Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-06-17
N1IGGIES.
BY BRET HARTE.

nlCS, since The jOltinG OF the heavy vehicle over
st POetical quotation. The tall man beside the
udgc was asleep, his arm passed through the
aging strap and his head resting upon ia
together limp, helples-loOking object, - IL
had hanged himself and been cut DOWN too
re. The French lady on the back seat was
sleep, tco. yet in = half-conscious Propriety of
attitude. shown even in the disposition OF the
handk cTChief which she held 10 her forehead and
which partially yelled her face. The Lady from
Virginia City, travelling with her husband, had
long since lost al individuality in 8 Wild confu-
son OF ribbons, wells, furs, and sharls. There
was no sound but the rafting Of wheels anil the
dash Of rain uIon the roof. Suddenly the stage
STOPPED and We became dimly aware Of voices.
The driver was evidently in the midst Of an
citing COllOlGy with some one in the rosd,"
gone twenty feet OF water "sscan't pass - were
occasionally d.tinguishable above tho storm
TECn came = luIl, and mysterious voice from
tie road shouted the parting adjurstion-
we cansit !. glimpse Of our leaders ss the We
hiclC slowly turned, of a horSeman vanishing
through the rain, and were evidently on our way
WHO and where WAS Miggles? The Judge,
our authority. did not remember the name, and
traveller Miggles must keep hotel. We only
knew that we were stopped by high water in
font and rear, and that Miggles wa. our rock of
TefUgt. y ten minutes splashing through .
tangled by-rOad, scarcely wide enough for the
stage. and We drew up before barred snd
IOaI jed gate in a vide stone wall or fence about
GfELI -gtt ElEn- EVl0tDLV 1ll-lltgs eDl EVIL
d,ntly Miggies did not keep hotel- -
The driver got down and tried the gate. 1t
was securely locked
..Miggles! Aiggles!'
s3Migg-eIs, You Miggles!' continued the
driver, With rising wrath.
= Migglesyi' joined in the eZpTeSSman, per-
suasively- . o Miggy! Migi"
But no reply came from the apparently insen-
safe SiigEles. The Judge, who had finally got
The window down, put his head out and pro-
s-pres questions which if rf.1
C.tcgOriCally would have undoubtedly calculated
the ~ hole mystery. but which the driver evaded
by replying that eli did mt want 20 sit in the
coach all night, we had better rise up and sing
out for Migglcs."
So Nc rose UP and called on Miggles in chorus;
then - VaTately. And when We had finished, a
HibCTnian feliOw-passenger from the roof called
Ter .. Maygellsl' wheTeat We all laughed While
We were laughing, the driver cried' Shoot"
We listened To our infinite amaZement the
chorus Of :. Miggiesi' Wa repeated from the
ether side Of the wall, even to the final and sup
PiCmeLtal .. Maygells.'
=. Extraordinary echo" said the Judge.
"ENJTaCTiinary id sSunki' rOared the
driver, conte mptuOUsly. - Come out of that,
BIis.l5s. and show yourself. Be man, Mig
giles Don't hide in the dlTk; 1 would mt III I
were YOU, Miggles," continued Yuba Bill, now
dancing about in an excess of fury
Miggles." continued the voice, " o Mig
Ny good man. Mr. Myghali" said the
,judge, sOftening the aSPerities Of the name a.
much possible a. Consider the inhOspitality
OF refusing shelter from the iDclemency of the
weather TO helpless females Really, my dear
sir But succession Of :" MiggIes," ending
IN burst OF laughter, drowned his voice.
Nuba BIZ hesitated no longer. Taking q
heavy stone from the road, he battered down
1Ec gate, and with the exPreSSman entered the
enclosure. We followed Nobody was to be
sen. In the gathering darkness all that We
could distinguish WAS that We could distinguish
vaS that We were in gaTden-frOm the rOSe-
bushes that scattered over US a minute spray
from their dripping leayes-and before a long,
Rambling wooden building.
DO y9u know this Miggles?" asked the Judge
o. Nuba Bill.
