The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-03-23

Suldo q morse over tneSo DOttOmleSS
holes, but he might have been civil
enough to make the offer anyway"
We were now proceeding over the
soft, damp turf Of the moor, and l had
frequently stopped from time to time
to feel if the horse left any tracks be-
hind him. Not the trace of a track could
| find.
Hugh" l whispered, "that horse is
leaving no tracks behind him."
'"Do stop your ghost stories, - said
Hugh impatiently. anyhow, restrain
them until we get out of this lost part
of Scotland"
After half an hours trudging we
stood before the cabin from whence the
light had proceeded. 1t was a small,
mud walled cCncern covered with a
thick roof CT thatch. Two little Win
dows on either side of the narrow door
had their shutters up, and through the
jagged chinks the rays of a strong illu.
mination within shone brightly.
go right in and make yourselves at
home. while | take my horse to stable"
said our mysterious guide as he turned
off to the rear of the hut.
We pushed open the door. The apart
ment we entered vas a large one, much
larger than the outside Of the hut would
lead us to believe, but what astonished
US the most was the luxurious manner
in which it was furnished. Heavy tap.
estries covered the four walls, a thick
Turkish carpet was spread upon the
floor, fOur chairs of solid mahogany,
two lounges of the same material, all
upholstered in the richest velvet, a huge
bureau Of polished pine and a mahog.
any table We're situated in various parts
OF the room, the lounges standing tempt
ingly before the wood fire that cracked
up the chimney unrestrained by any
CRATE. A hanging lamp suspended from
the cross beam, whose shade seemed
studded, if not with actual jewels,
with wonderful limitations thereof, cast
a brilliant, almost dazzling, light over
all.
"Well," said Hugh as soon as he
could realize tho situation. "This seems
like fairy tale, but then in q fairy tale
this would be an enchanted castle and
not an enchanted hut. All, but those
lounges look tempting, however,! This
must be some great mans shooting box,
though it looked very unlike one from
the outside as we'll as l could see. That
nan you took for a ghost must be the
owner. His invitation for us to make
ourselves at home sounded as if he was.
Well, l would not mind meeting such
a ghost again under like circumstances,
from which circumstances, however,
may heaven forefendu'
We We're SO tired and wet, and this
apartment being evidently the only one
in the house, we proceeded to undress
and hang up our garments to dry. I'm.
der one Of the sofas Hugh had discover
ed two dressing gowns of superb finish,
which we calmly appropriated, and
our host delayed SO long about rejoining
us we lay down on the lounges and
were soon sleeping as worn and weary
wayfarers alone can sleep.
What sounded like the clash of a
mighty cymbal brought me erect on my
feet and wide awake after enjoying q
much needed and refreshing sleep. :!
looked about. The lamp had gone out.
So, too, had the fire. But in the nte
of the room a pillar of light seemed to
descend from the roof to the floor. In
the midst of the pillar was the upright
form of a venerable old man. His head
was thrown back, his long, white hair
falling in a mass over his shoulders.
His great beard covered his entire chest.
He was clad in an ox's skin, fastened
by a hempen girdle. His bare arms,
powerful and sinewy, were bound be-
hind him to a shadowy stake, and his
naked feet-merciful heavens!-were
resting upon live Goals of fire. On look.
ing closer at the face l saw a look of
hopeless, u~nspeakable anguish thereon.
but not a moan escaped from the with
ing lips. AS l stood horror stricken, a
sweet female voice rose and swelled in
a weird wild chant of heart piercing
sadness. The words We're Gallo, but
the tones in which they f1oated through
the silence Of the room were the tones
Of a soul to whom hope is lost forever.
As it ended, a hooking laugh rang loud
outside the window and vas followed
by a horses neigh. We knew from the
cold blast that rushed in that some one
had opened the door. simultaneously
the specter disappeared. l felt an awe.
some presence not of earth approaching.
Hugh's voice gasped in my ear, For
Gods sake, let US tly!'
Dressed only in the gowns we had dis
covered, we rushed madly to the door.
AS we passed its threshold, we heard
behind US a yell of disappointed rage
that made the blood run cold in our
veins.