The daily morning Alaskan., 1903-06-27
THE NAN WHO
 e CAME BACK
tcOpyrisht. isi8 by Q. D, warnsri

Grlggs. He was an honest intelligent man. and our friendship was a strong on,. One June day GrigSs was Killed by a premature blast He was derf before any one reached him. but wo could sec how hls death had been brought about
 Four weeks after the accident and funeral the men who were working c claim at the edge of the hill on which Grlegs grave had been dug aceiden- tally exploded several pounds of pow der. No cue was hurt. but a portion of the hill was torn away and the eocnn uncarthed and shattered. When we gathered around lt. we found it empty.
 It was. believe. on the Sth of June that We buried Griggs. On the night of July i6 close upon midnight I sud denly awoke fr,m a sound sleep. l was alone in the tent. and as it was a warm night the dy at the door was tied back. This permitted the full moon to light up the interior as bright as day lay on my side, facing out aud the first object my eyes rested up- on was tue familiar form of John 'Griggs. He slt On a box reading one of bis books. and for a moment 1 for got ,hat be was dead and buried He was drrsscd iu his working clothes. as on che day be was killed. and the hand which urld ue book bad one Anger wrapped up il a rug. Just as l had wrapped it tnicc days before hls death Co heal a cut accidentally inflicted
 repeat that lt was a full minute be- fore it flashed upon me that Grlggs was a dead man. and then ! uttered a yell which aroused half the camp and rolled On my bunk and rushed out doors. Iu three or four minutes l bad thirty men abound me making Inquiries. but was SD upset that l could only point Co Che tent and whisper Grixgs' ulmc. The crowd moved forward ard investigated The man [ saw bad dis appeared. aud was unmercifully guyed for having an attack of nightmare.
 X month later. as soon as l could do SO without exciting rldlcule. left the di.giu-s and went Co Bald Eagle Gulch. fifty miles away. There were about seventy men on the ground. and ] was a stranger toan | staked out a elnim, put up my tcnt and was soon Q rssi- cent of tbe gulch One night about tle middle of September. having gone 90 bed earlier than usual on account of Iot feeling well. ] was aroused at ex' actly hllf au hour after midnight by some one speaking my name. say that ! heard a voice call me by name, but [ can't offer you any proof. The Instant [ opened my eyes l saw John Grrgs saw him Just as plainly as l sy'r saw a living human being. but uply for few seconds. Then he faded uwly and vas gone. and though terri bly rattlcd had not cried out
 After a few minutes when got some of my nerve back. | rose and dressed and walked out There was a light in tle tent next Co mine on the right. but an the others were dark. walked down Co the creek, thirty rods away. and had just reached it when there came a sudden fash and ter. rifle report and ! thought the whole dirgiugs bad been blown skyward. lt was a powder explosion ln the tent next Co mine. Six tents were swept away by that terrific blast and four men were killed and six others more or less injured Of the two men In the tent with the powder we found only fragments.
 It Is my drm belief that John GrigEs appeared that night to warn me of the danger which menaeed You will smile in pity and contempt even though at midnight tonight the mysterious tap ping or death tick" In the wainseot- lng win shake your nerve and give you unpleasant thoughts
 You remember the awful railroad dis aster at Ashtabula. or should have been passenger on that train but for a singular occurrence. 1 sat In the depot only a few miles from Ashtabu- la. my trunk checked and ticket bought. waiting for that train to come along. There were eight or ten of ua ln the waiting room Opposite me. on the other side of the room. were two women aud a man. The women werS couvers,ng aud the man was reading Q n.WSpaper From his general appear aucc | tOoG h.m for a commercial trav- eler. one reason why 1 came Co look the mau over was because ] happened Co notice that be had lost two angers from hls lrfJ hand They were the sec. oud aud third dugerS, and [ wondered how be could have Injured them with out ujurlns either the fore or the little hugcr.
 The train was due In seven minutes. as ! saw ,y glanclng at the clock. when Che stranger with the newspaper suddenly vanished and In his place. bis hands empty and resting on his knees. sat John Griggs. He vas look ing full at me. and for a few seconds 1 had no more doubt that be was alive than ! have of my own Identity. Not Co strengthen my case. but Co add to the mystery a bic further. will relate that as | sat there looking at my old partner. who had been buried years beforc. both women turned in a star tied way and then moved along little
 You win say that In this case, as in all others. did not see what believe T s,vr hnve no proofs 10 offer that |