The Caucasian., 1911-06-04

| were TWO QSuefueu MUS Oh Tue
shore, as Lenoir could readily see, but
the other island had no sign of habita-
ton. chiefly because there was no wa
ter on it. Moreover. there was a ledge
Eastern, with a very tall spruce tree
wear by.
Gips service on the cutter kept him
a prisoner. and the days dragged on.
! Lenoir and his seamen were released
! and sailed on the little fishing smack.
which was speedily reported lost in
gale A rumor arose that his ghost
was already haunting Gunner's island
and had been seen standing on the
water at the point where his brigaD-
tine had lain at anchor ''PrObablJ
walking across to Eastern" said Gf'
to himself when he heard the tale.
He was as superstitious as most
people of his class and time, but his
chief anxiety was based upon the pos
| sibility that the figure seen on Gun
ner's island might have been the real
Lenoir and not ghost. Immediately
upon hearing the story, therefore, Gil
was taken sick. and the revenue cut
ter sailed away upon an errand of
! Uncle Sans without our friends serv-
ices. Then Gil started on his expedi-
| ton with all possible secrecy.
| His boat was already in an out of
the way cove, with basket of food.
a jug of water and some digging
| nd IN IN
| late forenoon he set forth to seek his
! fortune When he got out into the
bay the fog was advancing, Il vast
gray pail over a black water streaked
with lead color The wind was
against him. His boat compass was
of little use. and when he stumbled
upon Eastern island near the close of
the afternoon he was amazed to find
that it was not some other land.
Gil made a sort of camp in thick
clump of spruce trees, weaving some
boughS for a shelter overhead and
laying others on the ground for his
bed. Here he deposited"the basket OF
food and jug Of water with the spade
and pickaX, and as there was still
some light he decided to have look
at the white rock and the tall spruce
In the fog he lost his way and ap
preached the spot by the most incon
venient access. finally scrambling up
a steep bank to the top of the white
ledge.
When he rose from all fours after
this scramble he saw. barely ten feet
distant. the seafaring man with the
black beard. This must have been
considerable shock to Gil. and doubt
whether his nerves were ever i'll nor
NAL condition during the remainder of
his adventure, He seems to have be-
lieved at first that what he saw was
a ghost, and. though be himself car
ried double barreled shotgun while
the 'apparition bore no weapons, Gil
had no thought that the advantage
lay with him. He advanced because
he dared not stand so near the edge
of the steep rock, and he tried to cir
Gle his adversary merely with the idea
Of getting into better position for re-
treat.
The figure remained still. except that
it turned slowly to keep its face to-
ward Gil: then suddenly it rushed
upon him. He saw knife in its hand.
OF the struggle which ensued Gil
retained no accurate memory except
Of the enormous relief which came to
him at the contact with human body.
This was not ghost-it was a man.
Tho Et1nuyta7no ron fhrOV1erh (Iil lilo
fire in his blood and gave him giants
strength. Yet it was his adversary
and not himself who was probably re-
sponsible for the result Gil is sure
that he did not fire his gun; it went
off while the other was trying to
wrench it away. and there lay the
black bearded man dead in an instant
with such wound as blanched GiFs
lips to describe more than fifty years
afterward.
Gil took one look at this horror and
fed He ran until the limits of the
island checked him, and then, collect
ing part of his wits. he tried to find
his way back to his camp.
The last daylight was now dying in
the gray sea fog, and Gil could see
not more than ten feet before him.
He must therefore have been very
close upon the second apparitton when
he perceived it. The seafaring man
with the black beard stood in his
path. precisely as Gil had seen him
first upon the rock. except that his
breast was now stained crimson.
This is a ghost for sure" thought
Gil, and fed again. HE wasn't a
ghost before, but now he is. I've kill
ed him. and I'm haunted by him.
By chance he ran toward the ledge,
and when he burst through some
bushes and found himself almost upon
the spot where the encounter took
place a dreadful! curiosity took pos,
session of him. Did a ghost use his
own body or another one? Was the
corpse upon the rock or walking2 He
went TO the spot where the body had
lain, and it was gone This was con
elusive; the mans ghost was using it.
Gil found his way back to his camp