Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-10

/ SdU the fgLrC Of q toll man StTiding
nOiSclCSSly along
blot had done from the interior of the
cavern and moving toward the entrance.
The outline of his form was perfectly
distinct, the colors and the lines within
the form were blurred and dim. So far
as l could judge, i'll the nervous condi
ton which l was thrown into by the
temperance of the phantom, the figure
wore mantle and Il kilt reaching to
the knees, the legs being otherwise bare.
In a horrible condition of alarm. but
still exercising over myself a certain
self control, | awaited its return. After
what seemed to be the usual lapse of
time it repassed along the illuminated
wall of rock and as silently as before.
On this occasion either the outlines and
colors were more clear and visual or
the fact that / was not now taken by
surprise enabled me to observe the phe-
nomenOn with less agitation and alarm.
This man, if man it was. wore his hair
long; wore also a beard. His mantle
was red, and on his breast saw some
thing glittering.
In this manner it continued to pass
and repass, while remained as if glued
to the spot on which | sat. Though the
fire was burning now very low, either
forgot to feed it or did not offer to stir
through my apprehensions and fear of
attracting the phantom in my direction,
I forget now which. So low did the
fire fall that at length l with difficulty
could distinguish the moving shape as
= nd O,H n ,lS
crept up to me and uttered one of its
cheerfulest and friendliest cries.
The noise made by this poor animal,
utterly unconscious apparently of any
dread presence in the cavern, recalled
me to myself. l laid little fresh drift
wood on the fire, and when the blaze
shot up saw clearly once more the appa-
rition moving from the entrance to-
ward the interior-frOm my right hand
to my left. waited for its return,
but it did not return. l looked at my
watch. 1t was a little after a quar-
ter to 3 a. m. When the ghost had
commenced to walk l did not know,
save that it was somewhere about mid
night. 1 remained awake for hours aft
er this and at last fell into a broken
slumber, haunted by disagreeable i'm
ages, SO that 1 was pleased to be again
awake. Next night when the hands of
my watch approached the midnight
hour sat up observant, though alarm
ed and trembling. OF course appre-
hended that this dread elder tenant of
the cavern, in spite of his past innocu-
GUS behavior, would at some time chal-
lenge nay right to be there or in one
way or another attack me. Now,
though don't wish to boast of my cour-
age, and indeed believe it is no proof
of a chicken heart to be afraid of a
ghost, yet, having had many hours to
reflect over this singular phenomenon, l
was determined, come what might, to
resist it, at least not to permit this
man, for indeed a man he seemed, to
brighten me out of my senses and then
destroy me at his leisure. knew that
ghosts, if any such existed, were insub-
stantial, not to be injured by weapons
and presenting no purchase even to the
bravest hands, yet it never occurred to
me that this ghost could have been of
that insubstantial nature. Though he
made no sound whatsoever beyond what
I presently recognized to be the mere
6gment of my imagination, creating
for the phantom football whenever its
foot seemed to touch the hard ground,
yet otherwise it seemed perfectly sub
stantial, solid mass of apparently hu-
man flesh. 1t quite concealed the face
of the rock as it passed by, obliterating
In its passage the illuminated points
and projections there, which instantly
shone out again after it had gone by.
More than that, remembered having
distinctly seen its shadow. don't say
that these reasonings passed through my
mind then, and only refer to them now
to justify the conviction which enter
tanned that this being was not ghost
in the ordinary sense of the word, but
q substantial thing that might lay hold
on me and drag me by the hair through
the cavern, perhaps to its den. never
doubted that it was thing which could
hold me, and also upon which might
lay hold, and with which / might
struggle, and possibly, God helping
me, overcome. Indeed did not forget
my prayers while firmly resolving in
my own mind not to be destroyed with
out struggle. I prayed necessarily,
and, though / felt greater calm, self
control and even strength as the result
of my prayers, did not observe that the
use of the sacred names exercised the