The old homesteads of the Cape are rich in tales of the supernatural. One of the most chilling stories is the story of the ghost with the red hot handshake, said to be haunting the homestead on the farm by the name of Brakfontein near Wellington…
A Spine-Tingling Chuckle Coming From The Shadows…
In 1880, the legend goes, a former owner of the farm had died and his brother-in-law, a brute of a man, began to make life unbearable for the dead man’s widow and daughter
The girl was being courted by a young man from Wellington. One evening after spending a few hours with his sweetheart, he was untethering his horse in the dark beyond the verandah when he became aware of a figure looking at him. Feeling an eerie chill, he asked the stranger to identify himself. The shadowy figure answered that he was the former owner.
“But he’s been dead for a year,” the youth gasped. The ghost chuckled and moved into the light. “I want you to give my brother-in-law a message.” said the ghost. “Tell him to treat my wife better, or it will be the worse for him. To prove that I mean it, here is my hand to prove it- but first take your saddle blanket and wrap it around your hand.”
The young man was puzzled but did as he was told. The ghost then firmly shook his hand and, as he did so, there was a puff of smoke and a strong smell of burning cloth.
The next instant, the ghost had vanished, but it had left behind a grim reminder of his warning- the imprint of a hand burned into the blanket!
This was enough to send the brother-in-law packing, leaving the family to live their lives in peace.
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