The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-06-10
PILOTED BY A GHOST.

l checked my horse, and after one long
Straining look around owned TO myself
that [ was lost. ! had suspected til,
fact some time since but had stubborn
ly fought down the suspicion, though m,
horse evidently realized il. With pa
tient endurance he plodded along, rcsig
nation plainly expressed in the droop O
his tail and ears. In place of the ranch
the hearty welcome, pleasant words
bed, supper and fire had expected t.
reach by sunset, there was nothing to be
seen before, behind, on either hand, bu
the dead level of the plain
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 il
the distance there was the roll of thun
der. CHANGING up l saw that the masses
of cloud had closed together in a curtain
Of gray mist.
My horse strobe on of his own accord
and hoping that his instinct would lead
us to some house, let him have his will
Presently it began to rain, a sort of heart
broken, passionless weeping, but Will
steady determination to perseverc all
night, that awoke graver apprehension
in my bosom than any amount of blus-
tering, showery downpom could have
done.
1t was now quite dark, and very dark
at that All at once saw a man walking
about fifteen feet in front of me. Yes.l
know l said it was intensely dark. but
all the same 1 repeat it, / saw n man
walking in front Of me, and furthermore
l could see that he was a large man
dressed in rough, but well-ftting clothes
that he wore a heavy red beard. and
that he looked back at me from time tc
time with an expression of keen anxiety
ON his otherwise rather fixed features.
"Iello" l cried, bat as he did not
halt concluded he did not hear me.
As second hale produced no result !
spurred my weary horse up to ovcrtakc
the stranger. But soon found that this
strange pedestrian did not propose to LEI
me catch upwith him Not that he hurried
himself. He seemed without any exer-
ton to keep a good fifteen feet between
as. Then / began TO wonder how, with
the intense darkness shutting me IN as
-four black walls, | was yet able to Sc,
my strange companion so clearly to take
in the details of his dress, and even tn {
expression of his face, and that at a dis
lance more than twice my horses length
when could hardly see his head before
me. ] am not given up to Superstition
fanries and my only feeling was cmiosi
ty.
We went on in silence for nearly hall
an hour, when, as suddenly as he appear
peared he was gone. looked AROUND
for him, half afraid, from hs instant and
complete disappearance, that | had been
dreaming, when I perceived that was
close to small, low building Of some
sort reined in and shouted several
times, butnot 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 stumbled upor
some deserted house. or it was the abode
of my eccentric friend so dismountina
and tying the gray, l resolved to spenC
the rest of the night under a roof or fine
some good reason for continuing m'
journey felt my way along the wal
till l reached door, and trying this anC
finding it yielded to me, stepped in
side, striking match as | did so.
found myself in a large room close to
Gre place, over which a rude shelf wa,
| placed, and on this mantel j saw al qi
lamp, to which | applied ms match
On the hearth was heaped a quantit
Of ashes and over these crouehed chile
a little girl of ore. At the other en-
Of the room, which was plainly and sean
ily furnished, lay man across be,
and as / raised the lamp saw that
was the same man had been followir
i but there was something in the attitpC