From “Dana, Saskatchewan, Canada,” comes another amusing ghost story. The “streak of blue flame” is decidedly good, and the idea of the ghost hanging onto the sleigh, and almost defying two horses to drag it, is delightful: –
“Last February the shack of a homesteader living with his family on his claim fourteen miles west of here was found to be haunted. Strange noises and whistlings were heard nightly, and frequently, while crossing the floor, the inmates would be sharply stricken in the face, sometimes with sufficient violence to knock the children down.
The family, becoming badly scared, moved to the farm of the homesteader’s father-in-law, a French half-breed, and formerly one of Riel’s warriors, living two miles north of here. It was thought by those concerned that perhaps the shack where the affair occurred might have been erected on the scene of an India fight, and that the disturbance was a consequence of the braves continuing the battle after death. The theory was fallacious; the ghost moved with the family, and the noises continued.
Sleighloads of people from town visited the farm nightly, and returned convinced of the existence of the ghost. A priest was unavailing to ‘lay’ the intruder. Then the ghost refused to appear when strangers were present; but upon their departure crowded the whole performance into an hour or so, and almost scared the family to death.
At the farmer’s request the townspeople stayed away, and a new priest was employed with more success. While unable to drive the ghost away for good, he supplied holy water which would ‘lay’ it temporarily. Whenever the noise commenced the water was thrown in the direction whence it came, and immediately the ghost was heard to rush whistling downstairs, a streak of blue flame sometimes marking the hurried exit.
Eventually the homesteader returned to his own shack. His trunk was loaded on a sleigh, and although it only weighed 200lb. at the outside, and the weather was bitterly cold, two horses were barely able to move it on a good sleigh road, and sweated to foam in doing so.
I have heard nothing of the affair since, but the story gained universal credence round here. The only explanation offered was that the man’s former wife was plaguing him for a too sudden re-marriage. This is the first ghost story I have heard on the prairies, and there certainly appeared to be something in it.”
Advertiser for the North of Scotland, 25th December 1907.