from the first; it was a likely place for ghosts. But the thing which
did surprise me, was the fact that it was Mose who brought the news.

We were sitting on the portico after supper one night--it was almost
dark and the glow from our cigars was the one visible point in the
scenery--when Mose came bounding across the lawn with his peculiar
loping run and fairly groveled at Radnor's feet, his teeth chattering
with fear.

"I's seen de ha'nt, Marse Rad; de sho nuff ha'nt all dressed in black
an' risin' outen de spring-hole."

"You fool!" Radnor cried. "Get on your feet and behave yourself."

"It was de debbil," Mose chattered. "His face was black an' his eyes was
fire."

"You've been drinking, Mose," Radnor said sharply. "Get off to the
quarters where you belong, and don't let me see you again until you are
sober," and he shunted the fellow out of the way before he had time to
say any more.

I myself was tolerably certain that Mose had not been drinking; that, at
least, was not in the list of his peculiar vices. He appeared to be
thoroughly frightened--if not, he was a most consummate actor. In the
light of what I already knew, I was considerably puzzled by this fresh
manifestation. The Colonel fretted and fumed up and down the veranda,
muttering something about these fool niggers all being alike. He had
bragged considerably about Mose's immunity in respect to ha'nts, and I
think he was rather dashed at his favorite's falling-off. I held my
peace, and Radnor returned in a few minutes.

"Rad," said the Colonel, "this thing's going too far. The whole place is
infested with ghosts; they'll be invading the house next and we won't
have a servant left on the place. Can't you do something to stop it?"

Radnor shrugged his shoulders and said that it was a pretty tough job to
lay a ghost when there were twenty niggers on the place, but that he
would see what he could do; and he presently drifted off again.

That same night about ten o'clock I was reading before going to bed,
when a knock sounded on the door, and Radnor appeared. He was unusually
restless and ill at ease. He referred in a jesting fashion to the ha'nt,
discussed some neighborhood gossip, and finally quite abruptly inquired:

"Arnold, can you lend me some money?"

"Yes," I said, "I think so; how much do you want?"

"A hundred dollars if you can spare it. Fact is I'm a little hard up,
and I've got a bill to meet. I have some money invested but I can't put