The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-03-08
as If relieved, when we reached

Come along, stop your ouakinp
n tell us. what's wrong. Seen anv
suckers or a ghOst?" said I smilinoIv
whiie Anderson added impatiently:
you've had a visit, haven't you9
"A hlghwayman on an old gray nag"
"HOw do you know that" siam
mered jim, quickly in~terruptinc him.
some one was here, but it wasn't a
roadman, it was Il ghost"
While he said this he shiverod
rom head to foot and looked around
%inxiously on all sides.
Don't be a fool" laughed. usTell
us a straight story What has han.
pened to you:"
Meanwhile we had reached the
cabin, and as | sprang from the sad.
die, Jim pointed with trembling hand
TO the ground.
Here, look at this: YOU can see
the prints of the gh0stly horses
hoofS,' said he, in a voice full of ex.
citement. IL was cleaning up things
IN the cabin, when l suddenly heard
a noise on the outiide. l thought
YOU fellows had returned, and went
out O doors to meet you. Mortified,
sprang back; before me, on Il horse,
nothing but skin and ZONES, was a
man without a hat. with long black
hair. He sat Lolt upright in the
saddle: h. had a thick black beard:
his lace was ashen gray, and two
eyes, wide open, stared at me in u
ghastly waya only a spectre's can. |
wanted to cry out, but my tongue
seemed glued to my mouth felt
my hair standing on end. Then the
ghost turned his horse-started off at
a gallop-l could plainly hear the
rafting of the riders and the horses
bones"
jim shuddered again at the remem-
brance of the h%orrifying spectacle.
That was the same fellow that we
followed" cried Anderson: and |
could only agree with him.
We then told jim of our adventure
and quieted him by reasoning that
1t could not have been a ghost, but
simply a human being, possibly some
lunatic.
1t was my custom before going to
bed t. look after the horses. l left
the hut that evening as usual, but
hardly had l taken a few steps, when
suddenly ! stopped as though my feet
were rOOtcd to the ground.
Directly in front OF me, in the
bright moonlight stood the same
ghostly rider. His long black hair
hung loosely round a CHASTITY face.
The eyes were sunk deep in their
sockets. The mouth was wide open,
and the glimmer of the white teeth
could be see behind the black beard;
in his left hand he held the re MS,
while the right hung Imply by his
side. He sat in the saddle as though
hewn out of stone, without the slight
est motion.
l had the same feeling as Jim. l
wanted to cry out. but could not;
only a hoarse whisper came from my
throat instinctively, my hand sought
the revolver at my side. l slowly
raised my siX-shOoter and covered the
frightful apparition. Then l found
my voice.
''Who are you? Answer or III
shoot" l said.
At the sound of my voice the
horse, which consisted Of nothing but
skin and bones, jumped to one side,
and both horse and rider went Off at
a b~reakneck gallop. the bullets which
l sen after them taking no effect
l distinctly heard the peculiar rattle
of which jim had spoken and which
gradually grew DINNER and DINNER.
until nothing could he distinguished
but the far-otf clatter Of horses hOofs
on the rocky ground.
My heart was beating violently as
/ re entered the hut.
Not one of us closed an eye that
night. l tossed to and fro, in vain
specializing what was to be done if
the uncannY thing re%appeared. When
at last morning dawned, l resolved
to ride over to the trappers at the
creek and get their advice.
Soon after sunrise l started, and
after two hours ride Saw the Shanty
of my friends some little distance
ahead. They came to meet me with
theic guns in their hands ready to
shoot.
Lucky for you that our eyes are
accustomed to long range and that
the air is clear. to-day, else either you
or your horse would have a bullet
between his bones now" said the
cider of the two trappers, as l
reached them, holding out his hand
in friendly greeting.
That's So" &C lu'eSced the other
also shaking hands, but with a solemn
air Charley is right. We were ready
to shoot, bat luckily saw our mistake
in time.
.'Since yesterday we have beer on
the watch. We've been fooled Ion
onoloh. and mean to make an end TO