Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-29
every now and then 10 swell the nocturna
ri


Suddenly we heard mingling with the
callings of the birds and the hootings of the
owls the weird chanting of sad vocal music
and we determined to follow this up. We
did and found it came from party of col
ored folks. mostly old people, who were
holding regular old fashioned plantation
revival meeting. Our appearance startled
them somewhat, but they were soon Gained,
noting that we were 1lassa Lincoln's men,
were given royal wel4ome, rendered par
tfcularly pleasant by reason of a banquet
OF bacon. eggs and some sort of corn bread
that one of the old Mammies dished up for
us. This we paid hen we'll for and stopped
long enough to hear1one of the congrega
ton offer up prayer for us. The invoca-
ton was as long the moral law. but it
came from the heart and though we WINGED
we stayed until the doXology was sung and
the meeting was over.
A Midnight Def.
''Then we returned to our little house, lit
our pipes anew and ruminated. We talked
about the deserted mansion and of ghosts
that might invade it's unwholesome pre-
cincts. The air was hazy. but the moon
was shining and a pale light permeated the
scene. Somewhat abruptly the doctor said
to me: III bet you a new pipe that you
haven't the sand in your craw to go into
us see you and hear You call from the win
dow That's new pipe for me- said l.,
and off 1 started. Well. boys, that house,
uncanny as it in the daytime, was
CHASTITY at highland this was midnight.
The floors were peopled with rats Sque Ak
ing and Squealing in babel of noises; ba is
were flying in and out of the windows, and
l don't know what other inhabitants it had.
The dim rays OF the September moon how
ever, furnished light enough, and | had a
pipe at stake and did not balk. l got to
the garnet. and things were worse up there
than they were below. and. while actual
facts did not present themselves to scare
me, imagination did. l yelled below there
from the window and started with no in
considerable haste to join my companions.
Just as turned on the stairway to go down
something twitched and held fast to my
coat. L knew what it was we'll as
know L am talking to you fellows at
THIS moment / knew that my coat had
caught on one of those railless banisters
and l turned cold with a feeling that |
never wish to undergo again. 1t took me
some time to release the garment with
trembling fingers. The rats Scampered
over the floor and the bats continued wing
ing their eccentric flights and the owls
kept on making Their complaints to the
moon until it seemed if some of the
denizens of the Internal regions had made
their escape and were holding high carni-
val in the garret. When l got down l met
the doctor and the captain, who were
wondering what had delayed me and We're
about starting a search for me. But 1
won my pipe and what is more, I got it,
Just after my adventure the flood tide
had set in and we left the sea island plan
tation after veritable night of adventu, cs
and before sunrise were al aboard shin
safe and sound again. The executive of
fcer had got it into his head that some
thing had happened to us. Thought We
might have been captured by the ever
wary enemy and about organizing a
force to search for us.
well, that's my story" said the ancient
mariner. Next