The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-11-12


delight which you promised me-" said
Martha's FRIEND soon after her arri-
val.
IN begin right now, by telling
you story. Of course, I know that
you are in no wise superstitious, but
many of the old-timers around here
believe the story.
"Florida is a land of legends and
you know that every legend has a
basis Of truth, no matter how small it
may be, there is some truth or there
would be no legend. Albert Ross Par
sons says and SO does Ignatius
Donnelly, and all history goes to
prove it.
when this part of the state was
unsettled and during the days when
piracy was in fashion, it is said that
Spanish pirates had their rendezvous
on Santa Rosa Island, in a place called
Red Mans Hollow some to make it
more blood curdling, call it Dead
Mans Hollow" It is about mile west
of Camp Walton on Santa Rosa Is
land. 1t S ia large sand dune, formed
by the shifting sands blowing against
trunks of magnolia, oak and pine
trees. These trees are so near to-
gether that when the sand blew
around them it left a large hollow
with an entrance from the south, or
gulf side. One can climb to the top
of the sand dune and look down into
this hollow through the top of these
trees. Here is where the pirates bur-
led their treasure. They landed on
the beach at Pirates Cove and car
ried their treasure to Red Mans Hol-
low.
'The captain of this band was a
black-eyed, black-haired, heavy NOUS
tached, handsome pirate; you know
the type so I viii not describe him
further.
"On the mainland lived a family;
old southern aristocrats. An only
child, a daughter, beautiful and dainty
fell in love with this captain. How or
when they became acquainted, no one
ever knew. But she always knew
when his ships came in and being
skillful with the oars, she would row
across Santa Rosa Sound to Red
Mans Hollow and there meet her
lover.
"But, true to all Spanish tradition,
this captain lover became jealous and
told her that if she proved false to
him that he would kill her; that he
had heard that her patrician family
had chosen husband from her own
class and that they had been seen out
boating together. The lady protested
that there was no one but the captain
for her, and though the story was
true regarding the young man whom
her parents had chosen, yet she would
never, no never, marry him.
'The next time the pirate ship an
chored at Pirates Cove, the lookout
had a tale to.etell the captain. The
young lady had been seen often out
boating with the man chosen by her
parents; yes, and on moonlight nights
her merry laughter had been heard
like silver music over the waters
ut is supposed that the handsome
pirate CRASHED his teeth and his black
eyes blazed; all pirate captains do
that way in stories, you know; any
how when the young lady rowed
across in her skiff a very stern man
met her. Legend does not give the
conversation but it does say that this
/ captain cut off her head with his
razor-edged sword and carried her
headless body to Pirates Cove, which
is opposite Mary Esther, and there
he tied an anchor to the body and
rowing out to deep water, he dropped
it overheard What he did with the
head is not known.
"But the lady did not rest in her
watery grave, but every month since
that time at midnight, when the moon
is full, this headless lady arises from
the cove and walks to Red Mans Hol-
low, straight from the cove along a
smooth, white walk for a mile, she
treads her way, stately, slowly, she
goes and when she reaches the hollow
she enters, remains for half an hour
and then returns to the cove where
she disappears.
''There are many people who believe
this story and there are some who
say they have seen the blue lights
that bubble when she comes up from
the cove and that they have seen these
lights go slowly along Lady's Walk
and disappear into the hollow and
then return to Pirates Cove; these
people will not venture on the island
at midnight.
''Now are you brave enough to 90
over there and spend two days and
one night at Red Mans Hollow dur
ing the full moon? That viii be a new
sensation. What do you say? ?"
Indeed, will gol 1t takes one back
to the old days of the Spanish buc-
| cancers, and to the time when people
believed in ghosts"
! Tho xov+ WaIrocrJory x,v,r ELL ..~.,-