Phantasms of the Living

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1918 edition. Excerpt: ...and he raised his right arm. Then he bent forward, saying, ' I suppose I should move out of this.' Then I saw him lying, eyes shut, on the ground, flat. The chimney of an engine at his head. I called in excitement, 'That will strike him!' The ' someone ' answered,' Yes--well, here's what it was '; and immediately I saw William sitting in the open air--faint moonlight--on a raised place, sideways. He raised his right arm, shuddered, and said, 'I can't go on, or back. No.' Then he seemed lying flat. I cried out,' Oh! Oh!' and others seemed to echo, ' Oh! Oh!' He seemed then upon his elbow, saying,' Now it comes.' Then, as if struggling to rise, turned twice round quickly, saying, ' Is it the train? the train, the train,' his right shoulder reverberating as if struck from behind. He fell back like fainting; his eyes rolled. A large dark object came between us like panelling of wood, and rather in the dark something rolled over, and like an arm was thrown up, and the whole thing went away with a swish. Close beside me on the ground there seemed a long dark object. I called out,' They've left something behind, it's like a man.' It then raised its shoulders and head and fell down again. The same someone answered,' Yes, sadly.'? ' Yes,' sadly. After a moment I seemed called on to look up, and said, ' Is that thing not away yet?' Answered, ' No.' And in front, in light, there was a railway compartment in which sat Rev. Mr. Johnstone, of Echuce. I said,' What's he doing there?' Answered,' He's there.' A railway porter went up to the window asking, ' Have you seen any of?' I caught no more, but I thought he referred to the thing left behind. Mr. Johnstone seemed to answer, ' No '; and the man went quickly away--I thought to look for it. After all...