Whip Hoyas

Origin
Bill Farnell is set to replace the switchman when he alights from the train at the lonely Mesa Verde station. The prior switchman at Mesa Verde, a man called Newt, tells Farnell a story. The story is about the "Indian legend" of a ghost they call Whip Hoyas. Hoyas was a mule driver pushed off the land by the advent of the railroad. Whip Hoyas will appear at the mouth of the Mesa Verde railroad tunnel.. Newt told Farnell that Whip Hoyas would appear when a coyote barked from the top of the nearby mountain.

Later on, Farnell while waiting for the Saginaw freight train, he hears the coyote howl. He rushes to the switch, but encounters Whip Hoyas after he pushes the lever. He looks on as Whip Hoyas moves away, seeing the whip crack in the distance. The bridge fails over the nearby canyon, and the train falls into into the canyon. Farnell is upset as he investigates the area, finding the wooden train tressles weakened by what looked like a persistent whip-lashing.

After the inspectors call the failure an unfortunate accident, Farnell waits for the Yucatan Express with his rifle. He hears the coyote howl, and again sees Whip Hoyas. The latter whips the rifle from Farnell's hand. Whip Hoyas boards the boiler room of the fast-moving train, causing it to derail.

Desiring to stop Whip Hoyas, Bill Farnell follows the figure. He discovers the entrance to an old mine that Whip Hoyas may be using as a lair. He find Whip Hoyas inside, but the ghostly being uses his whip against the mine's rotting timbers, causing a collapse.

Farnell escapes into the train tunnel and finds himself in the path of the oncoming train. Unable to escape, he sees in the train's headlight that the face of Whip Hoyas is clearly that of the man called Newt.

Public Domain Appearances

 * Beware! Terror Tales #8