Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
THE GHOST OF
PINE TREE LEDGE

IL
him tell ma about it, said Jack Henry, as
he and his chum. Tom Lowry, summed
themselves on a log at the wood pile.
What did it look like?" questioned Tom.
"a tremendous white dog
81 say, that's great!' laughed Tom. Il
like to know how you can tell one white
dog from another-you know there are
thousand or less roaming around the coun-
try The idea of the whole neighborhood
being scared over a dog.'
well. you see," replied Jack Henry,
"this isn't common dog. It's just like
ghost dog ought to be, for it's never seen
In the daytime
How do you know it isn't? L big
white dog myself the other day"
But this dog hasn't any head. There
1t runs night after night, over by Pine Tree
Ledge, where a man, father says. good
many years ago was riding along, when
another man came and rode by him; all at
once the first man went pitching over the
cliff like a sack of salt. The other man
rode right along, down the path. Pres
emily the first mans dog-a big white one
up to his horse and bit his leg. Then
the man jumped off the horse, and kicking
the dog over the ledge, too, mounted again
and away he went No one knew anything
about it until the next morning when a
boy told it. He was out late the night be-
lore because his mOCneT Was SICK, anu lie
saw the man coming along the path. He
said his hair stood straight up on his head
when he saw the man go over. Well, after
a long time they found out 1t was a crazy
man that rode away; they never found him.
and some people said the boy must have
dreamed that tale"
"Of course, he did; don't believe in the
marvels of haunts' you folks here are so
foolish over
Yes, 1 know how wise and brave you'd
be-" sneered Jack Henry, ''if you should
run up against great big dog looking
right at you without sign of a head to
him.
"Ha, hal" laughed Tom. 81 wonder where
he'd keep his eyes! One thing certain-if
he didn't have any head he couldn't bite
me. If he could see me-
well, anyhow" persisted Jack Henry,
you might as well be bitten as scared to
DEATH
look at his lordship," declared Tom, decid-
eddy.
oh. Toni" gasped Jack. you would
never darew
Indeed would. then! My parents have
told me ever since I can remember that
there are no such things as ghosts and
when folks think they see one. IL they'd fol-
low it up they'd find it was just some com
mon natural thing; and I believe that's
what I'll find in this"
''There are plenty of men who have seen
1t and been scared half to death over It,"
answered Jack.
why didn't they shoot it?" asked Tom.
Some of them were afraid to, but one
man did, and he said there was nothing
but empty space when the bullet reached
the spot. The dog didn't seem to move.
but just disappeared"
"Bosh!" calculated Tom. "It jumped
down the bank, of course. I'll contrive a
plan to get that creature and show you
Go 1t, them" cried Jack Henry, admir-
ing his friends bravery. Say" he added
suddenly, "if you can do 1t, there's some
htrty ~, f0r h1a
Gray say he would give SIS to the person
that would unravel the mystery"
'Whew!" whistled Tom, that settles It,
That's the very sum I've been wishing for
to get good camera"
Tom decided to make a confidant Of his
father, who encouraged him to carry out
his plan. He made a careful examinat ton
of Pine Tree Ledge in the daytime and
though he did not see the frig'htful beast
he was apparently convinced that there
was ground for suspicion" for the next
day he carried some good strong cord to
the spot and proceeded in this wise:
Bending a strong saplng down he tied
one end of the cord to it; then after tying
small stick-called the 'key'-about two
inches long, on the cord eighteen inches
from where 1t was attac.-e. to the sapling
he drove pronged stick into the ground,
and some shorter ones about three inches
high) making a circle Of them about
eighteen inches in diameter. The next
move was to make slip moose on the
loose end Of the cord and lay 1t on the
ground around the outside Of the circle of
sticks. Then, taking another stick sixteen
inches long, he placed one end at the top
of the pronged stick and fastened it in
place with the key" leaving the other end
free and four inches from the ground in
side the circle.
Now my fine felloww he exclaimed.
when he had finished, you Just come trot-
ting along here and happen to put your
foot on that trigger, and what surprised
dog you will be when the slip moose is re-
1na cd np ne nrpU
goes swinging In the air."
The next morning while Jack Henry was
taking his final snooze," as he expressed
it, he was awakened by Toms excited call
at his window
II say, Jack Henry. come out here quick.
I've got something to tell you.
"All right" responded Jack, hurrying into
his clothes.
i've caught the ghost!" explained Tom
mysteriously when Jack appeared.
what! Where?" demanded Jack Henry.
looking apprehensively about.
Don't be frightened, little boy; he's fast.
all right. and he's bowling. too said
Tom. Il came by the squire's and Invited
him to come with us to be sure Of the
it was too early and too cold for him; but
told me to hold it tight. for he'd like to
satisfy his curiosity later. Pas going to
meet US at the Ledge. He stopped to build
the breakfast fire."
Before they reached the Ledge they saw.
caught fast by one hind leg N the snare"
a huge tough. gaunt-looking dog. whose
entire body and neck were pure white,
while his head was coal black.
well 1 declared exclaimed Jack Henry,
mo wonder people couldn't see that dog
had a head-in the dark. 1 think I'll never
be frightened at say sos after this. But
say, Tom. If he had happened to put his
front foot in that moose he could have
gnawed the rope"
YES" said Tom, ''but you see luck was
for me that time. He couldn't reach that
hind leg