Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1903-08-15

companion. He could feel that the
ghostly rider behind him was pant
ing under the exertion. He could
feel clamnly breath on the back of
his neck that sent terrible shivers
through his whole body.
Springwell declares With an ex-
preston that is indubitable evidence
of his honesty that he will never for
get this awful ride till the last mo-
ment of his life. The sensation ac-
companying this mad flight, he says,
he is powerIess to describe. There
was not only the horrible thought
that he was in the power Of the SUI
pernatural, but other emotions that
he says no language can ever por-
tray were concomitant. His very
soul was swayed by their intensity
and seemed to be in shadow of
something inexpressibly terrorsome
and ghoulish.
On he flew, and he could make out
a shadowy something dancing before
him, something vague Of outline and
white in color 1t danced now here,
now there, and he felt rather than
saw that it was hooking him. On
in the Leadership Of this phantom
he few He crossed the Belt line
tracks with a bound, then felt he
was slowing up. But still he kept
on until the curve that Delaware
avenue takes before it reaches the
culvert where the Park road passes
over it. Ahead he could see the
white simmer of an electric light
Illuminating its dazzling circle be-
meath it. He felt the icy hands that
had never relaxed their pressure
from the moment he had first felt
them loosen a bit of their grip.
He was regaining control. But
the machine seemed to be dragging
something behind it. He felt he
could now turn and see the ghostly
monster behind him. He craned his
head a bit, and at that moment he
felt a terrible blow over the head.
Stunned, he dropped from his wheel
and lay on the pavement. He de-
scribes the half glimpse Of the thing
behind him as something too mex
pressibly monstrous to attempt to
portray.
He lay on the pavement for some
five minutes, when Zeiler came up.
He was riding like mad. Zeiler
stopped when he saw his friend and
helped him to his feet. When
SpringweH told his story at first
Teller thought he was joking, but he
was finally convinced from the look
of abject terror in Springwelps
face. They revisited the place next
day, Springwell unstrung and hardly
able to wheel. From the spot where
he first felt the power of the some
thing to where he was hit is exactly
three miles and a few rods over.
Springwell wrote to the man from
whom he bought the wheel, and he
received an answer that is certainly
queer. The dealer said that a man
brought the wheel in in good shape
and asked very small price for it,
and that he, the dealer, thinking it
had been stolen, would not buy it.
The man swore it had not been stol-
en- and offered to let it remain there
until he was satisfied. He had kept
it through the winter and never a
sign of any claimant; hence he had
sold it.
Springwell n at loss to account |
for the strange occurrence. He is
utterly unable to say what could
have been the cause, save on the hy-
pothesis that some man was muir
dered while on it and that it has
thus become haunted. However
that may be, the fact remains that
the cyclometer registers IF its own
accord a little over three miles ev-
cry night.