Cinder Path Tales

PADDY'S PROBATION suddenly, as if at the soundof the pistol, he was off. Three strides he took, and then up he came, lifting in the air as over an imaginary hurdle, and as he rose I could hear Paddy's breath as if drawn by a suction-pump. The spook landed with a great flutter, the white robe making a tremendous flapping, and the steps sounding crunch, crunch, crunch on the cinders. Although there was not the sign of a stick up, he hurdled sure enough, and so naturally, that I strained my eyes to discover something more than the "impty wind." As he approachedthe second imaginary hurdle the moon came out clear, and I could see him tuck a bare foot under him, rise clumsily, and come down with an amazing display of skeleton legs. A great noise he made, and it reassured me. I was sure one of the boys was acting the r61e, and discovered something strangely familiar in the peculiar gait of the ghostly hurdler. As it came close to us, Paddy began to tremble, and was gathering himself to break away and run, when a sudden fancy tookme, and I said, "Tackle the ghost, Paddy, and the job is yours," at he same time letting go my hold on his arm." He hesitated but a second, just long enough to realize what I had said, and then he was