The Waihola Ghost

Bruce Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 2983, 5 August 1898, Page 5

The Waihola Ghost

Waihola is a very weird place in the winter. Particularly is it ao at night when one ia sneaking along the swampedge of the lake, wet through, after duck tbat never were seen. Nothing can be beard but the mstle of the bullrushes, tbe lap and swish of the wavelets in the wind, which occasionally sends a mournful moan over the water, the pretentious seething of the tide against the railway line, and now and again the sad cry of a swan warning his mates of some danger or to keep in line. Duck won't live in sucb noises, and the man with the gun can't last, long. Even trout disappear when the winter comes on, and there is nothing but noises on the lake. There is no life, no anything ; and the man who says that the first object to appear in the darkness is not a ghost is certainly—well, not a Waihola man. Now, about last Christmas ifc happened that someone died. Waihola was quite innocent—didn't even know who the person was. Perhaps the lake with all its noises Beemed to be a very good place; at any rate it was there that tbe person's ghost appeared. At first it was only a bright figure showing up on the muddy swamp-edge when things looked most mournful. By-and-by he came out every nigbt for certain, and had actually been seen on several differentoccasions, frightening everybody away. Then his mana increased, and he was leaa frequently seen although more regularly visible, and be was reported to be arrayed in a white sheet and to have awful killing power. No one would go out on the lake at nighfc for a lot of money, and there was nothing for it but to devise means of destroying the ghost. People from Milton are very practical, and they suggested shooting ; but the Waibola people called them big fools, because fche ghost might only be a practical joker and the consequences of shooting him would be dire indeed. Someone else suggested putting salt on it, as this was known fco be a most effectual way of catching anything that has a habit of flying away suddenly. But even this was thought not a satisfactory method, andfinally the matter was left 'o fche young men of Waihola to deal with, with Zubwobski as chairman. A few words about Zubwobski. Ho was a famous cricketer, and a very bold batsman. It took the Milton fast bowler half-an-hour to make him jump to leg to c cape a shooter and so expose his wicket. So everybody felt confident he would be able to deal with the ghost. Meantime the place was in woeful straits. Nervous collapse was absolutely nothing to the terrible cases of prostration which followed the visits of the ghost. Both the Milton doctors were called down three or four times a week and had at length to form a coalition against the alarming increase of work and to igDore altogether the epidemic of German measleß in Milton. The young men met every night and talked the matter over, but could hit upon no plan. One night a Miiton man who was present suggested that ifc might be a will o'-the-wisp. "Oh! ah ! boo-hoo-hoo-! " he was told ; how dared he talk such nonsense, Why, the Milton man ought to know that no one could go within 100 yards of it for fear it should turn out to be a real ghost. " Will-o'-the-wisp ] Pooh, how absurd !" The Milton man was demoralised and fled. The young men discussed the matter after his departure and came to the conclusion that there was no doubt at all that the ghost was that of a dead man—it was decided by seven votes to three that he had been murdered—and that he would avenge himself on the firet who ap? proached, That was their chief ob. etaole in dealing with it. There was oce pmall boy wljo bad been chased

down a hill into the township by a meteor in the guise of a gh\oßt, and he gave evidence that the ghost on the awamp-edge was not mere phosphorescence. » One night a person from over the lake had to come to "Waihola in apite of himself. The jetty ia in very bad repair and he decided for convenience to land round the shore a little. All of a sudden on turning round on his thwart the ghost appeared directly before him. The poor fellow knew nothing of what Zubwobski and the young men had decided, so he rashly siruck a match to ccc who it was and whether the sheet was worth taking home. As soon us he gained his eyes fche figure was gone, and he thought he had vanquished him aud frightened him home. But no sooner had the match burnt his finger and he had resumed his 6eat than the ghost reappeared and told him plainly enough that he was a fool. This man's name was Mr Wiswiggleßki, and he was mad with fright. He pulled away as hard as he could and landed at tbe jetty, although the County Council had closed the approaches to it. Then Mr Wiswiggleski joined Zubwobski and learnt ali about the ghost. As the days passed poor Zubwobski was sore Bmitten as to what he should do to save Waihola, aod s-till do plan could be agreed upon by the young men iv council. Zubwobski was in love, like some people get sometimes, and did not like to admit it ; but She was a victim to nenous collapse herself, and She Raid if he was worthy of Her he certainly must make very short work of the ghost. Her real expression contained suggestions of such strong measures as the Waihola people would not countenance ; but then what lovers Ray to one another is not meantif or publication. If the reader must know everything Zubwobski was but a phlegmatic lover? but the fact whb ho was thoroughly sick of actiug as chairman, and felt the strain of responsibility too great. Wherefore he determined to pull out alone with only his little dog to have a look at the ghost and see what could be done. He had other reasons also. When the ghost firat appeared he was stark naked — at least no one ever said be had anything to wear. Then as before mentioned he had become possessed of a white robe, and popular report said tbat he would iv the space of a few days be further actirrd in flames of fire as to his head. From tbis io appeared that he was becoming more and more opulent, and Zubwobski, being a thrifty man, could easily see that in a shoit time he would be far too expensive for Waihola to maintain. Poor little dog ! Every minute he broke out in a fresh place and cried bitterly as Zubwobski pulled out into the darknese. Then Zubwobski lauded and began to explore amoDg the bulrushes in the boggy ground, where people were afraid of sticking. Poor little dog ! He was happy agwin, and sniffed away like aDy other dog where he thought there might have been a rabbit once. Zubwobski was thinking of Her and of starting a house with the robe of the ghost, when all of a sudden he waa startled by a yelp and a loud report, and there, lo ! and behold, was his poor little dog, all exploded, falling down out of the air. " Oh, where, oh where, has mein leetle dog gone," cried poor Zubwobski in the fullness of his heart. But he had no time to say more, for there straight in front of him stood the ghost, larger than life, saying things which could not be repeated to a Waihola audience. Zubwobski did not wait to see the price per yard of the I sheet or whether it came from the Manchester House or from Robertson's. He ran for his life to the township, and strongly fortified himself in the Lake Hotel. Now it happened that a number of people from Milton were down for the purpose of the concert last week, aud j Zubwobski heard them talking in a most practical and uaconversant manner about the ghost. Some of the ladies said they would not be frightened to go out in the Stafia at tbat moment. But Zubwobski kept his own counsel. He mourned pitifully the loss of his dog, and afterwards went over to the hall for a dance to drown his sorrow. Now the rest of the story about the ghost which has dominated Waihola for the last few months does not need to be told. A learned man once suggested that the vision might be the foul gas arising from the carcase of a dead animal. But what does a learned man know about ghosts. To the best of my knowledge the ghost doesn't exist now any more than it ever did. But one thing is certain, on the very spot where Zubwobski's poor little dog went to his rest in | pieces somebody found a dead sheep of many days embedded in the slime, and giving out blue and yellow and pink light in the loneliness of night. Poor little dog ! He had the best intentions possible, and he saved all Waihola by poking about looking for dead rabbits, in the pursuit of which he trod on the vacuum containing the shesp, and paid the penalty, The ghost has not shown since Zubwobski's poor little dog exploded its lair and himself and the same time, and now tbe death rate in- Waihola is becoming normal again, G.H.S.

Mr C, M, Dixon, a well-known merchant of Pleasant Ridge, Fulton Co., Pa., has a little girl who is frequently threatened with croup, but when the firßt symptoms appear, hia wife gives her Obamberlain'a Cough Remedy, whioh always affords prompt relief. For eale by Jw, Gray and Song.