The Shasta courier., 1866-07-14

neighbors ahead of US, and in less than an
| hour afterward our worst fears were realized;
he expired in great agony.
Preparations were Immediately commenc-
ed for the funeral as, in this hot climate, a
corpse rapidly decomposes, making it neces-
sary to inter it without delay. A Mexican
was sent to dig the grave. while the corpse
| was washed and the coffin made and these
items concluded, a large shroud of whi
muslin was put into his coffin, and was ready
| for sepulture.
| He was to be buried on the following
morning, and, in accordance with the Gus
tom among the Mexicans, we We're to reidr
| (watch) the corpse that night: SO in the
afternoon it was removed to Smiths store !;
and, as his wife was Mexican, it was de-
cided that the American residents should sit
up with it till midnight, and then his wife's
relatives and friends would relieve us till
daylight. The coffin was accordingly plac
ed, with the lid eff, and the body was ex-
posed to the last gaze of his friends, upon
the counter, and a dozen wax-candles, that
had been sprinkled with - holy water" were
ABUSED ready for lighting around it,
and everything being prepared, at dark we
lit them, and then sat silently down beside
the coffin to pay our last tribute to our de-
ceased friend.
The time passed away quietly, and almost
before we were aware of it, the bells of the
cathedral in Reynosa tolled the hour of mid
night. At the same time party of about
twenty Mexicans entered to relieve us, and
keep watch till morning so salutiDg them,
we silently left and went home.
To break the monotony of their vigil, they
had brought several bottles of aguardiente or
cana, sugar cane rum, and a 6drgja, or
deck of Spanish cards.
They drank several times, and after a
while one of them produced the cards and
opened game of monte. The Mexicans.
almost without exception, and especially
those on the frontier. are inveterate gam
blers and so absorbed did they soon become,
in their gains and losses at the game, that
corpse, coffin. and all were soon forgotten,
and all their attention was confined TO the
cards and dealer. The candles around the
cofin afforded a brilliant light and at the
foot of it stood the dealer, and grouped
around him and sitting on the counter in
every position where they could obtain
sight of the '' lay out, were the others.
| One of them had won a considerable sum,
and had placed it upon the foot of the coffln.
near which he stood and was so elated
with his luck, that, ever and anon, he treat
ed the rest out of a large bottle of mezcat Ia
liquor like gin, distilled from the juice of the
maguey) which sat alongside of the coffin
A new deal was about to commence, and the
cards having been cut, the dealer made the
first layout, calling at the same time the
cards, el reg q ell caballo king and queen y
Considerable money was laid down on the
cards, and the dealer was about to draw,
when they were all horrified by deep sep
ulchral voice, saying:
"Voy seis owzas mas al rey-frme ?''
(I'll bet six ounces (S96) more on the king
Looking up, sight met their gaze that
fairly froze the blood in their veins; the
dead man sat up in his coffin, his CHASTITY
face fixed upon the cards laid out upon the
counter. his right arm extended, with his
hand full of gold, toward them his left
hand grasped the neck of the bottle of meg
| cal, and every moment he raised it to his
cadaverous mouth, while gurgling sound
and deep drawn ah ! told what satisfaction
he was deriving from..it. Strange freak in a
corpse
So seemed to think the poor Mexicahs, who
stood with mouths open, eyes protruding, aad
hair on end, terrified beyond the power to
move.
Again the corpse spoke:
"Andele carrajo, voy al rey-porque no
sigue ell juego?'' Go on I'll bet on the
king. Why don't you go on with the
game?)
With yell of terror, they broke for the
door, leaving money, cards. whisky, mezcat
coffin, and corpse to take care of themselves
the best way they could, and then fled in
every direction.
The corpse having got out of his confined
quarters, very coolly proceeded, first to gath
er up the money that the Mexicans, in their
fright had left behind them, and having con
cluded that, he sat down and quietly finish
ed the bottle of mezcal and then feeling
hungry, he ransacked the store from one end
to the other, in the hope of finding some
thing to eat. In this he was altogether un-
successful; so, packing up the balance Of
the whisky, the cards, candles, etc., into his
coffin, this eccentric ghost shouldered the lat
ter, and starting out of the door, he took the
road for his own jacal.
Several of his wife's female relatives had
stopped with her over night, and, having
spent the fore part Of the night in lamenta
tons, and recounting the good traits of the
deceased. had long since sunk to sleep, and
were snoring soundly, when they were
abruptly awakened by a laundering knock
at the door.
''Quien es ?' (Who is there?)
Yo soy" Ut is me.).
"Quien ?" Who?)
Yo soy-yo-Starr !" Ut is I-myself
Starr.
"Valga ma la santissima Virgin es la
voz del iifantop' (Sainted Virgin save me;
it is the voice of the dead y
" Abren la puerta, pendejos 81 no, lie
rompire, abrenP' (Open the door, you fools;
or if you don't, I'll break it open.)
As they took no notice of this demand
further than to cross themselves and pray,
Starr brought the end of his coffin into posi-
ton battering ram; and with one OF
two well directed ''pokes," he burst open
the door, and shouldering again his coffin. he
stalked into the room.
A comical scene here ensued Mexican
women are not so prone to faint as their
American sisters; SO dropping their beads,
they jumped from their beds. and yelling
"Ghost ghost!" then took to their legs,
and ran like streak of creased lightning
into the chaparal bushes, without waiting to
dress. leaving the ghost quietly seated upon
his coffin. and after taking pull of the whis-
ky, laughing as though he would burst at
the stampede he had created