Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-21

OF two miles a narrow depression cross-cuts
through the ridge from one side to III,
other, almost on level and opposite which
on the farther side of the right hand valley
is where the farmhouse mentioned i,
located. This cross-cut feature occurs n,
less than three additional times in the mex
four miles. Glacial boulders are scattered
all along on this ridge " bich is narrow or
top, zig-zsgs somewhat, has rises anC
falls and is part cleared and part
timbered. In places, wide draws
or ravines from the valleys come
up the slopes to the summit, and one ol
the largest of these occurs on the righ
hand side, just before the cross-cut i.
reached. 1t is a large depression in the
hillside, leaving projecting spur between
| 1t and the intersecting cut
AT this point the ridge, the slopes and the
depressions are all timbered, a good deal
being "second-growth" and brush, and the
surface is we'll Uttered over with fallen tor.
est debris. As one reaches the cutoff in the
ridge, the spur to the right toward the farm
house, from the timber edge, slopes down
gradually and is uniform and has been cul-
tivated Farther down the slope, pretty
abrupt decline in reached which goes down
to the valley level.
On the evening under consideration, a
| light snow Law on the ground, snowy clouds
covered the sky and there was an occasional
| light furry.
| Phantoms in Continental Garb.
had gone along the route indicated, fol-
| lowing an indistinct trail, over which
| hauling had at some time been done, had
| climbed over high staked and ridered
| rail-line fence in the woods and was just
nearing the edge of the timber that marked
| the crest of the slope 1t was Just begin
| ming to get dusk, but still light enough to
see across the valley I was facing, when,
| all at once, saw coming up the slope, al
| most but not quite directly toward me, q
| procession!
There was no mistake about it, it was as
| clear and plain as if it had been the middle
| of the afternoon and in the first quick in
| slant knew it was not real. .
In . fash. came the incongruity-the
| time, the place, the circums ances. The
tread was to quick time, the heads rising
and falling in unison, in double rank and
crossing my path on slight oblique to my
right-why it was to distinct that l could
see the " hites OF their eyes as they came.
should say there were at least 40 OF
them, in somewhat open order, light, airy,
noiseless tread, in Continental garb, the
first six men OF unusually fine forms and
bearing between them black velvet covered
coffin with silver handles. Attire
Three-cornered hats. low reaching
vests, military coats, knee-breeches,
dark stockings and low-cut shoes
with large silver-like buckles But the
faces were most remarkably noticeable.
Brows with an impress OF highest culture,
or highest birth and breeding, classic Ieat-
ures, good, clean-cut noses, fine bodily con-
tour throughout, and looking as il into
vacancy and straight ahead All this in
few seconds The rear Of the procession was
made OF perhaps IL or IA figures in cloaks
that seemed to cover the head. with a white
bandage across the foreheads, altogether
garbed as / have seen Sisters"
FaI ing In With III. Cos; Column.
I swept all this in briet, but intense
eagerness, such as only one with utter dis
belief in the spiritual could give. Watched
the contact OF the feet on the soft snow, no
mark, no sound! saw them glide into the
timber, watched, if and how the forms met
contact with the trees-no break in time
or step, no attention to the obstaclesl
In the first moment had determined to
follow them into the growing gloom and
the woods, come what would.
And l did.
Yes; / felt strange sensation-an un-
definable feeling as if of coming terror,
half way feeling to make outcry with all
the force the lungs could summon-I could
feel the blood leaving the surface of the
body. so it seemed and thought could
feel the increased labor OF the heart. But
l wheeled, got alongside about the middle
of the column and crowded toward the
front.
was material and had weight. I sank
into the leaves and the snow and had to
calculate on trees and logs and the dusk in
creased-it was soon down grade and into
denser wood. l hurried az l saw that the
march would cGt slantingly across the high
rail fence down the now sleeper incline,
and vet all this time l watched the spectral
column.
What moments those were. What de-
nouement should mark the end of this weird,
ghostly procession? A projecting limb
from fallen tree came in nv way and in
broke with crack and hurried on toward
the front with it.
Went Through a Fence Like Mist.
DETECTED little away from the column
to reach the fence sooner-and we were now
missed my foothold on the rail and lost some
seconds 1 was close to the rear coffin
bearer on the right hand side. But /
cleared the fence. and while my breath was
getting short, having come pell-mell nearly
$50 yards, | ran along the fence in time to
see psllbearers, coffin and procession all go
through the obstruction like SO much mist.
I could distinctly see both rails and
forms at the same time.
But 1 saw ere vet the procession was
through the fence, that the column was
slowing up, and l waited, standing in
deeper snoA by the fence, at the same panel
where they passed, to see the robed figures
of the rear, of whicn 1 had seen the least.
T econpad tho opproachiDU faoea thev
came up. The dozen or so preceding the
Sisters" as 1 shall call them. were as
young men in later boyhood, but not once
did one of the entire throng look at me or
in my direction.
But, in spite OF all effort at selfcontrol, 1
shook as if in an sague tremor, nv teeth |
not in cowardly fear, but it was
a nervous strain, conviction that some |
thing was wrong, was playing false, and all
nv courage could not avail. I glanced |
toward the head of the procession, and saw
nearly ready to halt, having come far |
enough around to face me 80 yards away.
And now what?
Would what followed in the next Eve, |
yes in the next three minutes, might be |
blotted from all remembrance.
The rear end of the procession was slowly |
closing in to complete the circle. the hooded |
figures were filing past me-so close that l |
could have touched them. A sense OF un-
loneliness and an increasing some |
thing like terror came on me.
Lrap'd Into the Phantom Circle.
Why it was know not, but an insane |
impulse suddenly possessed me to rush into
the midst of the ghostly throng, regardless
of any earthly proprietiesl A light breeze
stirred, furry OF sandy snow was sitting |
down, the circle was about completed in
two ranks facing inward, the casket-bearers