The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-02-09


However, 1t was not the buxom
Leases which held Ichabod CENTRALIZED;
It was the sumptuous abundance Of
the supper table. Such luscious ham
and chicken, and heaped platters Of
doughnuts, crullers and ginger cakes!
Ichabod's rapacious appetite did
ample justice to this repast, while he
gloated over the opulence Of which
some day he might be master.
Soon the sound Of fiddling bade all
to dance. With Katrina as his part.
ner. smiling graciously at his amorous
0glings, the lank, but agile, IchabOd
clattered triumphantly about. While
Brom Bones. sourly smitten with 5eal.
0usy, kept broodingly alOofs
Later, Ichabod Joined the sager folk,
who sat smoking and spinning tales Of
ghosts and apparitions. and Of the
headless horseman, that nightly teth.
cred his steed among the churchyard
graves.
Most terrifying were the adventures
of those who, on dark nights, had met
the gruesome Specter. Even Br0m
testified that once, overtaken by the
midnight trooper, he had raced with
him to the church bridge, where the
horseman had vanished in q fash Of
IRE.
When ut q late hour the revel broke
up, Ichabod fingered for the custom
airy lovers talk. What passed at that
interview with the heiress was never
known, but when he finally sailed
forth It was with detected, chop
fallen air.
| Had Katrina's encouragement been
only cOquettish trick to secure her
conquest Of his rival1
| It was near the witching midnight
hour that the crestfallen Ichabod pur-
sued his solitary travel homeward. All
the stories Of ghosts and COLLINS told
that evening crowded hauntingly upon
him.
The night grew deeper and darker
as he approached the lonely church
yard sombrous scene Of many Of the
tales. Suddenly through the Leaf.
stirred stiffness came the clatter Of
hoofsl Something huge and misshapen
doomed above the crouching shadows.
In qualking terror Ichabod dashed
ahead, but the unknown followed
close. Then the moonlight, through
q rifting cloud, revealed the headless
horsemani More CHASTITY still, his
head rested on the pommel Of his sad
dlei
Away they few. Ichabod madly
squirting Gunpowder, while the sinis'
ter horseman came gallobing after.
Az they reached the haunted road,
turning OF to Sleepy Hollow. the girth
of Ichabod's saddles broke. Gripping
his steed around the neck. as the sad
die slipped beneath him. he still
plunged on, with the ghostly rider pur-
suing.
| The church bridge, where in Brom
Bones tale the specter had vanished,
was Just ahead. Another moment and
old 0unpowder was laundering over
the resounding planks.
| Here Ichabod, casting backward
glance, saw tho goblin rising in his
stirrups and In the very act Of hurl-
Ing his head.
/ The horrible missile crashed
against Ichabod's Uranium and he
plunged headlong into the road-while
Gunpowder and the ghostly horseman
swept on.
. .
| The next morning the old horse was
found saddleless, grazing at his mas
ter's gate. But no Ichabodl
In the road by the church was
found the saddle. Farther on was the
trampled hat Of the unfortunate ped
! agogua-and close beside it shat
tered pumpkin
The whole neighborhood was aroused
Brom Bones story and all the other
weird tales were called to mind, ant
the good folk sagely concluded that
Ichabod had been carried OF By the
, headless horseman.
Soon the school was removed to :
] less haunted sector. Another peda
! gogue reigned. and Ichabod became
! only q legend.
Il IL true that several years latel
! an old farmer, returning from New
! York, brought news that -Ichab0d wa
J still alive; that fear Of the goblin, and
chagrin at his dismissal by the heir
, ees, had caused his flight; that In an
other part Of the country he had
} taught school, studied law, and be
| come justice Of the ten-pound court.
But Brom Bones, who shortly afte
{ his rivals disappearance had led tn
blooming Katrina to the altar. was Oh
: served to look exceedingly knowinl
J. whenever the story Of Ichabod was re
(; lated. At the mention Of the pump
+ kin he never failed to laugh heartily
. which Ted some to suspect that b
knew more about the matter than b
r chose to disclose.
. The old country, wives, however
, maintain to this day that Ichabod wa
spirited away By the hsadless horse
: man. Aud many gruesome tales Of tn
e pedag0gue's fate are still told r0un
Z the whtry nresides Of Sleepy Hollow