Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-06-18
Geierte0 MltsceIlaup.
MIEGLES.

WE were eight, including the driver.
We had not spoken during the passage of
the last six miles, since the jolting of
the heavy vehicle over the rOughening
road had spoiled the JUICES last poetical
quotation. The tall man beside the Judge
was asleep, his arm passed through the
swaying strap and his head resting upon
it--altOgether limp, helpless-looking OBJ
ject, as if he had hanged himself aud been
cut down too late The French lady Oh
the back seat was asleep, TOO, yet 10 q
halfconscious propriety of attitude, shown
even in the disposition of the handker-
chief which she held to her forehead and
which partially yelled her face The lady
from Virginia City, travelling with her
husband, had long since lost all individu
ality in a wild confusion of ribbons, wells,
furs and shawls. There was no sound
but the rattling Of wheels and the dash of
rain upon the roof. Suddenly the stage
stopped and we became dimly aware of
voices. The driver was evidently in the
midst Of an exciting coll0quy with some
one in the road--a colloquy of which
such fragments as bridge gOne," "twen
ty feet of water" "can't pass" were occa-
sionally distiDguishable above the storm
Then came a lull, and the mysterious
voice from the road shouted the parting
adjuration:
"Try Miggles'."
We caught glimpse of our leaders as
the vehicle slowly turned, of horseman
vanishing through the rain, and we were
evidently on our way to Miggles'.
Who and where was Miggles? The
Judge, our authority, did not remember
the name, and he knew the country thor
oughly. The Washoe traveller thought
Miggles must keep hotel We only knew
that we were stopped by high water In
front and rear, and that Miggles was our
rock of refuge A ten minutes splashipg
through tangled by.road scarcely wide
enough for the stage, and we drew up be-
fore barred and boarded gate in wide
stone wall or fence about eight feet high.
Evidently Miggles', and evidently Miggles
did not keep hotel.
The driver got down and tried the gate.
1t was securely locked
"Miggles! o Migglesp
No answer
"Migg-ells! You Miggles ~ continued
the driver with rising wrath.
"Migglesy" joined in the expressman,
persuasively, 90 Miggy Migp
But no reply came from the apparently
insensate Miggles. The Judge, who had
head out and propounded a series of ques
tions, which if answered categorically
would have undoubtedly elucidated the
whole mystery, but which the driver
evaded by replying that "if we didn't
want to sit in the coach all night we had
better rise up and sing out for Miggles."
So we rose up and called on Miggles in
chorus. Then separately. And when we
had finished, q Hibernian fellow-passenger
FROM the roof called for Maygells"
whereat we all laughed. While we We're
laughing the driver cried "Shoop
We listened. To. our infinite amaze
ment the chorus Of "Miggles" was re-
peated from the other side of the wall,
even to the final and supplemental
Maygells"
Extraordinary echo" said the Judge
Extraordinary id skunk 7" roared
the driver, contemptuously. q" Come out
of that. Miggles, and show yourselfl Be a
man, Migglesl Don't hide in the dark;
wouldn't If were you, Miggles," con
tinued Yuba Bill now dancing about in
an excess of fury.
"Miggles" continued the voice, go
Miggles
. Ny good mani Mr. Myghail!" said
the Judge s0ftening the asperities of the
name as much as possible. CONSIDER the
inhospitality of refusing shelter from
the inclemency of the weather to helpless
females. Really, my dear sir -" but a
succession of "Miggles," ending in a
burst of laughter, drowned his voice.
Yuba Bill hesitated no longer. Taking
heavy stone from the road, he battered
down the gate, and, with the expressman,
entered the enclosure. We followeff
Nobody was to be seen. In the gathering
darkness all that we could distinguish was
that we were in garden-frOm the rose
bushes that scattered over us minute
spray from their dripping leaves-and
before long, rambling wooden building
"Do you know this Miggles ?" asked
the Judge of Yuba Bill.
mo, nor don't want to-" said Bill
shortly, who felt the Pioneer Stage Com
pany insulted in his person by the contu
macious Miggles.
"But, my dear sir" expostulated the
Judge, as he thought of the barred gate
"Lookee here" said Yuba Bill, with fine
irony, hadn't you better go back and SIT
in the coach till yer introduced? Tn
going in and he pushed open the door Of
the building
A long room only lighted by the embers
of fire that was dying on large hearth
at its further extremity. The walls curl
ously papered, and the flicker.ng freight
bringing out its grotesque pattern. Some
body sitting in large armchair. by the
fire place. All this we saw as we crowded
together into the room, after the driver
anu expressman.