The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-11
A QUEER PHANTOM.
The Story of the Ghost of
a Horse.
A PUZZLE TO TRAVELLERS.
What Is Said to Be Hidden by a
Treacherous Quicksand of the
River Platte.
A PUZZLE TO TRAVELLERS.

Midway in the State of Nebraska. at a
point on the plains between Grand Island
and Kearney says the Omaha Bee, paSsen-
gers on the Union Pacific trains have coca
sonalIy seen what is known to the people
of that section as the phantom horse"
Not the mirage nor the appearance of
water in the dry arr0yos OF New Mexico
nor any illusion you have ever seen is so
realistic as this horse ghost. Il appears al
WAYS on the south side of the railroad at the
extreme Point of vision whers the heavens
and earth seem to meet and your first i'm
preston is establishment at seeing a horse,
life size, distinct and natural In appearance,
so far away. Then you wonder whether il
is standing on the earth or outlined upon
the sky, and before you can decide the
question it has vanished or you have passed
the point of view. / do not attempt to ex-
plain this phenomenon, but describe the
phantom as saw it and give the story as /
heard it.
Some years ago. before that great over
land route the Union Pacific Company
was constructed. at time when the whoop
of tn In dian. the below Of the buffalo and
the howl of the coyote were not uncommon
sounds on the prairie5 of Nebraska, hand
some. cultured man riding a wel-bred horse
aud evidently fresh from the States, accom-
paned by one Of those familiar characters
of the West, of bronzed and swarthy CON-
plexion wearing sombrero and riding
bronco, left the main trail and turned in the
irection of the Platte. Within half an
hour they refined in their horses on the
north bank of that mighty stream Of sand.
The river appeared then as it does to-day,
mile or more in width, struggling
streams of shallow water and numerous
islands of sand. For few moments they
gaZed upon the south bank, then earnestly
debated the question OF crossing. There
was difference of opinion, but the matter
was soon settled by the handsome stranger
riding straightwsy into the bed of the river.
At first everything seemed TO favor his de-
cision, and he had proceeded one-thirG of
the way across. The other ventured to fol-
low him, and was fifty yards from the bank
when he noticed the tracks in the sand
made by the first horse had filed with
water. He called loudly to his companion
and turned back to the shore. The warning
word was given too late. The horse was
struggling in sand and water to the depth
of The saddle skirts.
At this moment his rider stood erect and
leaped upon an island of white, dry sand.
He landed upon his feet but was ankle deep
in the sand-a few steps forward and the
sand was TO his knees. One desperate strug-
gle he made to bring himself upon the surface,
but the effort carried him waist deep. He
seemed then to realize his terrible position,
and lifting up his voice gave message to
his horror-strcken companion. striving by
word and gesture to make him comprehend
1t, but without success. The creeping. H.
idous, devouring sand was now to his
shoulders. He had taken from the inside
pocket OF his coat what seemed To be a
package OF papers, and holding 1t above his
head was evidently trying TO impress upon
his companion the importance of their pres
ervatioD, but his voice was silenced by the
cruel sand in his throat. A moment more
and 1t had closed over his mead, entombed
alive In that far away desolate spot, and tie
Island or sand presented the same smooth,
dry and apparently firm surface. small
damp spot and near it a package of papers
was all to Indicate that but moment be-
fore II had treaeheronsy engulfed human
being. The man upon the bank, transflxed
by the fascination OF horror, gazed at the
spot he knew not how long.
AS he turned away from the weird, mys-
ferrous river he saw Il short distance down
the stream riderless horse still struggling
with the sand and water. Back he rode TO
the main trail and eastward on the trail to
the first settlement. There he told the
story of the man lost in the sand. lie was
himself one of those hardy spirits of the
plains who as a guide or scout was ready
for any enterprise that promised adventure
and life in the open air. He knew naught
of the lost man-had been employed as a
guide to take him to certain settlement
in the South Platte country. Who
the stranger was, from where he
came. and the purpose OF his lonely
journey, are secrets held by the quicksands
of the Platte, unless revealed by the pack
age Of papers left on the sand, which, it is
limited, were afterward secured by one
who heard the guides story. aud that large
and very valuable landed property is wrong
an interesting sequel to the guides story OF
the lost stranger, with whom the settlers
associated the illusory horse. for over there
heynnd thu Platte nnnnsita the point where