Mohave County miner., 1893-02-25

him. This fellow was positive the Red
Ghost had not flown. nut had simply
galIoped over the air. II happened that
the narrator OF this adventure WAS the
same man who had told Of flying bear
that he once encountered in the Mogol-
Ions. lie had also discovered a noun
tain OF solid gold, but had been driven
away from ii by the Apaches and had
never been able TO find his way back.
II was probably a month before any
reliable information about the mystery
was received. II came from the Salt
river country. 81 Hamlin, hunter.
coming suddenly to the top Of ridge,
saw across the next ravine large animal
moving through the chaprraI. II was
half mile away from him, but present
ly It came to burnt patch where he
could see II plainly and he recognized il
as camel. There are camels in Arizona,
descendants OF bunch turned loose
by the Government after an unsuccessful
attempt TO use them for carrying sol
diers' supplies across the desert. But
this particular camel was more than a
simple ship Of the desert. The hunter
could see plainly upon its back burden.
lie did not have long to study the phe-
noinenOn, for the camel soon reached the
edge OF the clearing and disappeared 10
the timber. vi said that The burden OF,
the camel's back looked to him like a
man, but he wasn't sure; and there was
q general idea tina. 81 was lying, until
report came from the valley Of the Verde
that the camel had been seen there. By
this time everybody in the Territory had
heard VI IL, Of course. Fantasia Colora-
do, the Mexicans called il, and the
name hung 10 it. II Was
splendid name to scare tenderfoots with.
The prospectors on the Verde got
shot at it. They saw it in the early
morning feeding on mesa, and crept up
to within shooting distance. They fred
together, but though both were good
they failed TO bring the camel
down. II jumped into the air at the re.
ports and tore off down the hills. As il
Jumped something fell from it, and the
who followed after, found
mans head, dry and withered, but with
flesh and hair still on it.
No one saw the uncanny beast for
some weeks after this, but finally it APP
peared to the northward. One OF the
cowboys belonging to the Anchor-J {.
tit rode up about dusk to an abandoned
branding corral. There was something
in the corral, and as he came up a great
rel camel burs; out OF the corral.
force Of habit the cowboys RATA
was ont and ne lassoei the beast. In
about two minutes be wished that he
hadn't. The camel charged him and
his horse, which, while it knew all about
) eers, was unversed ia the ways OF
:ameis. When the horse tr.ed to rear
up and piroue,te so the charging beast
would pass by, as anything in the COW
line would have done, be was caught by
The camel on the throat, and camel and
man and horse went down together. |
The camel did not stay to fight, but went
off as hard ~ he could pelt, dragging
sixty feet of good raxbide rists after
him. When the cowboy got to camp he
explain med good deal OF the mystery OF
he Red Ghost. The pack on its back |
Was nearly gone, he said, but there was
no question it had once been man.
That was the last Of the Red Ghost in
! supernatural capacity. He was prob
lbly seen many times, but the pack be.
ng gone from his back there was moth
ng 10 distinguish him from other camels, |
md gradually the Red Ghost from being
. terror degenerated into story and |
hen into tradition.
A couple Of months ago, however,
Mizoo Hastings, who has ranch little
above the gold camp on the San Fran.
.isco, woke mp one morning and saw
through the window OF his cabin a big
ed camel banquetiDg in his tu.nip patch,
,lizoo took a dead rest over the window
ill and blszed away. He got the camel. |
When he went out to examine the beast /
ne found him covered with perfect net
work Of knotted rawhide strips. They
lad been on him SO long that some Of
he strands had cut their way into the
iesh. The camel was all scared up and
rad evidently had very hard time.
Now everybody down in that country is