Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-31
A TAVERN GHOST.

D6Verhl UriV6t WOru u"ruLlll6rS SaG III Gnt
lobby exchanging yarns. It was Rodney
Green's turn, and he looked wise and be
gan his tale:
l don't claim by any means that the be-
sas, but l do say that l had an experience
out there a few years ago. 1t wal late in
the fall, and l happened to be in the vii
lage of Bucktown, which desecrates a very
limited portion of mother earth in the
southern part of the state. The town il
about as small and dirty a place as ever
saw, and the Bucktown inn is not much
above the general character of the place
The region is inhabited by natives who
still cling to all sorts of foolish supersti.
tions. The inn in the antebellum days
was kept by one who was said to be the
meanest and most grabbed of mortals.
The old demon was as misery as he was
mean, and all his narrow life he boarded
his filthy lucre with flendish greed. Re-
port had it also that he had even murdered
his patrons in their beds for their money.
What the facts actually were don't know,
but even to this day the old inn is held in
suspicion. A lingering effect Of former
horrors still clouds its memory.
The present proprietor, Bunk Watson
his real name is Bunker, l. belieye-is an
altogether different sort of chap-a south
ern type, in fact-one of those shiftless,
helpless, happy go lucky mortals who love
strong whisky and who chew an enor-
nous guild of black tobacco and smoke a
corncob pipe at the same time.
When the former keeper "shufled of, 2"
his property fell to a distant relative, in
the person Of the present keeper, who with
his family Immediately moved in from a
n%eighboring hamlet and took possession.
1t was we'll known that the old proprietor
had accumulated considerable wealth dur
ing his ~sojourn among the living, but all
efforts to discover any treasure upon the
premises had failed, and now the idea of
ever finding 1t was practically given up.
AS far as Bunk was concerned, the matter
troubled him little. He had a hardwork-
ing wife, who ran things the best she could
under the circumstances and SAW that his
meals were forthcoming at their respective
intervals. What more could he wishS
Why should he care if there was a treasure
buried upon his place? Indeed it would
have been q sore puzzle for him to know
WudU W w Wluu q IOrUuLc uultbS perhaps
his wife came to his aid.
Among other stories that lowered in the
history of the Buckstown inn was one
which involved a ghost. In the room
where the former keeper had died peculiar
noises were heard at unearthly hours.
Signing, moaning and, in fact, all the
other indications which point to the exist
ence Of ghosts were said to be present. On
account of this the chamber had long
since been abandoned.
/ listened with keen interest to the
wonderful tales about the haunted room
and then suddenly resolved to investigate
to sleep in that chamber that very night
and see for myself all that was to be seen.
! told Bunk Of my purpose. He shook his
head, shrugged his shoulders, but instead
OF warning me and offering a flood of pro-
tests, as I expected, he merely took his pipe
from his mouth and called out "Janev'
His wife appeared, and he intimated that
l should settle the matter with the ''old
woman" The prospect of a fee persuaded
the wife, and off she went to arrange for
my bed in that i'll fated room.
At 9o'clook that evening I babe the fam
lily good night, took my candle, assembled
the rickety stairs and entered the chamber
of horrors. The atmosphere was heavy
and had a peculiar odor that was not at
all pleasing. However, I latched the door
and wal soon In bed. Having propped
myself up with pillows, I was prepared to
await the coming of the ghost.
overhead the dusty ~rafters, which once
had experienced the sensation Of being
but which were now a dirty
yellowish color, were hung with a fantastic
array Of cobwebs. The Pickering light of
the candle reflected upon the walls and
against the ceiling a myriad Of grotesque
and, this effect being contin.
nally disturbed by the swaying cobwebs,
whole caused the room to appear rather
after all, and especially SO to an
mind.
I waited and waited for hours, it SEEM
I'd, but still no ghost. Perhaps it was
lfraid Of my candlelight; go / blew it out.
No sooner had / done this and settled
,ack in bed again than a white hand ap-
feared through the door and then a whole
|gure. At last the ghost had come, o white
nd sheeted ghost!
1t had come right through the door, al
hough 1t was locked, and now it advanced
ward the bed. Raising Its long, white
rm, 1t pointed a bony finger at me and
hen In Q hollow voice commanded, "Come
nth me!' Thereupon 1t turned to the
cor, while instantly l jumped out Of bed
} follow. Some unseen power compelled
le to obey. The door few open, and the
host led me down the stairs, through long
alls, into the cellar, through mysterious
Underground corridors, M stairs again. in
nd out of rooms which l never dreamed
ere to be found in that old rambling inn.
inally through q small door in the rear
. left the house. ] was in my sleeping
srments, but nc matter. I had to follow.
The white form, with a slow and meas.
red tread and as silent as death, led the
az into the orchard. There under a tree
the farther end 1t pointed to the ground
In the same ghostly tones before used
i'd: +.
Here you will find a great treasure ]
The ghost then disappeared, and I saw
no more. I stood dazed and trembling. \
pom recovering my wits ! started to dig,
1t the chill of the night air and the
a~ntiness Of my night robes made such
Dor impracticable. So I decided to leave 8
mark to identify the place and come
Jain at daybreak. Preached up and broke A
I a limb. Overcome with my night ex.
tons, I slert the next morning until 0 q