The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-06-28
JIM eExAa's GHOST STORY.
What He Saw in Cabin on q Texas
Ranch

We were ali slbllng IN the cosy little par
lor of the Cameo fiat after tea, raking up
odd furniture from our mental gsrrets, and
each one trying to beat the others tall ex-
periences.
Huh, said Jim, do I believe in my
bootsp looking down at those incontestibls
and conspicuous facts belligerently.
why" everybody Moderated snicksr-
ingly. I'VE thought you weren't supersti-
tiousT
Amt" said Jim, "but I've got sense
enough TO know a thing when l see 1t. :"
when you see It'll" The gigghng ceased.
80, Mr.. Bexar, tell US about it, please"
and we all settled ourselves for a good
creepy ghost story. Jim gazed around on
the circle of respectful and deeply interested
faces with modest pride. and nothing loath
began:
81 had been out COW hunting all day, on
the track Of a little bunch OF Z-6 cattle
that were missing. It was wet and cold,
every arroyo / came to was running full,
and my pony had to swim more than once I;
and every time l crossed divide and failed
to find the bunch in the next draw was ali
broke up, and had half a mind to go back
home. l kept on bearing farther west from
my own place, and no sign of them; so ]
finally decided. as it was getting late, to
push on aud spend the night with Bob Cross
at the Kenmore rancho.
THE Kenmore is owned by Scotch
company; Bob is their resident manager
and lives pretty snug in little 'dobe house
that was on the ranch when they bought it.
When l came to the place what did / see
but Bob, all by himself, sitting out in the
front of the house, with his chair kicked
back against it, smoking his pipe.
ut was misting pretty bad about that
time, and hollered TO him. Amt you got
vxrxh 90 IT, A.lfe 81 TrnN
Rains all right he growled out; then
when he saw me getting down. and who
was, he whacked his chair down and got
up wish a whoop. Jim Bexar, by thunder,
he said; 'goin' to stay all nightr
Pm used to having folks being right
glad to see me-in Texas-they're lonesome.
and glad to see anyone; but Bob was most
too glad. Taking it with his sitting out
there in the rain, and being all sole alone,
thought maybe he was little off.
HE turned my pony into theslittle past
ure, and told me I'd find something to eat
in the kitchen. hustled round, got fire,
made some coffee, and hunted up some
bread and canned goods; and all the time
Bob sat in the front of the house and
smoked. thought this was blessed funny
way to treat folks that come to see you; but
was too hungry to get mad; / thought
maybe he felt bad somewh here.
81 supposed he'd had his supper; but
when / was eating mine called out 10 ask
him If he wanted anything; and he asked
me to bring him out a cup of coffee and q
chunk of bread.
What's the matter you can't come in
here I said; broke your legP
HE got sulky and wouldn't answer. so l
toted the grub out, and he ate as il no was
half starved. He said the Mexican that
cooked for him had gone off that morning,
hkafd ont boz wit hAVrt a
bite TO eat all day. Said he had mind to
cut and run about 8 O'Clock.
"'Cut aud run? says L; you talk. funny"
I" feel funny said he, awful solemn.
"Well, as be wouldn't come In, and the
rain let up q little got chair and sat out
beside him and SMOKED till got so sleepy
could hardly sit up. Let's turn in says l.
Bob sorter groaned and said he reckoned
we'd have to some time. After a while he
says, very deep and solemn, Jim, did you
ever see ghostP l was mapping off again
when he said it, and jumped and felt a
cold streak go down my back.
mo- says l, did your
40, no. he says, but had bad dream
last night; and when told Juan about it
this morning he cut out and said the place
was haunted, and something awful was
going to happen, and he wasn't coming
back till it was over. / cussed him out for
a fool and told him 1 guessed could stay
here by myself; but somehow l haven't
gone back in the house since l came out
this morning, and I'm awful glad you came.
II was too beat out and tired TO mind this
story much. %, never mind your old
dream said; Pm dead for a sleep; come
on
1--WE went in I lit lamp, and Bob gazed
round. and SHE'D and jumped like bronco
first time he sees train. After we turned
in, the lamp went out, and for about an
hour every time I'd get comfortable asleep
Bob would jump all over and wake me up,
till told him was gong to get and shoot
him, and see if thar'd keen him quiet.
81 reckon he must have sobered down and
got to sleep, for tAe next thing l knew
was awakened by somebody grabbing my
arm; finally made out that it was Bob.
He kept shaking my arm and whispering
my name over and over, in voice that
sounded as if somebody was choking him.
| looked round the room. Dark as q
pocket; but. as my eyes came back to the
foot OF the bed l saw sailing around in the
air a little light speck. AS looked at it it
got bigger and bigger, and wavered and
f1ickered like the reflection of running
water Then / began to see something
awful in the middle of it, 1 didn't want to
see any more and shut my eyes. In a
minute had to open them-I didn't want
to see, but l had to. There it was, but
worse, floating in the middle of the light
spot, head with horrible dead face. A
dark Mexican face. His eyes we're shut; his
jaw dropped; he looked as if he'd been dead
long time.
"But every feature of the face twitched
and jerked aud tiickered till / couldn't stand
it / couldn't shut my eyes, however hard
tried, so gave a whoop that the boys over
at Bar Six could have heard, and covered
up my head with the bed clothes. Bob laid
there with his teeth rafting. and he says
the thing staid an hour and then faded and
flickered out But know it wasn't two
minutes from the time / covered my head
till he said, It's gone, Jim; and by and by
we crawied out and Lit the lamp.
1--WE sat up and smoked the rest Of the
night l felt just as Bob did about the
house being close and disagreeable; 80 we
sat out in front mostly and Bob told me
what his dream was the night before.
s'He thought he was right there in bed,
same as he was and that he suddenly walked
up and saw three Mexicans In the
room. They were quarreling and there
was money on a little table in three piles.
All the furniture In the room was different
from what it really was, and the men
didut seem to see him at ALL Finally two
on the other. One OF them stepped up be-
hird and pinned his arms, and the other
stabbed him in the neck and breast, again
and again. Bob saw him fall over dead f;
but be said--he wouldn't have cared so
much for that-he'd seen man or two killed
at one time or another, in rough and tumble
Al. / IL. -,