The record-union., 1896-11-15

/ you SlOp TO nSn, Skeucn OF take pnOtO-
graphs. For this last We stopped a
great deal. and we also tarried no little
time at the famous trout pool near the
Widow McDonaid's. 1t was 0:3O O'Clock
on Tuesday afternoon when we left
the widows for Whycoccamaugh ten
miles away, but over as bad a bit of
road as one will often find. James, who
was driving, grew silent as it darkened.
and l was left to puzzle over my ghost
Girl. as l always did when my thoughts
went their own way. / was soon COM
pletely absorbed, unconscious of any
thing.
What's that? Whoa?'' shouted
Jsmes. "Halloo! Whoa, I say! Halloo!
| What's that? Here, Paul, grab on and
pull can't hold him alone"
| The carriage careened this way and
! tsat like a boat in a flawy wind. The
horse was half running. half sliding, as
we hauled him up and sawed him, half
stumbling and half shying-frightened
to death on a side hill on to which we
had come suddenly by a turn in the
TOAD. Just ahead a great bonfire was
blazing high while two men were wav-
ing torches, one running toward us. AS
| the horse neared the bottom of the hill
| OiiS VI LIE IIlen Illd0t d pluIISc lOi Ills
head. Frightened by the torch, the
horse slipped, reared and shied at he
same time and fell over in heap to-
ward the side of the road. James and l
took headers over the dashboard and
| landed in some brush. We quickly
picked ourselves up only to find the man
with the torch sitting on the horses
head, and the wrecked buggy piled part
ly on top of him.
| We'll" said one of the men, that
was lucky escape for you, but a most
unlucky accident for us. When we
| heard your team coming we hoped to
| get the loan of it to take young lady
| on to WhycOccamaugh where there is
doctor staying at Tom Mitchell's. l
fear she is badly, if not fatally, hurt" ;"
"a doctor?" I exclaimed. why my
friend here is a doctor-Dr. Tudor
James of New York"
! What" returned the man, mot the
son of my old friend Charles James of
Springfield, the boy of whom 1 have
heard SO often?"
'fThe same" I answered.
! well, that is extraordinary, provi-
Dental, I hope" he added, turning to
James. Come this way, DR.. James We
have need of your services instantly if
there is anything that can be done out
here miles from anywhere"
What has happened?" asked James.
why replied the man, 'the Ed
wardses, my wife and, myself-my name
is Wright-have been taking the Little
Margaree drive. Coming down this hill
| on to that bridge at good trot 1t
proved rotten, and we took a frightful
plunge into the ravine. 1t was full Of
brush and small trees, which broke our
fall-all but Miss Edwards. One of the
| horses kicked her, I think. She has
| tainted away and is still unconscious
| breathing heavily. Both of the horses
broke their legs, and their groans were
| trightful. So I shot them. We built a
| bonfire to warn others, and were just
starting to Whycoccamaugh on foot
when you appeared"
AS Mr.. Wright was talking We had
gone to the side of the ravine, the man
their driver-having gotten our own
horse on to his feet, not even scratched.
We made our own way down it's precip-
| itous side, scrambling through the
| brush, and half deceived now and then
| by the fiickering shadows cast by the
| bonfire. We reached the bottom, ani
by the side of brook, half dried up,
I again caught glimpse of the double
Of my ghost girl.
| 1 closed my eyes and opened them
again. James was bending over her,
| passing his hands here and there in
that swift, deft way known only to the
| surgeon. The father was holding
torch, the mother, with compressed lips
| and set eyes, was watching for any
possible hint of expression on my
| friends face-a face now professionally
| masked behind one look, obliviousness
| 20 everything but the patient. The girl
herself was as pallid as death, allor
accentuated by her black hair ard the
Pickering light that only half revealed
| the scene. Her eyes were closed but
her painful breathing could be distinct
| ly heard as her bosom rose and fell
irregularly. She was the exact coun-
| terpart of my ghost girl-terrible por-
tent. l turned away.
James got on his feet IT could wish
| that I had better light" he said. "I
Go not feel satisfied, but I think she is
| only badly stunned, and that she may
recover. I can find no broken bones,
and no sign of severe injuries. How far
is it to WhycOccamaugh and how much
stimulant have you given her?'
They had given her a good deal of
brandy.
"Will one of you" he continued, "see
| il that horse can be led across what is
left of that bridge, and another find
some sort of path on the other side
| by which we can carry her up?"
Both were quickly done. The man
had already led the horse over. A fairly
easy ascent was found. Quickly MAX
| ing a litter of boughs, we carried her
to the top with less difficulty than We
| had anticipated. But the eyes did not
open, and the painful breathing con-
| tinued, though it did not increase as
we feared. A sort of saddle of blan
kets was strapped on to the horse.
Now" said James, turning TO NE,
edo you, Paul, mount behind to steady
| her. as you are a good rider, while I
walk beside you. Mr. Wright and Mr.
Edwards will, If they please, go on
either side, while the man will lead the
Eorse''
| So the strange procession started. /
was astride the horse well back and
| held Miss Edwards, while she rested
| limp. and except for her breathing.
| lifeless, on the improvised saddle of
blankets. AS / locked down into the
| face it seemed as if / must drop her,
| so terrible was the strain, real and un-
real, madly dancing through my brain.
The distance to Whycoccamaugh
proved shorter than our fear. Arrived
at Tom Mitchell's well-known inn. we