The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-03-04

completed next day in time to re-
turn to the main camp, and half q
dozen times in the course of the
work Buck spoke about the ghosts,
as he persisted in calling the phe-
nomenon, and he was even more
muddled than usual in his manipu-
lation of the transit. Finally his
slowness caused night to come on
before our task was completed, and
we therefore returned at dusk to the
same camping place as the night be-
fore.
CATER we had eaten supper Buck
said: Colonel, / never want to see
that internal light again. Ghosts
OF, no ghosts, it's no good, and no
luck will come of it.
"The words were scarcely out Of
his mouth when, apparently not
more than hundred yards away,
the huge ball of fire appeared like
a flash, dancing up and down and
seemingly coming dead toward us.
Now Buck became almost beside
himself with terror. Let's go, and
the quicker the betterp shouted my
now thoroughly alarmed companion,
but suddenly, as on the previous
night, the light vanished. Buck
then recovered some portion of his
equanimity, and, though he was
still anxious to return to camp, |
finally persuaded him that there was
danger that we would lose our way
if we ventured out on the desert aft
er dark, while if we remained there
was nothing to be afraid of. Mel
Their of us slept much, however,
for I must confess that / had sort
of creepy sensation myself, and we
were up early next morning, COM
pleted our work and got an early
start back to camp.
"While we were on the road Buck
said: Colonel, / don't want to dis
courage you, but the people who are
at the head of this scheme to build
competing railroad will die sud-
denly, and this work will stop. In
fact, I wouldn't wonder if you and
I both went over the range with
them to keep them company. But
they are going, sure
"CHow little you know l replied,
and I could say no more, as my
hackers were then unknown.
'sNow let me tell you the strange
sequel. The very same week that
Buck made his prediction the Bar
ings failed. Early in November
Henry D. Minot, the leading spirit
and financial head of the enterprise,
was killed in a railroad accident
while returning from Washington,
where he had concluded the pur-
chase of General Beale's ranches in
every detail save the passing of the
papers and paying the money, the
intention having been to subdivide
that immense estate of 264,O00
acres.
con Thanksgiving day of the
same month came orders to close the
work, discharge everybody and
break camp. The following year
Allan Marvel, president Of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
road, died after brief illness, he
having been the second hacker of
this great enterprise, and soon fol-
lowed the death of Mr.. Magoun of
the great banking house of Barring,
Magoun & Co., the third and last
of the promoters of rival railroad
to the Southern Pacific system"
"What became of Buck?" I asked
as the colonel paused.
'Buck? Just read that clipping"
and the colonel took from his peck
etbook worn bit of newspaper and
handed it to me. It read as fol-
lows:
Bagdad Colorado Desert, Jan. Is, 1885,
An old inspector and surveyor known as
Buck Pomeroy disappeared mysteriously
from his camp at this point three days
ago, and no trace of him has been found.
He was In company with two friends and
was apparently in good health and spixits.
They all retired, as customary, early In
the evening, but in the morning Buck was
missing, and diligent search has failed to
find him. He went away just as he was
rolled In his blankets-barefooted and half
dressed. One Of the men said he thought
he heard Bucks voice in the night saying
something about some ghosts being after
him, but he thought 1t was dream and
50 paid no attention to 1t. Buck has evil
IDENTIFY Joined that innumerable caravan
of men whose bones whiten the remote
sections Of the desert and will doubtless
remain forever without burial
| folded up the clipping and re-
turned it to the colonel. He put it
back in his pocketbook without
Word.-San Francisco Call.