The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-01-08
WATER FORD'S GHOST

! place for nearly fortnight
Yet during the day everything about
| looked as lonely as ever, and one man. 10.
ing across and climbing up to the clear
/ Ing, reported no signs Of human habita-
/ ton
This last report gradually quickcncd
/ public curiosity. and many eyes were now
turned to the clearing every night. Not
In vain either, for the light or lights--for
there were now seyeral-continued to I've
seen, now flashing out at different points
now puling and darkcning, to burst forth
again with renewed brightness
To say that this luminous display caused
| quite sensation in town would but faint
~ describe the actual excitement The
place was now receiving daily visits from
armed parties; but search as they might
they could discover nothing-not even u
drop of tallow from the ghostly candles
while the succeeding night was sure to
witness a still brighter display.
A youth some l6 or thercabout might
have been seen hcelng it down the village
street and making bee line for the stu
dents boarding house Racing Up the
stairs he rushed into No IL, and hastily
closing the door exclaimed in an eager
whisper:
Il say, jed, old Ames and the sheriff
and big crew are going up there tomor-
row night. What's to he done now? Shall
we try it on them?'
/ Twas my worthy chum and schoolmate,
Tom Mathews The next day was Satur-
day. We devoted it to preparation
Among Toms hereditary treasures was
a speaking trumpet which had descended
from an uncle in the navy From this, by
slightly modulating the voice, the most
sepulchral tones could be elected. Taken
i'll conjunction with II red winding sheet
we judged it might prove u valuable auxil-
iary.
Toward night we locked our room and
departed unbellnown for the clearing. We
got up There just at dusk and made our
arrangements as fast as possible, for there
was no knowing how soon the selectman
might come.
We fixed the candles before the window
holes as before, with newspaper curtains to
draw up or let fall ut pleasure This done,
/ we filled the old stone chimney with dry
grass, birch bark and paper, ready to touch
off when occasion called.
! A portion of the floor of the cabin near
/ the doorway was gone, leaving an open
hole ilLo the cellar. So we allowed the
I ghost, i'll his fearful winding sheet, to
hang in the cellar, suspended by cord let
down from over the door and ready to rise
| up and fill the doorway when such Il move
should become necessary. The cord passed
/ backward through II crevice and extended
away to u dwarf honilocl some rods off.
"All ready for TIE sheriff., said Tom,
( surveying the preparation. Guess we'd
better light up; it's getting pretty dark,
and they'll need it to guide them. Touch
! the candles and save the chimney till they
get into the opening"
7 The erect OF our light was immediatcly
audible from the people down at the VILLAGE
and on the other side Of the lake First
I hailoos, followed Ivy Il series of vocal tele-
/ graphings, showed thai we were attracting
/ universal attention.
We heard wagons rattling up the road
on the other side of the lake, one, two,
three. And while they were coming up
! through the woods We practiced the ghost
/ once more,+O be sure that he was all rigl.t
Now touch the chimney" whispered
Tom, and it was soon roaring away at Il
I great rate. Peering round the end Of the
house. we watched them come up into the
opening Their torches made all their
movements plainly visible.
The investigators came up within seven
or eight rods, but did not seem inclined to
Immediately approach. We caught frag.
ments of their talk above the roaring of
the flue.
Almighty hot looking chimney" said
one what s'posc they're cooking therey"
Witches broth perhaps, replied an
other
Come, boys, let's move up" said the
sheriff.
But the boys didn't move up much On
the contrary, the whole party seemed to
! barn t,N,, Jsti 1,
fire in the chimney began to abato little.
"More birthstone here, you imps, - roared
Tom in hollow tones through the trumpet.
Il tell you, boys, this is all trick,
said Ames. Lets move up"
Quick as a wink we let the curtains
fall making all dark, while Tom cried in
a terrible voice:
"Mortals, depart, depart, depart or woo
be unto you'll
They were right in thinking that no
mortal lungs could have produced such
sounds unassisted / never saw men more
completely nonplused Scared they I'M
doubleday were, but shame kept them from
retrcatipg.
''Be ready with the ghost" whispered
/ Tom.
One fellow had more nerve than the 9th
ers. He slowly edged up within n few feet
OF the door, and, raising his pistol, dis
charged it through the aperture. In an
instant the ghost rose through the floor
confronting him with the garments of
murder
Mortal, thy days are numbered, trum-
peted Tom, while l tossed up heavy
stone, which, falling ON the rickety roof,
bounced off pretty close to him.
Twas a little too much. He turned and
scampered. The whole party followed,
Ames bringing up tho rear. And such
shrieks as now issued from the old trum-
pet would have appalled, Drawer men than
they. We heard them crashing down
through the brush, and pretty soon the
sound OF oars came up from the water.
We carefully removed every trace of our
presence and went home triumphant
The story told by tho investigating party
was quite an improvement on the actual
facts as seen by Tom and myself from cur
standpoint. If Tom and had only dared
To expose them, it would have put the
climax on the joke. But prudence for