No, nor don't want to- said Bill, shortly,
who felt the Pioneer Stage Company insulted In
h. person BY the contumacious Niggles-
=. But, my dear si-," eJpOstulatod The Judge,
~ IL thought OF the barred gate.
Locke here said YUba Bill, with fine
irony. had nj you better 90 back and sit in the
coach til yer introduced? IN going in" and
le pushed open the door of the building.
a long rOCm lighted only by the embers Of
IRE that vas dying on the large hearth at It's
further extremity, the walls CuriOusly papered,
ana the Pickering freight bringing ON its gro
tcsque pattern; somebody sitting in a large arm
char by The fireplace All this we we
crowded together INTO the room, after the driver
- Hello, be you Aiggles?" said Yuba Bill to
Tho solitary occupant
The figure neither spoke nor stirred Yuba
Ban walked wrathfully toward IT, and turned
the eye OF his cOach-lantern upon its face. It
Tas a mans face, prematurely old and wrinkled,
WIKI very large eyes, in which there Was that
Expression OF perfectly gratuitOus sOlemnity
which had times seen in an owls. The
large eyes wandered from Bills face To the lam
teTn, and finally hIed their gaze on that lumi-
nous object, without further recognition.
Bill restrained himself with an effort.
Miggiesi Be you deaf? You amt dumb
ANYHOW. You know; and Yuba Bill shook the
ilssrsate figure by the shoulder.
To our great dismay, A. Bill removed his hand,
the venerable strangers apparently Collapsed
sinking into half his size and An undisting usha-
bic heap Of clothing.
wei. dern my.skin," said Bill, looking ap-
IealiEgly at u, aid hOpelessly retiring from the
The Judge now stepped forward, and we
Efted the mysterious inverte brate back into his
'TiEinal Position. Bill Was dismissed with the
:, tenn 20 reoonnoire outside, for il was evident
~, ON the hetplessness OF this solitary man
e.. M, II be attendants near ~ hand, and We
T-gairrFb fs "uthOrity, and had never lost his
.oIyer.atianaI liability standing before Us
With H. hack 10 the Hearth,-charged Us, Is an
imaginary jury, a. follow. S,..,-.-
=. II j. evident that either cur distin guished
friend here has reached that con0s~ On uoscIioeo
by Shakespeare a. 1.-the sere and yellow loaIt ot
has sufi red serns premature abatement "a ~
mental and physical faculties Whsther he Is
Here he was interrupted by Miggies, o
Migglts, NiggleelyI Aigl' and, In TACT, the
whole chorus Of higgles IN very much tho same
ley a. il had once before been delivered unto
We ga,ed At each other for a moment In sors
alarm The Judge, In particular, vacated his
-
directly over his shoulder. The eaase, however,
4 va soon discovered in a large maybe, who was
rerched upon a shelf over the fireplace, and who
Immediately relaVsed into sepulchral silence,
which contTastsd singularly with his previous
yOlubility. Itwas, undoubtedly, his voice which
We had heard in the road, and our friend in the
chair was not responsible for the dlscourtosy.
Yuba Bill who ret atsTed the room after an IN
successful search, was lOath 20 accept the ex-
PLANTATION. and still eyed the helpless sitter with
Su.Uieson He had found \ shed in which he
hal prt up hi. horscs, but he came back drip
ping and sceptical- Thar Amt nobody ou'
him within ten mile OF the shanty, and that ar
4 id old skeesicks knows IL
But the faith Of the maj rtty proved % be -
curely based. Bill had scarcely ceased growF
ing BE- fore we heard a quick step upon tn
porch, the trailing Of wet skirt, the door wa
Il hung open, aud with q fash Of vhite-teeth,
SfaIkle OF dark eyes, and an utter absence o.
ceremony or difhdence, young woman entsred
shut the door, and, painting, leaned back agsins
81.
go, If YOU please, I'm MigglesI"
Andthis was Niggiesi this bright-eyed, full
t-IVs.ed young woman, whose vet gown y