The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-06-19
9eIertG0 MItstrllanp.
MlGGLES.


road had spoiled the Judges last poetical
quotation. The tall man besidethe 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 and been
cut down too late. The French lady on
the back seat was asleep, too, yet in
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 wild confusion of ribbons, vOils,
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 cOlloquy with some
one in the road-a colloauy of which
such fragments as "bridge gone" "tWen
ty feet Of water" "can't pass" were occa.
sionally distinguishable above the storm.
Then came a lul, and the mysterious
voice from the road shouted the parting
adiuration:
"Try Miggles'"
We caught glimpse of our leaders as
the vehicle slowly turned, Of a horseman
vanishing through the rain, and we were
evidently on our way to Miggles'.
Who and where was MigglesH 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 splashing
through tangled by-road, scarcely wide
enough for the stage, and VIC 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.
" Mipgles! o Migglesp
No answer.
"Migg-ells You Miggles I" continued
the driver with rising wrath.
"Migglesyp joined in the expressman,
peTsuasiVely. 80 Miggy Migp
But no reply came from the apparently
lnsensate Miggles, The Judge, who had
finally got the window down, put his
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."
80 we rose up and called on Miggles in
chorus. Then separately. And when We
had finished, a Hibernian fellow-passengeI
from the roof called for "Maygells T.
whereat we all laughed. While we were
laughing the driver cried "Shoo!"
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 /" roaret
the driver, contemptuously. "Come ou
of that, Miggles, and show yourself Be
man, Miggles Don't hide in the dark;
wouldn't if l were you, Miggles," con
tinued Yuba Bill, now dancing about il
an excess of fury.
Miggles" continued the voice, &C
Migglesl
MY good man Mr., NyghailI" sal,
the Judge, softening the asperities of tn
name as much as possible. Consider tn
inhospitality of refusing shelter fron
the inclemency Of the weather to helples
females Really, my dear sir" but
succession of "Miggles," ending in
burst of laughter, drowned his voice.
Yuba Bill hesitated no longer. Takin
a heavy stone from the road, he battere
down the gate, and, with the expressmar
entered the enclosure We followed
Nobody was to be seen. In the gatherin
darkness all that we could distinguish wa
that we were in a garden-from the ros
bushes that scattered over US a minut
spray from their dripping leaves-an
before a long, rambling wooden building
"Do you know this MigglesH" aske
the Judge of Yubs Bill
mo, nor don't want to-" said Bill
shortly, who felt the Pioneer Stage Con
pany insulted in his person by the CONT
macious Miggles,
But, my dear sir" expostulated ii
Judge, as he thought of the barred gat
"Lookee here" said Yuba Bill, with fir
irony, hadn't you better 60 back and s
in the coach till yer introduced? T.
going in" and he pushed open the door
the building.
A long room only lighted by the embe
Of fire that was dying on large hear
at its further extremity. The walls cul
ouslY papered, and the Pickering frelig
bringing out its grotesque pattern. Som
body sitting in a large armchair by u
fire place. All this we saw as we crowd,
together into the room, after the driY
and expressman.
"Hello, be you Miggles9 4" said Yul
Bill to the solitary occupant.
The figure neither spoke nor stirre
Yuba Bill walked wrathfully toward
and turned the eye of his coach lante
upon Its face. 1t was mans face, prem
turely old and wrinkled, with very lar
eyes, in which there was that expressi
Of perfectly gratuitous solemnity which
had sometimes seen in an owl'e. T
large eyes wandered from Bills face
the lantern, aud finally fixed their gaze
that luminous object, without furth
recognition.
Bill restrained himself with an effort.
"Miggles be you deaf? You ali
dumb, anyhow, you know" and Yu
Bill shook the insensate figure by {
shoulder. To our great dismay, as
removed his hand, the venerable stranl
apparently collapsed sinking into b
his size and an undistinguishable heap
clothing.
We'll, dern my skin, said Bill, looki
appealingly at US, and hopelessly retiri
from the contest
The Judge now stepped forward, a
we lifted the mysterious vertebrate b.
into his original position. Bill was
missed with the lantern to reconnoitre @
side, for it was evident that from the he
lessness Of this solitary man there must
attendants near at hand, and we all d.
around the FIRE. The Judge, who had
gained his authority and had never
his conversational amiability stand
before us with his back 10 the heart
charged us, as on imaginary jury, as
lows;
'1t ID evident that either our dis
euished friend here hasreaohed that Q
diti0n Described By Shakespeare Is I"
Esro ed yellow leAG' og hes suffered q