Little Lost Boy

In the country of North Georgia many years ago,a woman named Gail Bell lived about a mile down the road from us.She was said to be "not right in the head."Gail had about 8 or 9 children.They followed her like little ducks as the family walked by on the way to the little town two miles up the hills.Between two hills below our house was a creek where we fished and swam.The bridge over it had a low rail but was sturdy.
We heard one summer weekday,that the youngest of Gail's boys was found drowned in the creek.It seems he had been there about a week but she had not missed him and had no idea that he had fallen in when crossing the bridge.We were sad and shocked.Poor little boy.His Mother did not even know he was gone.
The next time they passed by we heard a lot of yells from the bridge.It seems the children heard someone saying "Wait,Wait for me." as they turned,they saw the little boy climb from the water and take his place at the end of the line.Gail saw him too.We did not see him.
The children said he joined them every time they went by from then on and walked across the bridge with the family.No one else but some moonshiners who set up a still under the bridge ever saw him,but that is another story....