The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-11
THE sHAoowlN MOONLIGHT
Weird story About Blind and Demon
allied Miner.

4 Weird Story About Blind and Demon
allied Miner.
You couldn't stop man from stalking
out claim # the ground was not al
ready covered, and so. though none of
Us liked the looks Of this new chap who
came in on US at Strawberry Hill, we
couldn't gainsav his stalking out and
putting up rude shanty. We soon dis
covered that his looks did not belle him.
You'd expect TO find some bad men in
the mines. but this man, whom we soon
nicknamed Satan. was worse than any
dozen Of them put together.
The way he would curse God and ma
was something awful 10 hear, and we
sometimes wondered why the wrath OF
Heaven was not visited upon him. We
ostracized and outlawed him, but ne
would not go away. Only the fear
that we would string him up kept him
from doing murder, for he had q tenn
per like a wild beast
One day, after dinner, and after a
spell at cursinc and reviling, he went
down into his claim and fred a blast
which blinded him forever. Then ne
became worse than before. His ours
ing and raving became so constant
that we built him shanty on
the rocks half mile away and led
him into it. Three times a dav a
man was sent up with MS meals. and
this continued for weeks and weeks.
For long time there was no change in
his health or disposition Then he
began TO show thin and wan and to
cease cursing, and one evening he asked
of the man who brought his meals:
Jim, is thar trail leading up here
from campo"
NO" was the reply.
IF anybody was comm down the
trail from Top Notch how could they
hit me?'
Why, strike across about forty rods
above camp"
And the door faces that way?"
Yes"
"How's the nights now, Jim?"
Full moon and bright as day."
That was about al that was said, but
/ wish TO tell you here that when Sata n
was blinded his eyelids were closed
fast He could never open them after
except he used his fingers. There was
an injury to the muscles controlling
them as well as to his vision. Day and
night were alike to him.
On that very night, about half an
hour after midnight, prowling wolf
disturbed our camp and routed out
three or fO11r of o,1r man Tha,- ,,-ara
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 hoated about in an un.
certain way. The three or four men
long sixty or seventy of us were out
and had our eyes fastened on the queer
thing. BY and by it foateG over the
rocks and shrubs towards Satan's shan.
ty, and every man OF US followed it &c
the door and beyond with his eyes.
Its q woman-an old woman r
whispered score of men.
bhb w Ahb Sdh - &c uOlA&
here?"
One or two suggested that somebody
go up to the shanty, but no one volun.
teered. There was something so queer
and uncanny that nobody felt like maxi
ing closer investigation. II was per-
haps ten minutes after the figure entered
the shanty before it reappeared, 1t
same peculiar way, and as it reached
the trail it halted for moment, as if
looking back. Our eyes followed it M
the plain, broad trail until it grew
fainter and finally dissolved.
What did it look like to you?" 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
ever seen a live woman on that trail. or
expected to. This was a woman, and
yet it was not Its presence cast an
awe upon rybody. Some of the men
returned to bed, and others gathered in
groups and talked in whispers until
daylight came. There were fifty men
who went up m crowd to Satan's
shanty.
They found him fully dressed and
seated IN the door, and he bad been
dead fer hours. Perhaps you expected
that, but let me tell yea his eyes were
wide open, his vision seemed to have
returned, and he was looking across to
Top Notch trail just az living man
would-aye, looking and looking, and
his face had softened and smile had
erept over il and been held there by the
fingers of Death.
1T was the spirit of bis mother -
whispered the men. as they looked into
the face of the dead man. and So we
hava eyer beI5avad ~ V Ss7n