The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-07-14
Her Husband S
Ghost
BY r. A. MITCHELL

had prr-emptCd Il uuDrter section OF
land on Il prairie and built Il log house
on it. There he dwclt alone Strange
it is that there are men who can lie
content only when far away from AL
other persons. The famous hunter
Daniel Boone was one Of these. and
Enoch Fugr;tm WAS another.
In the spring lie prepared his land.
planted. tended his fields. keeping
them free from weeds during the sum,
mer, and in THE autumn, havin. gath.
cred his crops, went forth with his
rifle to provide meat for his winter use
Returning one night with Il plentiful
supply OF venson and bear meat. he
went to bed. The next morning was
clear ami cool EnOch went out to the
tin basin located on II bench to perform
his additions when he was astonished
to see far across the plain Il To-; cabin
with Il man standing near it.
Enoch WAS much dis.runtlcd. If he
had beclVat home when that cabin
was; being erected he would have TAX
en- measures to prevent its being finish
cd. He was not sure that it had mot
been built on his own land. He would
30 at once to investigate. Turning. he
went into his cabin to get lis rifle. for
he was not Sure but there would be
trouble between him and this new
squattcr, and when he came out the
other man WAS just emerging from his
cabin also and with Il gun
Pogram started for his neighbor's
cabin, and his neighbor advanced to
meet him. l'ogram. who carried his
rifle in his right hand below his hip.
raised it to Il level with his chest in
order to have it ready jim case OF need.
The other also raised his weapon.
Looks rs though there WAS "uin
to be more fi@htin' than taikiu'." NUT
tered Pogrlm and he brought his piece
to his shoulder. His enemy was ready
for him. bringing his own gun to eX-
actly the same position as pO@ram.
you drop that gum! shouted posram
at the top of his voice.
The man held his weapon firmly TO
his shoulder and seemed to be shout
ing something which Pogram did not
hear.
i've either got to kill him." thought
Pogram. "or he'll Kill me-
He cooked his gun. The other man
seemed to be going through a similar
motion.
Pogram was nervous. Whether or
,pf 11, ~ 70 T. hi iuL
Dor he has never been certain. Prob
ably he pulled the trigger without in
tending to do so. The nci@hbor evil
IDENTIFY was not hit. for he stood
his ground. He was not sufficiently
plain ut the distunce for gpogrfni to
discern If he had fired. At my rate.
Pogram could not detect smoke issun"
from the muzzle of his rifle and didn't
even hear Il bullet pass him.
There We're no repeating rifles in
those days, and both men dropped the
butts OF their rifles at the same mo-
life and death with them as to which
could load the quicker. The more
haste Pogram made the more his OPP
ponent buried Both finished ut the
same moment. and both fired again at
the same moment. Pogrnm was not
hit aud did not even hear Il ping
They stood for u moment looking ut
each other. Then it occurred to 20
gram that they were at Il greater dis
lance from each other than he had
supposed He had Il rifle in his cabin
that he used for long distance shooting
and went in to get it. ,
He had not used this latter rifle for
Il long while. and it was not where he
had expected to find it. He hunted for
it some time before biting upon it. then
went out again to resume the shooting.
Meanwhile the sun had cleared the
horizon and cast some warmth and
more light over the prairie. i'ogran
looked for his neighbor. but he WAS
not to be seen. Probably he had gone
into his cabin. But the cabin was not
there either. Pogram was astonisheG.
Had he been firing ut Il phantom? He
shuddered. For the first time iT his
life he felt lonely. He started fx the
place where he had seen the cabin with
the intention Of having 4 nearer view
il thcre was really anything there. Hc
walked several miles without finding
either Il house or Il man. Then he met
Il woman.
stranger she said, me and my
husband settled last week over thar
pointing,. Yesterday he took sick ana
died this morllin'."
Iogram started II seen his ghost Il
spell ago" he said. The woman was
so distressed that she did not hear.
''I'd be oblerged if you'd give me
bit o. help. l was goin' to the cabin
whar reckon you live for some one to
10 sOmethin' for me. I'm dead alone
$50 am l." said Pogram.
Tho two went bacI, to the woman's
cabin. and Pogram helped her TO bury
her husband and in such other ways
as she needed.
pogram and the widow, both being
lonely. concluded to live together in
PoGrams cabin. Several years passed,
when one morning the husband went
outdoors and saw the cabin he had
seen before and the man standing be-
side it. lLe ran back into the house,
pa.c and trembling.
What is it," asked his wife, start
ing.
"Ycr fust man"