Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-06-17

ridge which formed the background
Of our picture, thus entirely enclos-
ing the picturesque little valley.
hy companions and | gazed at this
scene for some time before we real
.zed that night vas rapidly ap-
preaching. My companions began
making preparations to leave, but
| decided to take the first step in my
determination to clear up the mys-
terry attached to this place by remain
ing in or near the house during the
night. My companions gave me all
Of the lunch which they had not
eaten, and left me. | told them to
take my horse and tie him at a GER
road, where | could find him in case
of an emergency. | then sat down
on the front doorstep and began my
long watch. At first every muscle
and nerve Of my body was strained
listening for some sound. How
ever, | soon became tired and
sleepy and almost went to sleep.
Suddenly the stiffness of the night
vas broken by the most hideous
cries that | have ever heard. | was
awake instantly and jumped to my
feet, amazed. But soon | remem-
hered all, and determined to find
the source from which the cry came.
| started toward the back of the
house, but again that shrill, heart
rending cry broke into the stiffness
Of the night. was so frightened
mat my heart almost stood still, my
in2es shook, my hands fell linn at
my sides. Never before nor since
have | heard such a mournful and
yet FEARFUL cry. | oon regained
some Of my strength and realized
that something was coming towards
ine. | had just enough sense left to
remind me to run. was not armed,
and did no. have a light of any de-
sc Ition. | believe | broke all
known records for the mile in run
ming from the house to my horse that
night. l could hear, or thought |
could hear, something coming on
softly through the leaves after me,
and once, looking back, | thought |
could e in the moonlight two
bright, shiny objects moving after
me. / thought of the descriptions |
had read of the bright eyes of the
Prince of Darkness, and | thought it
n,tuht h1 hD nr.~.
ened my pace to it's fullest extent.
BY luck succeeded in reaching my
horse, and as he seemed fired by the
same fear and restlessness that |
was, we flew on down the mountain
at a dangerous speed. We reached
the cottage in safety, however, and
| was soon on my pallet, hoping to
ease my mind in slumher. But such
was not my LUCK. | rolled and tum-
bled that night and could not sleep.
Almost every minute | imagined |
could hear that hideous and vet pit
iful cry, like some one in distress.
My thoughts were too many to men
ton on that long, tiresomc night. |
thought OF how all my life | had
been trained by my parents and
teachers not to believe in suDersti-
infancy to know that there were no
such things as spirits on this earth.
And yet, as | lay awake on that hard
pallet that night | began to believe
fH"f had fnnn1 an in hnr,ar lD:-x
and that. after all, this early teach
ing and training vas wrong, and
that there really were "spirits" and
ghosts living on this earth. | had
only one con ISOLATION, and that was
the fact that | would have another
chance the next night to test the
truth. With this consolation in
mind ! went to sleep some time in
the early morning, and got a few
hours of pleasant sleep. l rose the
next morning determined than
ever to solve the mystery. All morn
ing | was nervous and restless.
About the middle of the afternoon
| began making preparations to visit
Kalalanta again that night. | tried
to persuade some of my companions
to go with me, but they all fatty re-
fused. | borrowed a pocket flash
light from n Of them, and, taking
my revolver and a large, sharp meat
knife, | saddled out my horse and
started to the scene Of my recent aC-
venture, thinking that with the out
fit in my possession | would be able
to stand against man or devil.