Ghosts of the Carolinas by Nancy Roberts

Author:Nancy Roberts [Roberts, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Ghost
ISBN: 9781643360409
Google: ijiqDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Press
Published: 2019-10-11T04:01:41+00:00

When she mentioned buried treasure the words cut through the oppressive July heat and aroused a spark of interest in the young officer.

“Six chests of gold, silver and jewels were carried ashore by the pirates. They dug a hole for it between dem two big oaks.” And she pointed a figure as gnarled as the trees themselves. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper as she told how the frightened Negroes had watched.

As the last chest was lowered into the hole the leader of the buccaneers suddenly stabbed one of his men in the back and tumbled him into the opening. Quickly the other pirates shoveled sand over the body and soon they had vanished back to the sea from whence they had come.

It was not long before a large ship appeared on the horizon, apparently in search of the pirates. From her description Lieutenant Yokum guessed that it might have been a British man of war.

He was now intensely interested.

“I suppose the treasure has been dug up long since?” he asked with only a trace of hope in his voice.

“No suh, no suh. Who gonna go near dat place? Dat pirate he watch over dem chests even do’ he dead.” And the old woman fell silent, looking out toward the sea. Yokum helped her carry her few belongings down to the boat and she and the child boarded it along with the other Negroes.

That night shortly before twelve o’clock two officers of the 62nd Ohio, each equipped with a shovel, disappeared over the sand dunes. Yokum and his friend, Lieutenant Hatcher, had no trouble finding the giant live oaks which grew a short distance from the Negro cabin. They were shrouded with Spanish moss and so much taller than the other trees on the narrow strip of land that they stood out conspicuously.

As they neared their goal the tops of the trees began to rustle and stir although there was no breeze and the air hung still and heavy with heat.

Taking their bearings and choosing a site directly between the two oaks, which were about twenty feet apart, the men began to dig. There was a flash of lightning and Yokum looked up at the sky for signs of a summer thunderstorm. To his surprise no distant roll of thunder followed. Hatcher pointed to the tops of the trees now swaying and writhing as if buffeted by a strong wind.

They raised their shovels and resumed digging. The sand which the wind swept against their faces and bare torsos stung like thousands of tiny needles. But they continued to dig. By now the darkness was illuminated by numerous flashes of lightning and at times they could see each other as plainly as if it were day.

Then a flash came which seemed to last for several seconds. The area where they dug became bright as noonday. At that moment a shattering realization came to both men.

They were not alone.

There was someone or something standing there beside them. Was it human? The figure was one that neither of them would ever be able to forget.

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