Gunfire Ghost

The legend of the Gunfire Ghost started back in the mid 60’s when three boys were going to stay overnight at a lighthouse along Lake Superior. They decided to sleep in the attic of the keeper’s home near the tower. They went out for a couple of hours, and when they came back, laid out their sleeping bags. While the boys were getting ready for bed, they heard creaky footsteps coming up the stairs down below them. One of the boys went to check if someone was there. He went down the attic stairs, then he walked down the hallway. The creaky footsteps stopped.

He walked down to the living room and saw a shadow that looked like a man. Hesitantly, he walked toward it — nope, just a statue that looked like a man. Then he thought of something else! He had forgotten to look in the closet, but upon checking, nothing was there. He checked everywhere, and found nothing. So he went back up to the attic.

They had brought their .22 rifles to do some target practice. They had also brought a lantern for the dark so they wouldn’t get lost in the lighthouse. Cautiously the boys laid these items within reach, turned on the radio and went to sleep. During the night they were awakened by a noise, “Creak! Creak!” The footsteps were back! The boys got up and carefully exited out of the attic. “We’re up and armed!” said one of the boys. They looked everywhere. “BANG!!!” Thunder came as it began to storm. So they got out of the attic and went to the basement to sleep, and be safe in case a tornado came. They didn’t hear any more noises that night and the next day it was bright and sunny.

Clues…

When the boys had been out exploring the shoreline the previous afternoon, they had found a box of treasure. Upon hearing the creaking stairs, they were convinced whomever was in the lighthouse with them was after their treasure. One of the boys bravely slipped out the back entrance and ran out into the storm to hide the treasure.

From the lighthouse he headed westward down the beach, away from the lighthouse. As he approached the last row of old pilings standing in the stormy water, a sudden crack of lightning revealed a sandy pathway heading up from the beach just past a big-headed pine that looked like a low, angry cloud. Walking up this path, just ahead of him, the many trunks of a sprawling birch tree caught the light of the moon and looked like a glowing monster, whose many arms were waiting to grab him and his treasure. Carefully, he skirted around the right side of the tree and walked due south to a pine stump standing at the edge of a sandy bowl-shaped area. Ahhh! This would make a good hiding spot for the treasure, he thought! He took a quick look around to make sure he wasn’t being watched and then crouched down into the middle of the sandy basin and hid his treasure under a pile of rocks.