The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-02

constant that we built him shanty on the
rocks half n mile away and led him to 1t.
Three times day man was sent up with
his meals, and this continued for weeks
and weeks For a long time there was no
change, either in his health or disposition.
Then he began to grow thin and wan and
to cease cursing, and one evening he asked
of the man who brought his meal:
Jim, Is thar a trail leadin up here from
campi"
NO" was the reply.
''If anybody was comm down the tran
from Top Notch how would they hit meS"
"Why. strike across about forty rods
above camp"
"And the door faces that wayp
ayes"
"How's the nights now, Jim"
Full moon and bright as day."
That was about all that was said, but ]
wish to tell you here that when Satan" was
blinded his eyelids were closed fast He
could never open them after that, excepth
used his fingers. There was an injury to
the muscles controlling them as well as ia
his vision. Day and night were alike to
him. On that very night, about half an
hour after midnight, prowling wolf dis
turbed our camp and routed out three OF
four men. They were driving the beast
away, when they looked up and saw a
shadow on the Top Notch trail. 1t was as
light as day, and there was no question In
their minds 1t was queer shadow. 1t
had the shape of little old woman bent
over with age, and it foated about in an
uncertain way. The three or four men
passed from tent TO tent, and before long
sixty or seventy Of us were out and had our
eyes fastened on the queer thing. BY and
by it floated over the rocks and shrubs to-
ward "Satan's" shanty, and every man OF
us followed it TO the door and beyond with
his eyes.
"It's woman-an old womanp whis
pered score of men.
But what can a woman be doing heref
One or two suggested that somebody 20
up to the shanty, but no one volunteered
There was something so queer and I'M
canny that nobody felt like making q
closer investigation. 1t was perhaps ten
minutes after the figure entered the shanty
before it resppeared. 1t passed over the
same ground, in the same peculiar way
and as it reached the trail it halted
for a moment as If looking back. Our
eyes followed it up the plain, broad trail
until it grew fainter and fainter and final.
ly dissolved.
"What did it look like to your" asked one
man of another.
"a little old woman, bent and feeble, "
was the reply.
All had seen alike. You may ask why
some one didn't pursue. No man had evet
seen living woman on that trail, or eI'
pected to. This was woman. and yet II
was not. It's presence cast an awe upon
everybody. Some of the men returned I'd
bed, and others gathered ia groups and
talked in whispers until daylight came.
There were fifty men who went up in a
crowd to "Satan's" shanty. They found
him fully dressed and seated in the door,
and he had been dead for hours. Perhaps
you expected that, but let me tell you bis
eyes were wide open, his vision seemed ia
have returned, and he was looking across
to Top Notch trail just as a living man
would-aye, looking and looking, and his
face had softened and smile had crep'
over il and been held there by the finger:
of death
at was the spirit of his motherl" whis
pered the men as they stood and looked
into the face of the dead man. and so We
nave ever believed. NJ, QUAD.