Show A TRUE GHOST STORY by WILLIAM POWELL motion picture star 1 I had always believed that all ghost stories were explainable as natural phenomena until I 1 visited a n small island near tahiti in the south pacific said william rowell powell that visit left me doubtful some day I 1 want to revisit the island to see whether to believe my senses or my theories in tahiti I 1 met albert berne swedish pearl pear diver who through his own efforts over a period of 15 or 20 years in the south seas has amassed sufficient resources from his diving activities to head a small but profitable company of native divers in the course of the yarns which berne spun a certain island well out oni of the beaten path of tramp steamships was mentioned again and again the island was taboo among native divers although berne and others knew that in its vicinity were some borne of the richest pearl oyster beds in the whole tahiti group pressed for details as to why the wand island was feared by native divers berne confessed that he did not know exactly but that the island a sulphurous volcano patch was undoubtedly queer que ir ue ile added that he ad never found native wisdom in these matters unfounded and that he was content to gather pearls in other fields 1 I learned however that the natives could be persuaded to visit the island under promise that the party would not attempt to remain there overnight and that no single diver would under any circumstances enter the water in search of pearls in the islands vicinity 1 I laughed at it bernes theories of native knowledge of ghosts and haunted tiann ted islands and finally extracted a promise from him to take me to the island for a firsthand first hand lamination examination of its peculiarities the trip was made in one of bernes small boats with native sailors fearful but resigned resl gnei as the only companions for us two white men the party landed in a small boat high up on oa a lilack black and evil smelling beach almost at high tide under instructions from the natives we sat down to wait for whatever phenomena might occur darkness approached before the tide thle had receded far enough to demonstrate what the natives said would be the most tangible sign that the island was waa queer As twilight fell and the tide receded strange phosphorescent lights began to dance about the beach and occasionally shoot out of the tops of palms massed in a green black bank behind us 1 I refused to be impressed by these alarming signals however knowing that the volcanic origin of tle the island and the obvious presence of sulphur and other free minerals about was explanation enough for all this but under instructions from the natives translated by berne an interested te but somewhat apprehensive observer I 1 spent the final two hours before low tide watching the black beach before me tropical darkness I 1 fell and was replaced shortly bj bi brilliant moonlight I 1 was mis positive I 1 neither slept nor took my eyes oft the beach before me for a single instant and yet at the moment the natives st signaled me to follow them down tho tha beach I 1 knew that it was smooth and clean with the washing surf halfway down toward the water which at that moment had apparently reached the lowest point of ebb tide the natives stood still and motioned for me to continue then I 1 saw before me ale where re the water had been the unmistakable footprints of a human being gigantic barefoot marks along the beach where no one could possibly have walked without my seeing him the footprints of a man who must have been of enormous stature at the same moment the sulphurous lights of the island behind me seemed to be loosed nil all at once as though the receding tide had lifted a tremendous pressure from the washed beach the natives broke and ran and I 1 am not ashamed to admit that I 1 ran after them they told me later that these same footmarks foot marks can be seen at low tide around the entire island that although some have tried to explain them as porous places in the coral and lava foundation for the beach the natives have always considered the foul smelling and sulphurous island taboo 1 I do not blame them copyright bv public ledder lae ine ser lee |