .tarting from the hous