Arizona republican., 1892-09-08

bOAON hOdiu AhO NOlOC, III tOlN VT cdtlOI
 one belonging to the slate colored mar
 and the other in the quivering tones oi age. Directly the slate colored man re
 appeared from above and said, "The o
 man is took bad for his supper"
 He hurriedly prepared mixture witl
 hot voter, salt and beef. Beef tea il
 might be called. He disappeared again
 Once more the party below hesrd
 vaguely, talking over their heads. The
 voice of age arose to shriek.
 "Open the window, fool! Do you
 think can live in the smell of your
 soup?"
 Mutterings by the slate colored man
 and the creaking of a window were
 heard.
 The slate colored man stumbled down the stairs, and said with intense gloom,
 "The black dorg'll be along soon."
 The little man started and the pudgy man sneered at him. They ate supper and then sat waiting. The pudgy man listened so palpably that the little man wished to kill him. The wood fire be- came excited and sputtered frantically. Without thousand spirits of the winds had become entangled in the pine branches and were lowly pleading to be loosened. The slate colored man tip toed across the room and lit timid candle. The men sat waiting.
 The phantom dog lay cuddled to a round bundle, asleep down the roadway against the windward side of an old shanty. The specter's master had moved to Pike county, but the dog fingered as friend might finger at the tomb of a friend. His fur was like a suit of old clothes. His jowls, hung and Topped, exposing his teeth. Yellow famine was in his eyes. The wind rocked shanty groaned and muttered, but the dog slept. Suddenly, however, he got up and shambled to the roadway. He cast a long glance from his hungry, despair ing eyes in the direction of the venera- ble house. The breeze came full to his nostrils. He threw back his head and gave long, low howl and started in. tently up the road. Maybe he smelled a dead man.
 The group around the fire in the ven erable house were listening and waiting. The atmosphere of the room was tense. The slate colored mans face was twitch- ing and his drabbed hands were gripped together. The little man was contin- ually looking behind his chair. Upon the countenance of the pudgy man ap- peared conceit for an approaching tri- umph over the little man, mingled with apprehension for his own safety. Five pipes glowed as rivals of the timid can dle. Profound silence dropped heavily over them. Finally the slate colored man spoke:
 My ol uncle, Jim Crocker, he's sick ter death."
 The four men started and then shrank back in their chairs.
 Damn itp replied the little man vaguely.
 Again there was long silence. Sud- denly it was broken by a wild cry from the room above. It was shriek that struck upon them with appalling swift ness, like a flash of lightning. The walls whirled and the floor rumbled. It brought the men together with rush. They huddled in heap and stared at the white terror in each others faces. The slate colored man grasped the can dle and flared it above his head. "The black dorg," he howled, and plunged at the stairway. The maddened four men followed frantically, for it is better to be in the presence of the awful than only within hearing.
 Their ears still quivering with the shriek, they bounded through the hole in the ceiling and into the sickroom.
 With quilts drawn closely to his shrunken breast for shield, his bony hand gripping the cover, an old man lay, with glazing eyes fixed on the open His throat gurgled and roth appeared at his mouth.
 From the outer darkness came strange, unnatural vail, burdened with weight of death, and each note filled with foreboding. It was the song of the spectral dog.
 "God" screamed the little man. He ran to the open window. He could see nothing at first save the pine trees, en- gagged in furious combat tossing back and forth and struggling. The moon was peeping cautiously over the rims of some black clouds. But the chant of he phantom guided the little mans ,yes, and he at length perceived its 'hadowy form on the ground under the He fell away gasping at the tight. The pudgy man crouched in a corner, chattering insanely. The slate ,olored man, in his fear, crooked his egs and looked like hideous Chinese dol. The man upon the bed was turned o stone, save the froth, which pulsated.
 In the final struggle terror will fight he inevitable. The little man roared curses, and rushing again to he window began to throw various ar- .icles at the specter.
 A mug, q plate, a knife, a fork, all ;rashed or changed on the ground, but he song of the specter continued. The )owl of beef tea followed. As it struck he ground the phantom ceased its cry.
 The men in the chamber sank Imply l against the walls, with the unearthly | vail still ringing in their ears and the ear unfaded from their eyes. They waited again.
 The little man felt his nerves vibrate. Destruction was better than another wait. He grasped candle and, going l O the window. held it over his head and ooked out.
 'Hov' he said.
 His companions crawled to the win low and peered out with him.
 He's eatin the beef tea," said the | late colored man faintly.