The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-04-26
|. A GHOSTLY
|, EXPERIENCE.
} The Marvellous Disappearance )
OF a Horse and Buggy.
BY SAM DAVIS.
>@~@<a~9~3~v:~.%9~9~H~3>a,

could never conceive how men of
seeming intelligence could deliberately
sit down and write ghost stories merely
as a literary diversion and for the sake
of narrowing the feelings of the reader.
\ ghost story, no matter how enter
tanning 1t may be, if a pure fabrication,
mas no business in print. for the world is
Iull OF people so credulous in disposition
that the most absurd things, if told with
serious air. are apt to be accepted as
the truth, and the groSSest errors, foisted
upon the public hy careless invention. be-
come perpctuated as established facts.
make these observations that the
reader may become acquainted with NV
views upon subjects supernatural at the
beginning of the narrative.
| do not relate the facts which I am
about to embody in this recital with the
ldea OF explaining them, but give them
TO the world as they appeared to me.
leaving the scientist to furnish whatever
solution to the mystery may best fit his
own point of view or methods of investi-
cation.
The time was winter and the scene of
the manifestation a lonely moor living be-
tween the city of Carson. which is the
capital of Nevada, and the small farm
where for some years past | have raised
hay, cattle and a small family.
a political function had kept me out
rather late, and | was driving home after
midnight.
The night was clear and starlit, with
snow on the ground and the air some
what nipping in its disposition.
When about half way home having
still two miles to 60, | gradually became
aware that something had happened to
my buggy, for it seemed to run with less
noise than usual. In Nevada the wheels
of vehicles shrink from the dryness of
the atmosphere, coupled with the indif-
ference of their owners, and mine were
no exception to the rule. There was al
ways more or less space between the tire
and the felloe, and the wags of the CITY
had a way of saying that my approach
to town was always heralded by an in
fernal clatter which betokens a careless
man with all his buggy wheels out of re-
pair.
1t seemed to me suddenly that some
thing like % per cent of the usual clatter
of the vehicle had ceased, and was at
loss to understand why. The feeling
came over me 50 strongly that something
unusual had transpred that | hesitated
to ascertain the cause. An i'll defined
feeling of dread was upon me, and, |
blush to confess it, | really feared to
look around. Finally, by strong effort,
L summoned my courage and, glancing
back, was astonished to discover that the
off hind wheel of my buggy had disap-
peared.
What was more the vehicle did not
seem to mind it, but ran as level as ever.
The cessation of the clatter which that
wheel always produced was now explain
ed, but the continued level running of the
buggy was not. An awful, creepy feel
ing now came over me that almost
amounted to pain. and in the midst of
my wonderment the noise of another
wheel stopped, and | knew that it had
followed its predecessor. The two hind
wheels were gone. | deliberately turned
about and investigated. Here | was run
ming along on an even keel, nautically
speaking, with nothing but my two front
wheels to go on.
AS | was considering the probability of
the others going | noticed a dim, hazy
thing hanging to the hub of my off front
wheel. | speak in a horsy sense, after
the manner of followers of the turf, for
in reality the wheel was still on. The
outlines of the thing alluded to gradually
became more distinct and resolved itself
into the figure of human being, and as
sure as | was alive it was trying TO take
off the nut of the axle. More fully to il
lustrate the impudence of the shadowy
individual in question | will further state
that my nut wrench was missing, and he
had evidently taken it to remove the
wheels of my own buggy.
| watched him now with more interest
than fear, for it occurred to me that after
two wheels were gone it did not matter
much about the other, and | determined
to see the incident to the end
In less time than have taken to tell it
this ghosty thing actually removed the
nut before my eyes, and then, throwing
its weight on the wheel-if may be al
lowed to make use of the word weight in
such a connecton-the wheel and the
ghost rolled over together in the sage
brush In spite of the weirdneSs Of the
situation. was obliged TO give vent to
little chuckle, the first intimation | had
given the ghost Of a knowledge of his
presence.
The familiarity which | had INDUCED in
with the strange little fellow seemed to
enrage him. for he Immediately became
more in evidence. and. slipping around on
the near side of the buggy-spcaking
again in n horsy sense-he fell to work
rapidly at the wheel. and, circumventing
the mechanical difficulties of the nut with
very little trouble, he had the wheel spin
ming ont into the sagebrush in short order
Seeing that the buggy, however, did not
sink to the ground. as it plainly would
have had the right to do under the cir
rumstanccs, gathered more courage and
cried out jocosely. IF you don't happen
to see what you want, ask for IT,"
As had half expected. the ghost made
n dive for the remaining wheel and fell to
work upon the nut. ! was glad to see
that it did not come off easily. 1t was
never very good fit for the thread OF the
axle. and | recalled many time when in
n hurry how | was really compelled to
indulge in unbccoming language before it
could be started
looked for the ghost to indulge in a
little flow of cxpletiyes, but it patiently
continued its work until ii succeeded and
then triumphantly flung the wheel aside
and left me riding along in a buggy that