The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-04-27
A GhOstly Experience
By Sam Daris.

OF seeming intelligence could de-
Tberately sit down and write ghost
stories merely as literary diversion
and for the sake of narrowing the
feelings of the reader.
A ghost story, no matter how en-
tertaining it may be, If pure fab
rieation, has no business in print, for
the world is full of people so credu-
lous in disposition that the most abb
surd things, If told with a serious
air. are apt to be accepted as the
truth, and the grossest errors, foist
ed upon the public by careless inyen-
tion, become perpetuated as estao-
lished facts.
l make these observations that the
reader may become acquainted with
my views upon subjects supernatural
at the beginning of the narrative.
The time was winter, and the scene
of the manifestation a lonely moor
lying between the city of Carson,
which is the capital of Nevada, and
the small farm where for some years
past / have raised hay, cattle and
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
somewhat nipping in its disposition.
When about half way home, hav-
ing still two miles to go, / 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 indifference of their
owners, and mine were no exception
TO the rule. There was always more
or less space between the tire and
the felloe, and the wags of the city
had way of saying that my ap
proach was always heralded by an
Internal clatter which betolSens n
careless man with all his buggy
wheels out of repair.
It seemed to me suddenly that
something like 25 per cent. Of the
usual clatter of the vehicle had
ceased, and I was at a loss to un-
derstand why. The feeling came
oftI iuC 81 bhdb
unusual had transpired that I hesi-
tated to ascertain the cause. An ILL
defined feeling of dread was upon
me, and, I blush to confess il, / real
ly feared to look around. Finally, by
n strong effort. I summoned my
courage, and, glancing back, was as
tonished to discover that the off hind
wheel of my buggy had disappeared.
What was more, the vehicle did
not seem to mind it, but ran as level
ms ever. The cessation of the clat-
ter which that wheel always pro-
tluced was now explained. but the con-
tinued level running of the buggy
was not. An awful, creepy feeling
now came over me that almost
amounted to pain, and in the midst
of my wonderment the noise of an
other wheel stopped, and knew that
st had followed its predecessor. The
two hind wheels were gone. I delib-
crately turned about and investi-
gated. Here I was running aiong on
nm even keel, nautically speaking,
with nothing but my two front
wheels to go on.
As | was considering the proba bill
ity of the others going, ! noticed a
dim, hazy thing hanging to the hub
of my off front wheel. I speak in n
horsey sense, after the manner of fol-
lowers of the turf, for in reality the
wheel was still on. The outlines of
the thing alluded to gradually be-
came more distinct and resolved
itself into the figure of human be-
ing. and as sure as l was alive it was
trying to take off the nut of the
axle. More fully to illustrate the inn
pudence of the shadowy individual
in question, I 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 in
ferest than fear. for IL occurred to
1ne that after two wheels were gone
II did not matter much about tiye
others, and / determined to see the
incident to the end.
In less time than I have taken to
tell it this ghostly thing actually re-
moved the nut before my eyes. and
then, throwing its weight on the
wheel-if / may be allowed to make
use of the word weight in such a
connection-the wheel and the ghost
rolled over together in the sage
brush. In spite of the weirdness Of
the situation I was obliged to give
vent to a little chucl<le, the first in
timation had given the ghost of a
knowledge of his presence.
The familiarity which / had in
dnlged in with the strange little fcl-
low seemedfo enrage him, for he i'm
inediateIy became more in evidence,
and, slipping around on the near
side of the buggy speaking again in
horsey sense he fell. to work rap
idly at the wheel. and, circumventing
the mechanical difficulties of the nut
with very little trouble, he had the
wheel spinning into the sagebrush in
short order.
AS half expected, the ghost made
dive for the remaining wheel and
fell to work upon the nut. / wns
glad TO see that it did not come of
easily. It was never very good iii
for the thread of the axle, and / re.
called many time when in hurry
how / was really compelled 10 indulge
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