Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-02-03
THE PHANTOM HORSE.
He Led t. the Detection of a Muir
derer.


9 e 9
oooooooooooooo oooooooooooo
well. now. major" said one of the
party in knickcrbockers and golf stock
ings, Il would never have put you
down as a believer in Spooks."
The party here alluded to was Il par
ty of bicyclists gathered together in
the hall of roadside inn. which called
itself "thc hotel of the place." but
owed its prosperity chiefly to the fact
that there was no place" to speak of
thereabout%.
What do YOU call 'Spooks.' young
mani" asked the major in Il lciSurC'%
way.
a spook." drawlcd the doctor Of The
party. "may be defined as something
at the hottom of a happening that
never happened"
"That'S funny rnoUg'l." said the ma
jor. land. of COURSE. il lets me out. |
don't believe in the existence of any
thing ut the bottom of nothing"
Il thought not" said number one.
You don't look like Il naturally ttmid
man. OF course. | know that naturally
timid people often make the best sol
dicrs''-
"And what has timidity to do with
it?' said the major.
"Wcll. it's generally these nervous,
trcmulouS folks who persuade them
selves they have seen what YOU may
call 'em. isn't it,
SIS it, said tie 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
"Ncyer mind the swearing" said the
young woman in blue serge.
81 will tell you,"
but YOU will tell us, won't YOU?
the young woman gently pleaded.
every well. then. As you all know.
l ride Il wheel now on all occasions
when Il wheel is possible, Time was
when | looked down upon bicycles
looked down ON them from the back of
a fine. bonny gray. about IL handS-a
beast that would take me four miles
in half an hour ut m easy fox trot or
carry mo straight across country at Il
gallop, without stopping to so much as
wink ut 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
I'll tot, i,,li
viduality which learned by ear after
a few months. just as you learn to
know Il familiar tune. If | had lent
Cruiskeen to any of you. for Instance,
and you We're 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
"Well, one day was out west then
i was riding Cruiskeen along Il bit
of freshly made macadamiZcd 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 hau been planted along
the road about two years before |
heard n horse coming along the road
coming toward me. Cruiskeen had
been at n 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 owDed
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 larehcs was very much sur
priscd TO see-nothing.
'Thcrc wasn't IL sign Of man or beast
anywhere on that road.
AT the same time the easy canter
turned into u trot."
echo. of course" the doctor sug
gested.
Doctor" said the major sadly. did
you hear me say could swear to
CruiSkccn's trot anywhere, or were
you asleep when said that? And was
the canter also the echo of Cruiskecn's
trOt?
"Well. let me finish. While | was
wondering at the strangeness of the
thing. knowing that there was no other
road where Il horses trot would sound
like that within leagues, Cruiskeen
suddenly SHE'D to one side of the road,
and SHED SO violently as to throw me
clear out of the saddle.
LUCKILY ! was not seriously hurt,
only a little bruised. And Cruiskeen,
being good, affectionate beast, would
not gallop away ana leave me. lie
wanted to, poor fellow. He was look
| ing away along the road in the direc-
ton he had come from, neighing viO-
/ lently. with his eyes staring. | never
Jaw IL quadruped such picture of
fright in all my life.