The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-11-10
THE PHANTOM HORSE.
He Led to the Detection of q MUIR
derer.


"Well. now. major" said one Of the
party In knickerbockers md golf stock
ings. 81 would never have put YOU
down as a believer In spooks."
The party here alluded to was a par
ty Of bicyclists gathered together in
the hall Of n roadside inn. which called
itself 1.-THE hotel of the place." but
owed it's prosperity chiefly to the fact
that there was no "plrce" to speak Of
thereabouts.
"NVhat do you call 'spooks,' young
man?" asked the major in a leisurely
way.
"a spook.' dra wled the doctor Of the
party, may be defined as something
at the bottom Of a happening that
happened"
"That's funny enough" said the ma
jor, land, Of course, 1t let's me out. !
don't believe in the existence Of any
thing at the bottom Of nothing"
~ thought not" said number one.
"You don't look like a naturally timid
man. or course, l know that naturally
timid people often make the best SOL
diers'-
"And what has timidity to do with
it|' said the major.
"Well, it's generally these nervous,
tremulous folks who persuade them
selves they have seen what you may
call 'em, isn't it"
SIS it"' said the major. HIN! Well,
since you don't think me an easily
frightened and tremulous person, per-
haps you may be the more ready to be-
lieve what ! can tell you, and
go on, major" was the general
chorus.
"And can swear to, if'-
"Never mind the swearing" said the
young in blue serge.
IL will tell you"
"Rut you will tell us, won't you|"
the young gently pleaded.
Every well, then. AS you all know,
l ride a wheel now on all occasions
when a wheel Is possible. Time was
when ! looked down upon bicycles
looked down on them from the back Of
a fine, bonny gray, about 16 hands-a
beast that would take me four miles
in half an hour at an easy fox trot or
carry me straight across country at a
gallop, without stopping to s. much as
wink at any ditch or fence that might
occur on the way.
"Now, about that fox trot of Cruis.
keen's-he was an Irish horse with IN
Irish name-there was a certain indi-
viduality which l learned by ear after
q few months, just as you learn to
know a familiar tune. If l had lent
Cruiskeen to any Of you, for instance,
and you were bringing home a party
of horseback riders. | could instantly
have distinguished Cruiskeen's trot
among all the others. Now | want
you to pay particular attention to that
point.
swell, one day was out west then
Il was riding Cruiskeen along a bit
Of freshly made macadamized road,
just as good and hard a bit of road as
that ! superintendent myself. 1t was
about 10 O'clock in the morning. and
the sun was terribly hot.
Just as | got to a clump of young
larches that had been planted along
the road about two years before !
heard a horse coming along the road
coming toward me. Cruiskeen had
been at a walk, but when l heard the
hoof beat Of the other horse | spurred
up, just out Of curiosity, for there were
few people about there who owned
horses. and | knew all Of them.
$50 here was Cruiskeen trotting on
toward the north, We'll say. and this
other horse was cantering easily from
the north, southwark. / ought to have
met the man on horseback in about n
minute.
"But as we turned the corner by the
clump Of larches was very much sur.
prised to see-nothing.
"There wasn't n sign Of a or beast
anywhere on that road.
"At the same time the easy canter
turned into a tr0t."
echo. of course" the doctor sug-
kested.
Doctor" said the major sadly, did
you hear me say | could swear to
Cruiskeen's trot anywhere. or were
you asleep when | said that? And was
the canter also the echo of Cruiskeen's
trot?
"Well, let mt finish. While I wa.
wondering at the strangeness Of the
thing, knowing that there was no other
road where a horses trot would sound
like that within leagues, Cruiskeen
suddenly SHE'D to one side of the road,
and SHE'D SO violently as to throw me
clear out of the saddle.
Luckily | was Q seriously hurt.
only a little bruised. And Cruiskeen,
being a good, arectionate beast, would
not gallop away and leave me. He
wanted to. poor fellow. He was look
Ing away along the road In the direc-
tion he had come from, neighing vio-
lently. with his eyes staring.
saw a quadruped such a picture of
fright In all my life.