The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1912-09-13
The Cabman's
Ghost
By F. A. Mitchell

Yo' dom kno nutten wha' 20 talkin
bout"
The speaker was one Of several col
ored hack drivers waiting for the mid
night train to come in at a station IN
Tennessee. Some Of the group had so
far broken away from the supersti-
ton Of their race as to doubt or pre-
tend to doubt the existence of ghosts.
"Wha' yo' know bout hants!" blus-
tered one of the doubters.
'Wha' l know bout EN-? driv one
OBJ EN- onct."
"Yah, yah! Yo' driv a hantl Did
he pay yo' in hant money"
"Yas."
"'Twan't no money at all"
"Wha' kind OBJ money was dot?'
"Yah, yah; you mean 'twan't no
hant at all. Mebbe it was a beat"
"Yo' shet up an III tell yo' all about
it. One mighty da'k night | was sit
tin on de box waitin' TO a fare. Fust
thing | knew | felt somep'n jist las
somebody teched me on de knee with
an icicle. | woke up, an dar standin'
on de sidewalk var a young Teller look.
in at me with de shiniest eyes ! eber
see.
al neber see man dressed lax dat.
His hat war all fuzzy an was bigger
at de top dan at de bottom. an de
brim was all rolled up on de sides.
He had a big white towel round his
neck an no shirt collar. De coat was
green, with brass buttons big as a sill
yer dollar, an ii was spike tailed. De
pants was tight an strapped down
ober de foot. He was might quar-. ]
tell yo'.
HE said he want me to drive him
up de road a bit an he tell me wha'
to stop. He git in de back, an | driv
up de road. Purt' soon he sing out,
'Stop!' an j stopped. He got out an
tole me to stay wha' | was. an he
went into de woods. BY de time de
clouds what war rollin' ODER de moon
rolled off, an, bein' de full. it was
light as day. / sot awhile wonderin'
who de young mar war and what he
vent into de wood TO-, an l got Gurus,
so l got down often de box an follered
him.
Oar / see standin' In de clearin' In
de light oh de moor de young Teller
talkin' to another young man, and in
anudder place was anudder man talk
in to anudder man, too. Dis was tall
man with lantern jaws, an he hair
stood right up on de top OBJ he head
lax a grizzly bar. He was de mos de-
terminated man | eber see. He war
dressed lax de udder men dar, on'y he
hab a shirt collar standin' way up un-
der he years.
while | wal lookin' at EN- de two
udder men max some steps lax markin'
off de groun', den dey put de two frs
men whot | tole yo' bout at de ends
oh de groun' dey marked off an hand
ed each one OBJ EN- a leetle pistol.
Den one OBJ de udder men STAN up an
he drop a hunshecuf an bot de men
shoot at each udder. One On 'em hor
his fire, den he taxi long aim an he
shoot my fare so he fall down on de
groun'.
when ! see ZEN carryin' him outen
de wood | says, says |, 'Dey gwine to
tax him to my hack an l max tracks
TO- de hack, an when dey git dar !
was settin' on de box purtendin' to be
asleep.
Den I started ag'in an dey put de
young man in de kerridge an tell me
to driv me home. l whip up de boss
an driv' back to de town, an cherry
once in awhile de young mar put he
head out de winder an tell me which
way to go. Onct when he put out he
head / look down an see he white
face with de big black eyes lookin' at
me, an it seem s If he been dead
a hundred year. For de Lawd,
thought l gwine fall often de box,
was SO sceered.
when we got to de place he was 60
in at / driv in de gate an up to de
house. l been drivin' all about dat
kintry, an l neber see dat place befo'.
Oar want no SIGH place on dat road
nohow. | feel as II de debble got In
side O me an was clutchin' ut my
windpIpe. / driv up de path to dat
house. an / neber see de house befo'.
any mo- dan de groun's. 1t war da'k
as q coal hole. But de mint l stop be-
TO- de steps OBJ de verandah 1t was all
lighted at once. Some peoples come
out. one OBJ 'em a young woman, who
TUX on when she see de young man In
de kerridge, an l made up my mind
she war he wife. Dey carried him into
de house an left me waitin' outside.
1T sot dar on de box waitin' TO some
body to bring me out ma fare, an arter
q long time a niger KEN out an said
I no go away, since ! might be wanted.
But he didn't say nothin' bout NAH
fare.
HE went into de house, an !
waited an waited, an I got mighty
tired waitin'. AFTER while I forgot
bout de queer eyes OBJ de young man
I driv dat Worried ma, an I TUX a nap.
When I woke up wha 20 t'ink I wasT"
"Wha"
"Sleepin' on de box right in de town
wha l started at"
The audience was 30 frightened at
the recital that they showed signs Of