The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-01
THE ROANOKE TIMES, SUNDAY JULY +

we took up to 'em, and they hadn't slept
either. You may say it's impossible, but
just go to Indian Guloh, and you can
prove it. The two men were like skel-
etons, and Seth was so weak that he
could not deal the cards and swear at
tho same time.
con the evening of the fifth day soma
of us boys met ut Ryan's and decided in
tho interest of humanity to Interfere
and make Seth and Dan quit until they
got into condition. But, sho, when we
went up i'll tho morning they were both
stretched out on the floor dead. Yes,
stree, dead. Each had five cards in his
hand, and Seth was clutching his last
SEQ rs if he had just been calling Dan
when he rolled over.
"'And ho'd "a won, too, howled
Ryan as he looked at the hands. Then
Ryan wanted tho match declared in
favor of Seth, but tho boys wouldn't
have it, Bets were declared off and tho
game called a draw. Seth and Dan had
used up 81 packs of cards, and their
golden chips were worn rs smooth rs
glass.
1--WE buried 'em side by side that
day, but now comes the strangest part
of tho whole thing, and to show you
what stubborn critters they were-that
night there was n light in the room
where they had been playing, and us
sure as I'm here there sat Dan and
Seth us natural rs life, a-flipping their
cards and tossing their chips by the
light of tho ghostly candle Maybe they
didn't have that whole hotel to them
selves. Sho! Iguess they did. Nobody'd
go nigh it Hansen went around crying
almost and saying he didn't see why
two stubborn galoots couldn't stay
where they were planted instead of COM
ing to haunt an honest man. house and
ruin his business. But nothing seemed
to interfere with the game. Every night
for week Seth and Dan sat up playing,
while the whole Gulch gazed at the light
in the window and shivered and swap
ped ghost stories. AT last Ryan one night
said he had mind to sec how the game
stood, and he climbed up to peep in the
window. Just us he did so we saw n
flash of light shoot across the room, and
three minutes afterward Hansen's place
was in blaze
Ryan said that rs he looked in the
window Seth had caught Dan cheating
and had thrown the candle at him. The
place was burned to the ground, and
Indian Gulch felt relieved to think that
the ghosts were gone. :"
II should say so gasped one of tho
auditors
But sho as I'm here, gentlemen,
there was blush blaze seen around
the ashes of tho burned building tho
Very next night, and there Seth and
Dan, looking rs if they were made of
chalk, were observed sitting on pile of
rocks that had been Hascn's chimney
Tipping their cards as lively as ever
This was too much, and Indian
Gulch was scared in good earnest But
some of US got together and decided that
Seth and Dan must go. We dug 'cm up
and carted 'em five miles up canyon
and there buried 'cm We never saw
them again i'll Indian Gulch, but soon
afterward some prospectors came down
from tho hills and said that they had
seen two ghosts sitting under tree and
playing, But, sho, gentlemen, where
arc you gOing:"
The shrivclcd old miner from Nevada
turned as he followed the others in
their hasty exit.
II did think" he said, you'd have
the dccency to Let them two cusses rest
i'll their graves, but if you're going to
yank 'cm all over the country, why, go it
alone, " and the Mariposa man was left
with the barkccpcr.
"Wcll, sho, I'm durned." mutteretl
the narrator of Seth CoX's adventures
Reckon I'll go back to the Gulch to-
morrow, where the folks are sociablo
and mannerly. San Francisco Call