The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-11-14
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
THE PHANTOM HORSE.
He Led to the Detection of q MUIR
derer,

the hall of a roadside inn, which called
itself the hotel of the place." but
owed its prosperity chiefly to the fact
that there was no place" to speak of
thereabouts.
what do you call 'spooks,' young
manY asked the major in a leisurely
way.
"a spook," drawled the doctor of the
party, may be defined as something
at the bottom of happening that
never happened"
THAT'S funny enough" said the ma
jor, land, of course, it let's me out l
don't believe in the existence of any
thing at the bottom of nothing"
II thought not" said number one
you don't look like a naturally timid
man. OF course, know that naturally
timid people often make the best SOL
diers''-
and what has timidity to do with
itY' 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 itY'a
rs 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 woman in blue serge
II will tell you"
"But you will tell us, won't your
the young woman gently pleaded.
Very well, then. AS you all know,
l ride a wheel now on all occasions
when wheel is possible. Time was
when l looked down upon bicycles
looked down on them from the back of
a fine, bonny gray, about 16 hands,
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 SO 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 an
Irish name-there was a certain indi-
viduality which l learned by ear after
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, l could instantly
have distinguished Cruiskeen's trot
among all the others. Now I want
you to pay particular attention to that
point.
well, 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 horse coming along the road
coming toward me. Cruiskeen had
been at walk, but when / 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 vas Cruiskeen trotting or
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 q
minute.
@But as we turned the corner by the
clump of larches l was very much sur
prised to see-nothing.
There wasn't sign of man or beast
anywhere on that road.
"At the same time the easy cantel
turned into trot"
echo, of course" the doctor sug
gested.
Doctor" said the major sadly, "diC
you hear me say l could swear t.
Cruiskeen's trot anywhere, or wert
you asleep when said that? And wa
the canter also the echo of Cruiskeen'i
trot?
well, let me finish. While I wal
wondering at the strangeness Of the
thing, knowing that there was no othel
road where horses trot would sOun(
like that within leagues, CruiskeeT
suddenly SHE'D to one side Of the road
and SHE'D SO violently as to throw mi
clear out of the saddle.
Luckily / was not seriously hurt
only a little bruised. And Cruiskeen
being a good, affectionate beast, woult
not gallop away and leave me. HI
wanted to, poor fellow. He was look
ing away along the road in the direc
ton he had come from, neighing vic
lently. with his eyes staring. l neve
saw a quadruped such a picture O.
fright in all my life.
Gas soon as could get my senses to
gether | could distinctly hear the In
visible horse trotting away. 1t ha'
passed on, and the hoof beats were get
ting fainter and fainter"
"You see," said the young man VIII
had first started the conversation
''that was an Irish horse. Irish horse
are like Irish humans imaginative"
"That only accounts for Cruiskeen'
shying, Mr.. Perks" said the blu
serge young woman, mot for the ma
jor's hearing the hoof beats. And tn
major isn't Irish; he is 4
pennsylvania Dutch, young lady,
said the major. Now, if the compan
wants to hear the rest of that story
or the sequel. if you like, why, jus
wait till light this cigar"
Light lamps and forward" cam
in chorus from all parts Of the hall.
1.-THE sequel, my incredulous friends
was the discovery of a murder" sal
the major in his most matter of faC
manner.
Eyes, a murder Cruiskeen coul
hardly be got to go any farther, but
had business to attend to at the pos
and that was still four miles away.
considering how incredulous all yo
civilians are, | need hardly tell 70
that the fellows at the post would M
easily have swallowed a story lii
mine. Some would have called 1t SUI
stroke; some might even have hinte
at intoxicating liquors, an insinuatio
which l could not have borne. SO
said nothing about the matter at hea
quarters. / simply transacted my bus
ness, mounted Cruiskeen again al
turned his head homeward
when we came to that clump
young larches, poor Cruiskeen bega
to trernble. was obliged to dismoul
and lead him by the bride.
Eve had passed the spot whe
! Cruiskeen had SHE'D on the way to Il