Show STUDENT LIFE rail and decided to stay all night Old Pete looked at me reproachfully as I pulled off the saddle and tied him inside the enclosure The cabin a frame structure had been built when prospectors were hurriedly digging holes and setting stakes all over the country to establish the right to copper claims of supposed fabulous value which were later abandoned as worthless Those were exciting times Old Jim Walton and a new man had quarreled in a good old western way on the little ridge just back of the house The other fellow died on the ridge and Old Jim followed him over a few hours later from the cabin That had been my first sight of human blood After that there were more rows there always are Then Jed Sotz fell down a prospect hole over on the Hogback a mile and a half east of the cabin and lay there at the botton helpless with a broken leg for days He was delerious for a long time after we got him out and it always made me “creepy” to think about it Among the rubbish inside I found an old tin tobacco box containing two short candles The straw in the bunks was dry and a lot of it in one bunk with the saddle blankets and my overcoat made a very nice bed With something to eat it would have been a satisfactory I was dead tired but I camp couldn’t help wondering how old Jim would look if he came back and how poor Sutz felt in that hole and it was a longtime before 5 I could get to sleep I had a firm disbelief in the supernatural but I went to sleep thinking vaguely that I would not be surprised if ghosts came I found myself sitting straight up in the bunk frozen stiff with terror unable to move or cry out cold beads of perspiration were on my face my scalp was contracted until I could not close my eyes and a horrible fantastic indefinite shape held them rivited upon it Clinging to me was the impression of a screaming woman full of dis- tress but horribly unearthly Sitting there unable to move a single muscle I realized that I was entirely alone miles from any other human being I felt that I must go mad in another second unless I could break the spell but for what seemed ages it held me absolutely helpless and there was always that terrible indefinite shape before me If there were onlv a sound onlv a watch tick it would free me give me a chance to fight I’d give my life my soul anything to break the power After an eternity it seemed to lose its power on my right arm I clutched the revolver and it seemed hours before there came strength enough to fire it At last it exploded a deafening report a red streak of fire and a jarring recoil and I was free The shape disappeared and I yelled in exultation and rushed out into the inky blackness of the night The shot so frightened old Pete that he pulled bpek on his rope until the 7 |