Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-03-30
Our Phantom Guide.

y
it's dark, snd the roadbed seems to
have been washed away. Say, Hugh,
whatever are we to do after losing
our way ia this fashion"
Hugh Mcclure and | had been
shooting over Perthshire moor, and
dallying too long after game had
been caught in the descending night
and the far more unpleasant de-
scending rainstorm.
"Blest if know answered Hugh
wading his way out OF mudhole
and shaking himself like huge New
foundland dog.
Gents, | can guide you to place
of shelter" said deep, hollow voice
behind us. We both sprang back,
for there, but few feet away, stood
a horse and his rider, the dark mass
being partially distinguishable from
the darkness ofthe night around.
That horseman should be in a
place where it was difficult for ped
estrsn to get secure footing was
strange enough in all conscience, but
that be should have apparently risen
up among US without any warning
whatsoever was stranger still.
How did you ever steer your
horse down here p | queried in a
tone that | tried to make one OF sur
prisea pleasure, but miscrably failed
In the attempt.
l have lived on the border of
this moor all my lile,' replied the
voice, land my horse knows every
foot of the way since he was !, foal. y
This explanation was satisfactory
enough tor men in desperate circum-
stances. Hugh aud thanked him
for his proffered services and re-
quested him to lead the way. We
sought to obtain glimpse of his
features, but they were wrapped 10
the invulnerable gloom of the mig BIT.
AS be passed l noticed that his
horse was a very tall one and that
its eyes shone through tie darkness
like the eyes of a gigantic cat, but
with a far more unearthly and fero-
cious light than that of the d icile
grlmalkin curled up before the fire,
specializing profoundly on the rise
and fall of the 70 lent market.
The horseman rode a short dis
lance in advance, holding in his
beast occasionally to enable us to
catch up. II was hard task to do
SO. The rain was descending in tor
rents The wind howled and wills.
tied across the moor. At every step
we sank above our boot tops AMI Of
ten almost to our knees.
A vivid fash of lightning shot
across our way. For an instant the
features of our mysterious guide and
the form of his steed were revealed.
He was lalf turned in his saddle
and was glancing back at where we
were floundering behind. His face
was like the face of a skeleton COW
cred over with tightly drawn skin,
through which two malicious eyes
cleaned with a vindictiveness that
was startling in its intensity. Over
his form and over that OF his horse
were cast some long robes that look
ed like the trapplngs OF funeral
car, the horses head also being en-
veloped, save for two eyelets, thro'
which it surveyed US with blazing
eyes as an nnbroken mustang.
The rider wore tallhat like those
worn by our forefathers 100 years
ago and with something fastened
around the brim that I could have
sworn was bow OF Grape.
/" For Gods sake, stop, Hugh ~
cried, holding bis arm. "Did you
see that fellows face? 1 do believe
he is no living man. Not OF our
world anyhow 2"
Hugh Mcclure was as practical a
Scotchman as ever failed to appre-
ciate joke or pass an examination
in Edinburgh uni, eisty.
Through the opsque night l could
feel his whitening glance of scorn as
be made answer, III you want to
talk of ghosts in the middle of this
God-forsaken spot in this heaven
condemned weather, you can do SO
Percy, but you shan't have ma for
an audience and he forged on, call
ing on our guide:
I" In The name of the frst pilot,
how long will it lie before you can
steer US to the world again ~
The hollow voice came echoine
back:
One mile TO the right is where
we can End shelter. Come on I"
"A mile of this p walled Hugh.
Oh, my sins have been many, but
what l suffer tonight should atone
| for all ~
We had, however, passed thu