Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-02-17
THE WOODS GHOST.

The WOUDS GHOSI.
Possibly General Fawncliffe was &C.
centric because he could not help it,
but it is more probable that he did
things in manner entirely different
from anybody else because he wanted
to be odd and wanted to make sensa-
ton. He was a wealthy man, and there
fore he could do very nearly as he
liked. He was naughty, overbearing
and irritable. always thought that if
he had been the czar of Russia OF the
shah of Persia he would have played
his role very we'll. He had built a fine
house OH the banks of the Delaware,
and at the verge of the Block woods,
of which he was the owner. He was
not more than 45 years old and appear
ed to be entirely alone in the world; at
any rate, no one in Rockville ever
heard that he had any relations
At the time of which write was
young fellow of is, of no sort of conse-
quence whatever, and my name was,
but is not now, Pardon Sashwood,
though mother and everybody else call
ed me Pardy. My mother was dress
maker in the town and did big bust
ness. She never said anything about
my father, and did not know anything
about him, and concluded that he had
been hanged, or otherwise nipped in the
bud, and I did not press my inquiries in
regard to him. was regular resi-
dent in Block Hall, as General Fawn-
cliffe called his elegant mansion, and
my first duty is to explain how hap
pened to be a dweller beneath its
princely roof. l was very fond of fish
ing, and my mother was very fond of
eating fish, for l caught very nice ones
in the river. One day sat upon a rock
that projected out into the stream just
below the generals mansion. Above
me was a sandy beach, and while l sat
there the general drove down upon it
in his buggy, with high spirited
horse. wondered what he was doing
there with such turnout.
The horse was full Of spirit, and the
choleric driver seemed to be we'll sup
piled with spirits, though Of the arti-
fetal sort. The animal pranced and
capered on the sand, and did not ap-
pear to have learned that his master
was as impatient as he was eccentric
The horse had way of his own, and
so had the general, and as the two
r,o1,o I;d NOT VIM in tho g anna diroafinn
it created an unpleasantness between
them. At last the driver used his whip
without the exercise of much discretion,
and the brute manifested himself in a
very decided manner. Then decided
that he was trying to drive the horse
into the water, where he was unwilling
to go. But the general got the best of
it in the end and drove the obstinate
creature straight into the river, as
though he intended to cross to the other
side. In a few moments the animal
had to swim, but he struck out brave
ly, the general applying the lash all tbs
time; in fact, he seemed to be whip
ping him for his own satisfaction. now
that the brute had yielded the point.
In another moment the buggy, which
appeared to be floating, suddenly top
pied over and spilled the occupant into
the drink. He lost his hold upon it,
and then saw that he could not swim.
The horse took circle around the
spot and swan leisurely to the shore,
dragging the buggy after him. Just
below the rock on which I was seated
was bateau, and l lost no time in
rushing to it, had some skill in the
use of the paddle, and / soon reached
the general, who was foundering about
in the water like a grounded whale.
He was large man, and saw that II
would be impossible to get him into the
boat. / asked him to take hold Of the
stern to support himself while I pad.
died to the beach. He used explosives
and insisted upon getting into the boat.
told him would leave him to his fate
if he did not do as I directed. The
threat carried him, and he held on to
the boat till his feet touched the hot.
tom.
II will kill that horse!" he exclaim.
ed when he reached the beach and had
recovered his breath. "He is the ug'
Iiest brute Lever drove"
''He is not SO much of brute al
you are, general" I replied. "You
acted like a heather when you whipped
him, and had half mind to let yor
drown"
He looked at me in establishment
Perhaps he thought had earned thu
right to speak my mind, but whether
had or not l expressed myself al
plainly as though I had been the gen
eral and he had been Pardy Sashwood
Doubtless it was new thing for any
one to "speak up to him.
"Boy, want you to come and live
with me, /" he said, and I was amazed
then.
II won't do it." replied. II wouli
not live under the same roof with sucl
a porcupine as you are for all youl
money"
He actually teased me, and he ex
pressed his obligations to me very hand
somely, but I stuck to my text. help
4 ed him right his buggy, now that thu
horse had cooled off, and he insisted OF
| driving me home, which l permitted
him to do. My mother saw me whcr
got out of the buggy. The genera
told me to think of his offer and com,
to his house If | decided to accept it
My mother, after she had heard al