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

N the summer of 1873 I was thirty
IRIS of age-in perfect health and of
lady nerve. was no believer in the
Fanny-hardly in the supernatural
nd had always pooh-hoohed at
es OF ghosts, phantoms and visions
Pill sorts. But at the time mention
above the experience l am about to
ate put my intellect and sensibility
test in such a manner as to make
sparing thenceforward of ridicule,
forced me to find place in cred
e for the possibility of apparition.
is unnecessary to explain how l
ne to be travelling in the Far West
bout companions, except for horse,
| dog, and gun. Following the gen.
route of the old overland rail,
hped one night in the edge OF con.
Rrable forest, and at a point from
oh could look forth over broad,
n plain.
was already after shutdown. The
I'D horse was picketed, and having
vided supper for myself and the
from a rabbit which my gun had
ught down an hour or two earlier,
sposed things for the night, and, as
stars came OUT, lay down to sleep,
pfSrtably rolled in a blanket.
was probably in the small hours
hight that l awoke and rose to q
ing posture. The moon was climb
the eastern sky, with not a feather
loud in her course, and every OBJ
stood forth as clearly as in the
ut it was not for me to contem-
tie in quietude the rare beauty of the
ut. In almost the first moment of
seriousness my eyes fell upon q
WY moving object in the distance.
vas one OF those canvas-covered
cons. the "prairie schooners" so
piliar in the early days OF overland
vel to California.
was approaching almost directly
Tard me, and my curiosity was at
e aroused. Why any one should
travelling thus, and so late at night,
build not imagine. The movement
heavy, as fthe horses were faded,
the man who walked by their side
a weary step.
wenty minutes passed, the vehicle
Proaching nearer and nearer. Still
t came, until when about thirty
DIS from me it suddenly stopped,
the man looking about seemed to
considering the wisdom of making
lp.
this point I suddenly realized
t the approach of the wagon had
b utterl y nOiseless. Not a chuck
he wheels, not the sound of a step,
Eer of horse or man, And further
re there was no indication that |
been discovered, although | should
Re been as visible to this man as he
PIE. What could this mean? Was
flaming? No, was never more
Ike. Was this hallucination? No,
the dog, who had been aroused by
movement in awakening, now
ned his head in the direction of the
arrival, and uttered low growl.
id my hand on him to keep him
BIT.
he man now stood by the forward
bel, looking in at the opening of the
vas top, and though | heard no
be, | imagined that he was speak
to some one within. A woman's
ID appeared, and after a glance
und, gave a nod of assent, and
man proceeded to unharness the
ses and turn them loose to Craze.
|n after q moment, i'll which he
ned to be anxiously surveying the
over which they had come, he
bed the woman to alight.
nd now their movements greatly
zled ME. Walking to and fro, they
ned to be searching for some par
lar spot of ground. As | said
I've, l had selected my camping
md in the outer edge of the forest.
" were moving about therefore
ID mingled shadows and moon
ms, but every motion was visible.
ally the woman pointed to space
veen two young trees, and the
after looking at it for moment
It to the rear end of the wagon and
ught forth a spade. With the edge
his implement he marked off q
angular space about five feet by
and began to dig. All this, let it
hem bered, was in absolute silence.
e were apparently living beings,
vely engaged, and not more than
inbred feet away, andyet no sound
borne to me on the quiet air.
n this time my curiosity had turn
o marvel. Here was a contradic-
OF common sense! [ could not
eve that what saw was real; these
lgs must be apparitions. And yet
by my side was the dog, as
It as l, and trembling with
impulse to investigate while
dient to my hand OF restraint.
he digging proceeded, and the
being soft some five feet of depth
soon reached, and then the man
bw out the spade upon the ground.
woman, meanwhile, had been
king branches of evergreen, bring
them in armfuls and throwing
n beside-"the grave, l thought.
now, with the utmost care and
ence, the whole canvas was lined
these sprigs of evergreen, held in
e by twigs thrust into the banks
b;tber side