The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-26
LADY pucHENE,s GHOST RIDE.

of old Tookh steh an ancient Cherokee memory
of evil perniciously complete.
In all this wicked Indian Territory the old
had said there is but road has drunk
blood than this river. The trail Young
ers Bend worse. it had old Tom Starr and the
great outlaws from Missouri Grand river raised Its own
devils and big timber rode murder and
OF that evil brood 1 knew the worst-and tell
you that their ghosts prowl the road. AT night
would the road; not for all the cat
tie that Gel Clarke owns
Now it not Sandy. Duchenes to neglect his
employers interests because OF cid womans tale
and he rode bthey after supper join the round
up Big Cabin. He figured that steady fox-trot
would land him at Graysons hour before midnight
his horse fresh and himself in the mood for solid
sleep. daytime ride in the middle of sum-
would be FAR worse. both himself and his be
loved Prophet pony That Sandys daylight matter
of-fact view
For the first five miles, to the edge of the woods
the puncher whistled ''Skewbals Derby" rolHckins
ballad that celebrated intermnable series of
trains the achievements of noted racehorse One
clear space that showed the bright stars winkng over
head gave 10 a long alley of gloom Sandy heard
footsteps paering ahead whistled shrily he
urged the pony quick salop and. as the shrubs
moved the right he shifted the odor of skunk
The boot of owl close by doused the puncher's
singing All of the tales he had heard of murders
in lonely places full of hoong owis-that was the
signal 'Hoggy'' Harlan had used call confederate
cabin when murdered old preacher
SO they he had. 'Hoggy's' cabin was
just the right a hundred yards back in that
clearing himself had been hanged at Fort
Smith dapidated old hut still chung
dark tales The half-demened old Tookh Steh had SAID
that Hoggy Harlan's spirit haunted tia gross ugly
fatered its predecessor not at ALL The old
road up the forsaken clearing grown
hickory sprouts and sunach top Of which
rioted wild blackberry vines
Opposite that Sandy heard the bustles rat
tie something down from the cabin The prophet
pony straight forward and crowded to the
other of the road For the minute the cowboy
frightened in fright pulled up short convince
himself that he not at all scared The pony wanted
forward for he knew that green pasture awaited
him after refreshing stroll in the stable lot But Sandy
held him hand placed reassuringy his wait
ing appearance of the Thing numbering through
the bushes and ravines.
still. you coyote" urged Sandy. the noise
came closer amt dog-gone thing, you pup! What
you away for? You're a nice, brave little
bronze, amt you"
But there was close hand now. almost under
the Prophet ponys Then into the dim starlight
emerged huge black sight of the horse and
the grunted hoarsely and crashed back
Curse you, Hoggy! yelled the trembling man. half
hysterica with surprised relief Curse take that
Sandys pistol out, shots broke the
nights silence With whoop of joy he lifted the
into gallop, Gathering through dark alley Of
He now in full, carrying tone. imprint
able dtty that concerned mainly with terrible
defiance of the devil.
Near the edge of Grand river stood Nelly Gray"
cabin nesting group ems. back the
than hundred feet AS the of the broad
shallow stream frettng the boulders
Sandys ears he recalled the old Indians tale of NELLY
Gray. No sweet patient longsuffering slave this
Nelly but negress of Herculean strength and superior
cunning who after war, established cabin
Careys Ford and soon made retreat for the law
less negroes and the more degraded of the whites.
Whiskey pedders Nellie Gray's' friends; horse
thieves she Welcomed and in that sinister cabin
wayfaring traveller felt the keen edge of the
old womans butcher knife his throat only to whisper
a prayer mercy. mercy black
heart. After nghtfa rode by the cabin with their
guns crossed handily their saddle horns.
years Nelly Gray" held this DEVILS Court.
until to manhood. More villanous
than his mother, Jesse Gray made himself terror in
the wild settlement venturesome deputy marshal who
came down to spy out the rotten gang found
day hanging high up in the forks of elm, his head
wedged between limbs and it rumored that
young giant had captured the and in play
spirit climbed the and executed him single hand
ed. 1t a fearsome tale. and whispered
one another greedily
of demonstrating expedition Nellie Gray
had obtained fine white horse. Strong and swift
limbed, pure bred, the old negress'
fancy She had never loved human creature-a cruel
owner has beaten hatred into her child savebut
the horse she lavished a world petting.
Astride back fashion
the big timber night charging along lonely paths and
wailng a which said have been inspired
by the evil In that day of superstition.
supersttous people. Nelly Gray welded terrible
power.
Only the british son dared to oppose her-ony he
through theatrical posings that
there was a the of treachery. He
laughed when she saddled the gray and started
away into the dark woods wains her Devils song.
on a certain night. when the had reached
the age twenty a dance held at a shanty
ten miles the river The of the affair
to mans the afternoon. The that
he had been used riding loose somewhere in the
woods and only the in the log stable Perhaps
boy diplomatic perhaps he Overestimated
power; when he demanded the ride the old
woman turned upon him in fury and babe him be
her sight. he touched hair hide OF the
that night. should for it. The a
fierce and the boy went apparently beaten.
As the night closed down upon them, the old negress
strobe horse her accustomed ride
Down river went. CRYING out that inevi-
table song above the Back she
four hours later. the dripping with sweat Where
turned the Of the fence the cabin
skirtinE close the steep river bank a black figure
spraug suddenly into the road ahead. There the
deep quick report Of big shotgun. fendsh laugh OF
triumph and the wheeling suddenly slipped
the river bank Horse and woman we're swept down b.
the strong after all. Jess Gray did not
reach the dance that night
The cowboy Tehearsed this tale dozen times IN the
FIVE minutes before he the ford Iinsginahon
would quieted-the awful sinister shape OF that
old neEress wildly before him the unGuist
Prophet pony. The cabin but grotesque
blot there thefence had roted iHdsnc blue
the puncher U-sed his pony into the water he
glanced towards that oh river road Was IL his
adv -uSfu ~ rr~ff