The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-11-10
HIS PHANTOM FRIEND
BY II. sanford snlTH

| tbklHH cdlu suC 6hSSs oieSA Atosob-
ing to the story the grave digger had
been telling about 6 woman who had
been buried alive and who had come to
| lite in her coffin.
They were a strange pair. The lonely
old man had no friend save the phantom,
into whose ears he often poured his woss
and related the many strange happenings
! that had befallsn him during the third
of century he hau spent at his gruesome
calling. And the ghost had no earthly
panion save the maker OF graves,
and was ill at ease when not in his COM
pany.
Their chance acquaintance ina ripened
into lasting friendship and, ow ing to
the condition of one and the occupation
of the other. q strong bond OF sympathy
existed between them.
when | ceased to be mortal | was an
able seaman and sailed from Liverpool
for California, Just previous to my
thirtiesh birthday" continued the ghost,
adjusting its snowy but well worn habil-
iments; the grave digger meanwhile
lighting his pipe and leaning against u
IN discovered hsaistone.
when the ship reached San Fran cisco
ard anchored in the bay went ashore
WITH boom companion. We took in the
tow. as people say owadays. oarousing
around TIL hesrly midnight. As II was
thea too late to re;urn to the ship, we
went to bed in sailor lodging house on
the wat front ana soon fell asleep.
Some time before daylight l was aroused
by hearing the wind whlstling through
the rigging OF ship-heard 1t just as
distinctly as you hear my voice this min
ute. Al arst | thought l was dreaming
and at sea and that storm which was
coming on had awakened me. l imme-
diately sat up in bed, expecting to hear
"a ,t., aA &SAvx fnr 10
the upper d,ck. | soon discovered my
mistake, OF course, but rs the noise con-
tinued got out OF bed without disturb
ins my bunkmite and went to the door
ana looked out into the hall. A lamp on
the wall near ME VAS burning dim iy, but
l cou Id nos see anything unusual and
was about to turn In again, thi.kinp the
noise must have come in at the window,
when l heard the CreakinR OF tue 10 asts,
the Tapping OF the sa lis, the sullen roar OF
waves snu the wild shrek Of rising
gale, Just as natural as ! had ever heard
the m when aboard ship thousand
miles from land.
After a moments hesitation I went
to the stairs and looked down just In
time to see full-rigged ship, with all
sails set, come through the front uoor of
the building and begin to float upstairs
toward me. The phantom bark, manned
with a crew of sad locking, pale faced
creatures With ashen lips, CLASSY staring
eyes and long clinigns robes Of white
sail cloth thrown over their shoulders
all as silent and motionless as 90 many
dead men.
ment, l staggered backward till reached
the door OF my room. Just then the APP
partition gained the mead Of the stairs and
started slowly along the hall. as II
stealthily pursuing me. Breathless,
trem bling in every limb and too terrified
l. tna
hastily but carefully boiling the door,
felt my way through the darkness to
the bed where my companion was still
sleeping. In another moment | was
covered up, head and all, beneath
blanket, oowardlike, You may think, but
l mad no control over my actions.
"Befors long | was aware OF the pres
ence Of brilliant white light in the
room, and the blankets were slowly out
irmlv removed from my quaking body.
AS soon as the covering had been lifted
made the not unexpected discovery that
the slip was anchored alongside, as We
sailors ussd to say, and as | looked across
the deck mirror on the opposite wall
of the room reelected the bed on which
lay. as we'll as its occupants, with won
derful distinctness.
Never shall forget that awful sight.
Ny own thfoat had the appearance of
having been recently cut from one side OF
my neck to the other. and tae man beside
me was changed to a haif-grown boy with
a gaming knI.e wound in the center OF
his barred breast. While l was staring
IT this sickeniug spectacle, cold, clam my
hands wera laid on me ana as ieit their
icy touci l became a dead man-soared
to death--Killed by fright. you see. AS
my release soul tluated through the cell
ing nd scared joyfully oeavenward the
shir, with all its terrible freight. sank
from signt, leaving ny stiffenins corpse
on the bed.
ION the morrow the wise looking
memb ers of a coroner's jury decided that
/ rad died Of inanition or something OF
the SOFT, and the following day l was
kurled and left to the ghouls and worms.
| never knew what became OF the other
ailur,s but learned some time alter my
death that several veafs before'the fatal
night sea captain and ms little son had
been m ordered and robbed in that very
room, and that his ship and crew had
gune to the bottom on the return VOYAGE.
And l can vouch for the truth OF the
story, friend. for the captain own ghost
related it TO me in person.
We'll, as | stated before, they buried
me. For some hours l rested quite at
my ease, conscious bat unconcerned.
After q while / began 10 feel drowsy and
was thinking OF trying the experiment OF
taking nap, when l heard the SHARP,
sudden rap on the outside OF my new
abode. l must have forgotten where l
was, for l called come in, just as though
had been in room. But the results
were quite different. | assure you, for the
words had scarcely left my lips when the
whole side uf the coffin swung out and
revealed surging, swaying throng OF
white shrouded skeletons beneath the
ground.
4 All about them were strewn broken
pieces of collins and cast off Craze clothes,
presenting, as you may imagine, any
thing but an inviting appearance, even to
an embryo ghost. IS soon as 1 made this
strange discovery | knew where | was and
concluded that a delee ation OF fellow spir-
its had called for the purpose of bringing
about a general Introduction and to 5ive
me instructions IL regard to my future
duties. When | reac ed this conclusion
thought might as well get out of the
coffin and be friendly. but | was greatly
surpr sed to find that l could not move
hand or foot. My face, however, must
have shown some sort of agitation com
ical, possiby--tnough | assure you | was
anything but amused at the time. AT all
events every member of that vast assem-
blage th1re must have been several
thousand-threw back their ghostly heads
as one man and laughed and roared till
they could scarcely stand.
Finally one tall specIcr came nearer
than the Others and said:
- IT'S ~ o'clock at night. my friend.
and we have come to prepare you-to
make ghost of you. Are you readyr
Nov, if l had bsen possessed OF an
atom Of life this announcement would