Show My Only Adventure With a Ghost TEN summers ago my friend Jack Mayhew and I Dick Huntington decided decided decided de de- to spend our vacation on a walking walking walking walk walk- ing trip in the Sierra Mountains in California Late one misty evening when we had been out for about a month after a hot tiresome day we were almost because we were so long coming to the town where we expected to pass the night Suddenly as we turned around a bend in the road we saw an old man just ahead of us We caught up with him and a asked ked how far it was to the town Oh about two miles he said but there is a short cut just over here but if you take it you'll have to go past the haunted house What in the world is that Jack laughed A haunted house here in inthe inthe inthe the nineteenth century Well We l that's something new Lets Let's take the short shortcut shortcut shortcut cut Dick better not sir said the old fellow no one about here ever dares to pass the house the road is almost ost But why is it said it-said said to be haunted I asked Well about five years ago Bill Jones vas was murdered Folks thought that Joe Smith killed him because he was the thelast the thelast thelast last man seen with him Well folks around here didn't wait for any trial they just went over to Joes Joe's hauled him out of his shanty and hung him up upon upon upon on a tree in front T Just before they put the rope around his neck Joe swore that he was not not guilty guilty and would haunt the place until the real murderer was found That was a rainy night and since then every time anyone has gone past there on a rainy night he has seen Joes Joe's ghost But nowadays everyone is afraid to pass We laughed thanked the old fellow and decided to take the short On the way we naturally began to talk about ghosts and to tell each other startling startling startling start start- ling tales during which Jack recalled Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables dwelling upon the uncanny chapter about Governor I Tam am nervous nervous nervous nerv nerv- ous anyway and such conversations on stormy nights in such a place do not tend to make me any less so It was quite dark as we plodded on and by the time we reached an old hut that we knew must be the haunted one it was rain rain- ing Under the thick tangled trees around the cabin it was pitch dark The wi wind nd was moaning in the trees and shaking the old hut thunder was rumbling rumbling rumbling rum rum- bling in the distance and beco becoming ming louder and louder each successive roll rolland rolland rolland and explosion flash after flash of lightning lightning light light- t- t ning lit up the place They was a rustling rustling rustling rus rus- and we saw a white object moving moving moving ing about quite near us All the sense I ever had left me now as by a flash of lightning I saw that object distinctly it certainly had the form of a man For Fora a minute I stood stock-still stock then mad with terror I turned to run An icy hand seized me and closed over my face and anti with a terrible scream I fell The next thing 1 knew Jack was bending over me As I opened my eyes he lie asked How are you now old fellow t t For an instant I did not know where I was then memory returned and with witha a gasp I said Where is it Jack Where is wh what Why you surely saw it that thing that was here just now You Vou didn't think that was a ghost did you It was only a a. a white birch over there But it grabbed me Oh that was only I I didn't want you to run so I grabbed you an and then you fainted Say Jack I I Isaid said after a pause that I such sucha you wont won't tell anyone was a ninny will you I wont Of course I Ir i r. r r |