've heerd,"
remarked Jake reflectively.

Pete responded with an oath. "Knock 'im silly, he'll be easy 'nough
handlin' then."

"Ye don't mean for to do 'im up, do ye Pete?"

"Well, I guess nobody'd feel very bad if ye did."

Jake went down the road, and Pete was alone once more. After waiting a
while, he determined to ascertain, if possible, whether there was any
one within the cabin. As he approached the door, there was a low
savage growl from the faithful watcher within. Very stealthily he
tried to open the door, but it was locked, and in response there was
such a furious onset upon the other side, accompanied by such fierce
growls, that he started back involuntarily.

It was nearly twelve o'clock, and Pete was growing desperate, and
anxious to put an end to his long watch. He retreated to the road, and
stood looking at the cabin, trying to decide whether he should break
in the window and shoot the dog, and run the risk of being shot in
return by whoever might be concealed within, when his attention was
suddenly arrested by a strange sound, as of heavily muffled footsteps
close behind him. He turned quickly, and in the starlight beheld a
sight that seemed to chill the blood in his veins. Not more than fifty
feet distant, and slowly approaching him, were the spotted horse and
his ghostly rider.

Every detail was perfect, like the description he had often heard
given by others who had seen the frightful apparition: the man dressed
in his miner's clothes, carrying the empty bag from which the gold had
been stolen; his face ghastly white, and the blood streaming from his
breast, while horse and rider were partially shrouded by a white
covering which floated from behind them.

Nearer and nearer came those strange footsteps, closer and closer the
fearful sight, and still Pete stood, as if turned to stone, his eyes
starting from their sockets, his hair rising, but unable to move or
speak.

Suddenly a long, low groan issuing from the ghastly lips seemed to
break the spell, and with one terrible shriek, Pete gave two or three
bounds out of the road, and ran for his life, jumping and leaping over
the rocks and through the brush, like a wild man.

The ghost gave a low, rippling laugh of satisfaction, and turning the
horse, rode rapidly back in the direction from which it had come,
until striking the road from the house to the mines, where the horse
trotted briskly for some distance, but on nearing the mines, once more