Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-05-02
ON THE OVERLAND TRAIL.

uncdlHy-Haruiy IN the supernatural
and had always pooh-hoohed at
tales of ghosts, phantoms and visions
OF all sorts. But at the time mention
ed above the experience am about to
relate put my intellect and sensibility
to test in such a manner as to make
me sparing thenceforward of ridicule,
and forced me to find place in cred
ence for the possibility OF apparition.
1t is unnecessary to explain how l
came to be travelling in the Far West
without companions, except for horse,
and dog, and gun. Following the gen.
eral route OF the old overland rail, l
camped one night in the edge of con-
siderable forest, and at a point from
which could look forth over broad,
open plain.
1t was already after shutdown. The
good horse was picketed, and having
provided supper for myself and the
dog from a rabbit which my gun had
brought down an hour or two earlier,
disposed things for the night, and, as
Yhe stars came OUT, lay down to sleep,
comfortably rolled in blanket.
1t was probably in the small hours
OF night that / awoke and rose to
sitting posture. The moon was climb
ing the eastern sky, with not a feather
OF cloud in her course, and every OBJ
ject stood forth as clearly as in the
day.
But it was not for me to contem-
plate in quietude the rare beauty of the
night. In almost the first momen. of
consciousness my eyes fell upon
slowly moving object in the distance.
1t was one OF those canvas-covered
wagons. the "prairie schooners" so
familiar in the early days OF overland
travel to California.
It.was approaching almost directly
toward me, and my curiosity was at
once aroused. Why any one should
be travelling thus, and so late at night,
could not imagine. The movement
was heavy, as ifthe horses were jaded,
and the man who walked by their side
had a weary step.
Twenty minutes passed. the vehicle
approaching nearer and nearer. Still
on it came, until when about thirty
yards from me it suddenly stopped,
and the man looking about seemed to
be considering the wisdom OF making
camp.
At this point I suddenly realized
that the approach of the wagon had
been utterly noiseless. Not a chuck
of the wheels, not the sound of step,
either of horse or man, And further
more there was no indication that |
had been discovered, although should
have been as visible to this man as he
y to me. What could this mean? Was
dreaming? No, / was never more
awake. Was this hallucination? No,
for the dog, who had been aroused by
my movement in awakening, now
turned his head in the direction of the
new arrival, and uttered a low growl.
laid my hand on him to keep him
quiet.
The man now stood by the forward
wheel, looking in at the opening of the
canvas top, and though | heard no
voice, imagined that he was speak
ing to some one within. A woman's
head appeared, and after a glance
around, gave q nod Of assent, and
the man proceeded to unharness the
horses and turn them loose to Craze.
Then after moment, in which he
seemed to be anxiously surveying the
trail over which they had come, he
helped. the woman to alight.
And now their movements greatly
puzzled Inc. Walking to and fro, they
seemed to be searching for some par
ticuar spot of ground. AS | said
above, | had selected my camping
ground in the outer edge OF the forest.
They were moving about therefore
amid mingled shadows and moon
beams, but every motion was visible.
Finally the woman pointed to a space
between two young trees, and the
man after looking at it for a moment
went to the rear end of the wagon and
brought forth q spade. With the edge
of this implement he marked off a
rectangular space about five feet by
1.-TWO, and began to dig. All this, let it
aforementioned, was in absolute silence.
Here were apparently living beings,
actively engaged, and not more than
hundred feet away, andyet no sound
was borne to me on the quiet air.
By this time my curiosity had turn
ed to marvel. Here was contradic-
tion OF common sense! 1 could not
believe that what | saw was real; these
beings must be apparitions. And yet
here by my side was the dog, as
alert as /, and trembling with
an impulse to investigate while
obedient to my hand OF restraint.
The digging proceeded, and the
soil being soft some five feet of depth
was soon reached, and then the man
threw out the spade upon heground.
The woman, meanwhile, had been
plucking branches of evergreen, bring
ing them in armfuls and throwing
them beside-"the grave, thought.
And now, with the utmost care and
patience, the whole canvas was lined
with these sprigs of evergreen, held in
place by twigs thrust into the banks
on either side.
This done, the man sprang out.
The two surveyed their work for a
moment, and then, after gazing once
~