The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-08-18

that was unmoved by the object be
fore me. If l argued that it was MOI
ghost because 1t could not be, thu
answer was indubitable that 1t wa.
something, and IL not a ghost, 1t ans
wered the description of one. II it wa.
ghost, it was apparently something
quite as formidable.
Indeed, had l know that 1t was 4
ghost might almost have felt relief
Still held my horse with face to tn.
front, and urged him on with my heels
The hill rose abruptly on one side; {
deep ravine was on the other. There
was only the alternative of goin:
ahead or turning back, and l could no
quite go back.
So, striking in my spurs dashed BY
the ghost. which made lunge at us a.
we passed that caused my horse to SHY
dangerously. On l rode a little way
up the ridge, Mt first congratulatins
myself that / was safely by. Then
was it courage. or curiosity, or COW
ardice lest | seem to myself a coward
Il turned my unwilling horse and rode
back again.
The ghost was still there, and. wheI
[ came somewhat near, renewed it:
hostile gesticulation and approach. My
horse, which had barely got by wher
headed toward home, would go no far
Their when facing away from home
At length 1 dismounted, and holding
my bride in my left hand and my
riding-whip in the right, approached
the ghost. The ghost ceased to come
toward me, and seeing me still coming
On, began slowly to retreat, still wav
ing me back with his Tapping arms
and his broken-neck and bobbing head
would have advanced more rapidly
now that it was retreating, but my
advance was impeded by the pulling
back of my horse. l may as well con
fess that while l had the courage
enough, at a pinch, to face the ghost
1 had not enough to hitch the horse
The horse was my final resort for re-
treat, and still did not know what OBJ
ject l was facing, or into what sort of
ambuscade he was backing.
l have heard that all men are cow
ards in the dark, and partly believe
it. Still / also believe that a man
never really knows to what point his
cowardice may be pushed back till he
stands alone i'm the dark and face to
face with peril.
I gained upon my ghost. At the last
minute he got tangled in his own
ghostliness and stumbled over a less
ghostly companion, and l was upon
him and punched the butt of my whip
against the white. 1t yielded, and
struck flesh behind; and the ghost
shrank, frightened from the impact.
Then seized the ghost firmly. He
stopped, but two skulking figures ran
away, and the ghost turned and grap-
pied with me. / was at disadvan-
tage with only one hand, but ! gave
him wrench that even q ghost may
not have found comfortable land which
elected a cry of pain.
1t was the retreating footsteps of his
companions, however, that most dis
tressed him. AS soon as he heard these,
he was as much afraid to be alone
with me as / had been to be alone
with him; and took courage from his
fear, and from his solidity as well.
My ghost was not past feeling the
pain of a wrenched elbow.
l made another grab at him, and got
him near the throat. He shocked him
self loose but l held the cloth, and he
disengaged himself from his ghostly
trapping and ran. A moment later he
fired his pistol, and then two other
pistol shots came from his companions
little farther down the road.
The danger was past. There was no
chance of his hitting me while he ran,
and his friends shots were from a
safe distance. 1t was far too dark for
anything like certain aim, and / had
no real idea that they wanted to hit
me. 1t was their warning that was
not to follow them farther.
l had no thought of following them.
turned to inspect my capture. 1t
was made of two sheets and some light
poles. The two main sticks were cross
ed, and the upper part made the horns,
while the lower part was either held
by, or fastened to, the chief ghost.
The head was blown up bladder, and
1 must say that Its hideous bObbing
between the horns was frightful out
of all proportion to its real character.
I guessed that the arms were worked
by the two assistants, but of this l
was not sure. Their presence may
have been for the sake of their moral
support.
l tried to take my prize home, but l
could not get 1t near my horse. So
threw IL into the creek, remounted,
shouted a somewhat boastful defiance
to the ghosts friends, telling them, II
remember right, where they could
find the ghost, and that they would
be found in the same place IL they
played ghost again, and rode off.
A quarter of a mile ahead, as l fol-
lowed the ridge, saw another white
object approaching me, moving to right
and left as the path followed the
curves of the ridge. was angry by
this time, and ready to fight. l had
had enough of ghosts for one night. l
said to myself; so / bore down upon
him at full speed. He looked terribly
ing as l came nearer, and was mani
testify coming at me along the ridge
top. But my horse did not shrink
from him as from the former one.
In moment we were upon him, and
he turned with below and fed down
the ridge. 1t was white steer. At
another time he would not have start
led me at all, but after the experience
at the sycamore tree | was ready to
see a ghost in whatever looked white