The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-01-20
Jack McKin's comment on the tale.

they threaten to tale your life the sheriff
and Lis men shall lie with you"
Finally the miller returned to the mill
and at dusk on the third day wasseen
alive ard well by people who came with
grist. When the sheriff and his men
came stcalthily through the woods az
hour later the mill was perfectly dark.
They lighted their lanterns and went
through it. calling the miller by name,
but receiving no answer. until they
found him in his own room lying on his
face. a pistol in his hand. an Owe turned
lamp beside him. dead. He had been
shot through the heart. There was n0
for IA long while nobody went near it.
At last people began to say that the mil
Ter had shot himself by accident and that
the negroes had frightened him. An
other miller applied for the place and
remained three days. In fact, to cut a
long story short. the only other miller
who dared to brave the warning that the
ghost gave them all was found dead, as
the first one Lad been.
The mill vas soon spoken of as haunt
ed by every one. No one would work
there. and finally Mr.. McKin closed it,
and it was LETT to itself and to the ghost.
All this while Nine. McKin remained
an alleged invalid, shut in her room all
day. watched by her maid and talked
of in whispers by her servants.
No one believed McKin's mill would
ever run again, but one day a tall, strong,
broad s%houldered young fellow walked
up the steps of the McKin mansion,
asked to see the master, and begged to
be allowed to take charge of the grist
mill.
I've heard the story" he said, as Mr..
McKin began to explain. II don't be-
lieve in ghosts, and they can't scare me
anyway. I'm in hard luck, and I'm a
good miller. Trust me and your mill
shall work better than ever. You'll do
a service. and I'll do you one"
In vain MI. McKin set before him the
fact that two millers had been already
killed there in the haunted mill. The
young giant declared that he should not
be, and finally the gentleman engaged
him.
The mill was opened and the miller
set to work. He took with him into the
mill a Bible. a revolver and a large,
sharp ak.
For the first two nights he saw moth
ing. but heard noises like the falling of
heavy millstones upon the floor above
and feet upon the stairs. He had ex-
pected something like this and remained
in his room reading his Bible by the
light of a shaded lamp.
On the third night, having heard the
same noises and quietly disregarded
them, his door was dashed open and a
hideous form entered. 1t was something
between a woman and a great bird of
prey. 1t wore futtering white robes,
and had instead Of hands great black
claws. It foated toward him through
the air, and behind it came another like
unto it, but smaller.
The first creature swooped downward
and made a clutch at the lamp. AS it
did SO he snatched his revolver from his
belt and fired, emptying all the cham
bers. The strange beings vanished with
a wild shrek, but in a moment they en-
tered again, This time the largest one
made a furious clutch at the lamp. AS
she did sc he lifted his ak above his
head. and with one blow severed the
hideous black claw from what looked
like a shriveled human arm; then he
hurled his Bible at the head of the
smaller iend. Instantly screams, oaths
and horrible curses filed the air. The
strange beings vanished and silence
reigned.
The black claw dropped to the table.
It was such a hideous sight that the mil
Ter covered it with a cloth, that he might
not see it. He kept watch all the night,
and early in the morning Mr.. McKin,
who had been told that firing had been
heard in the mill, came to make inquir-
les. The miller told his tale, and Mr.
McKin complimented him on his bra
very. Of course he was DESTROYS of see
ing the amputated claw, and the miller
proudly drew away the cloth. Behold!
there lay upon the table, not a claw, but
a woman's beautiful hand-ar right hand,
on the middle finger Of which cleaned a
splendid cluster diamond ring. At the
of this horror seized the miller,
and Mr.. McKin seemed about to die. He
knew the hand; he knew the ring. Then,
without a word, he walked out of the
mill and homeward and into his wife's
chamber. She was in her bed, as usual.
The maid, pale, and with a great bruise
upon her forehead. interposed to prevent
his. approach.
Madame is very ILL.," she said.
"Out of my way, womanr' he cried
and pushed her aside.
Then, bending over his wife's bed, but
without his usual show of tenderness, hs
said sternly:
= "Show MI your hand"
She thrust forth her left one.
"The other" he said.
She uttered a scream and turned down
the counterpart, but there was none to
show-only a bandaged stump, from
the hand had been severed.
The next morning the whole village
was in wild excitement, for Jack Nc
Kin, whom they all knew and loved so
well, had gone to the graveyard and