The record-union., 1895-01-26

take shape, and man stood before me
man past the prime of life; the lower
portion OF the face cove red by a short
brlstIy beard, once black, now grizzled:
hlgh, narrow forehead, back from
which was pushed the remains of what
mad once been Panama hat; straight
nose, and eyes which seemed 10 bore
holes with their extraordinary keen
ness. His hight was below the medium,
anu his lron-gray hair fell upon his
shoulders In an inextrlcable tangle.
Cowskln boots reached almost to his
knees, into the top Of one OF which was
thrust the leg OF pair of blue overalls,
While Its mate hung peacefully upon the
outside. A shirt OF red flannel hung
loosely upon his shoulders, but most
prominent among all these was his
throat, which, as the flick ering light from
the candle touched, | saw-horror of hor-
rors-was cut from ear to ear one
broad, deep. ragged cash, around which
Drlstled the stuDbly beard, to which hung
dark clots OF blood-seeming ''eyes TO
the lips OF the wound," which grinned at
at me with goblin-like persistency, and
would have brought my hair on end were
that possible.
am noG nervous man, and on several
occaslons-unjustly, perhaps-have been
called the coolest man in camp; but | was
struck dumb by this ugly atom of what
had Deen man, and, L think, thoroughly
cnarge battery without a finch would
hesitate to pace graveyard at the hour
when ghosts walk. More through des-
peration than bravery l stared my visitor
full In the face and hoarsely bade him the
time of night.
Not word-not sound in reply, but
the horror took another step toward me-
ana seemed to paralyZe NE with the fire
from those terrible eyes. l glanced un-
easily toward the window with the
thought of escape, and being cut off from
that point OF egress, my heart galloped
through every stage of palpitation. No
other movement, no sign, no word from
the strange figure until the silence be-
came unbearaDle. The thought somehow
flashed across my brain that the owl,
coyote, rattler, beetle and cricket and
Chlnaman with his tOmLom had become
mute at most inopportune time. The
least sound from one of those would have
relieved the strain.
felt that must speak or die, and in
husky voice, that myself did not recog-
nlZe, repeated my former greeting, Still
no sound; but, after gazing at me with
those blazing eyes for a seeming eternity,
1t slowly raised one hand and beckoned
me, at the same time gliding back ward TO
the door.
was no longer master of my own ac-
tlonS. Ihere W as a sense of some foreign
substance somewhere in me that allowed
no resistance. That awful forehnger still
Oeckoneu NEON and QUITO, l knew
not where-only that L must tollow-iol-
low on, out into the night-atter the lead
Ot-what?
My movements were involuntary.
Reason had resigned. l should have de-
INJURED TO such proceedings else. | did
not know; only did. l was drawn as
the steel to the magnet. L was following,
as L fully cOmprehended, the shade OF
what had once been Hi Little, its appear
ance rendered more ghOstly, ii possible,
by the exchange OF candle hight, however
dim. Tor that OF the moon.
ON and Oh, over bank and bush, over
gravel and stone, l, ali the time stupidly
wishing that l had not followed, though
unable to break the spell that bound me,
and fly from my horrible conductor
Sun on-past howell and tree-past a well
and a tunnel, the latter slowly caving in
past the wagon bridge and the hotel,
up gentle incline to fence composed
OF two pine boards oyershadowed by
three barDed wires (sternest and cruelest
harbinger Of California civilization)
through which my shadowy guide passed
without effort, but which proved stub
born reality To me, for as [ stood upon
the top board and straddled over the
tenacious barbS one OF them caught hold
OF my trousers and an ungainly rent in
the fabric was the result.
Still on! over the brow of low hill
to the foot OF a gnarled old liyeoak tree,
and there the shade paused. Before il
lay large Hat slab of ironstone, and to-
ward this the commanding foretinger
pointed lmpressiVely. Once more was I
scared by those scorching eyes; the aw-
ful thing still pOinted-pointed-an then
was gone-gone into the night, leaving
me bewildered and alone.
L rubbed my eyes and mechanically
Dlncn6u
what had passed was reality or only the
vivid Imagination of heated BRAIN and
as | did so, spoke aloud:
ut is strange; very strange"
A faint light glimmered before NV ewes
and the voice OF Mr.. BIak fit sounded un-
naturally hollow, as he replied:
You may we'll say that. And. to tell
the truth, many years passed before the
memory of that night ceased to intrude
upon me, even when immersed in tho
daily cares OF business. AS | have re-
counted the Incidents to you they hap
pened to me, and l still consider them
strange; very strange. But as the bottle
Is empty, and AS the 'spook' of Hi Little
has failed to put in an appearance, | pro-
pose that we adjourn to meet early in the
morning for the purpose of starting right
with gin cocktail"
We adjourned accordingly; but on the
way to the hotel | gave myself suudrv
kicks, and found that really was awake.
For further evidence l slipped my hand
down the leg of my trousers. and was
more confused than before, to find, not
only rent, but that part of the material
had been left behind. My heart gave a
great throb, and then stopped. It was
not dream then-nota dream-and yet
bade Mr.. Blakfit goodnight and en-
tered my room, convinced of nothing
ready to believe anything, yet unwilling
TO belleVe the evidence of my own senses.
Could science, education, religion every
thing be at fault? oh, no. And vet.
how account for the hole in my lrousers?
went 10 bed, but TO sleep was another
proposition. l did not try to sleep-I
could not. Stra nge thoughts rushed pell
NELL through my befuddled brain. one
moment l would lay the incidents of the
night at the door of the wine of the land
lady, mixed with the brandy of Mr., |
Blakht; the next, l was confronted bv !
the tangible proof of nv mutiIated
trousers. Fleeing fancies chased one
another back and forth, and l could do |
nothing until the morning dawned, and |
an lnconcelvable time it was before the |
first uncertain light came through the !
wide-open window, causing ordinary OBJ |
Jects to grow so ghastly, that, in the |
chaotic condition of my mind, [ more |
than half expected them to groau or |
wriggle.
Then it was that l arose and passed ont |
into the morning where everything i'll |
sight seemed to be grimly guarded by
the shake sign. which, rigid as a sentinel |
on his high post, kept watch over its !
more opuIent though less elevated sur |
roundings. One glance in the direction !
OF iii Llttie's shanty proved that l had |
mad my eyes open during my ghost walk, |
and nothing remained but to follow The {
route taken at that time. l did so, step |