New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-25
MIGGLES.
BY BRET HARTE.

We were eight, including the driver w
had not spoken during the passage of til
last six miles, since the jolting of the heav
vehicle over the roughening road ha
spoiled the judges last poetical quotation
The tall man beside the judge was asleeJ
his arm passed through the swaying stra
and his head resting upon it-altogether
limp, helplesslooking object, as if he ha,
hanged himself, and been cut down too late
The French lady on the back seat wa
asleep, too, yet in a half-conscious prophet
of attitude, shown in the Opposition of tn,
handkerchief which she held to her fore
head, and which partially vailed her face
The lady from Virginia City, travelling with
her husband, had long since lost all indi
viduality in a wild confusion of ribbons
walls, furs and shawls. There was no sound
but the rafting 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 cOllOquy of which such
fragments as "''ridge gene,n twenty feet
OF water" 'can pass" were occasionally
distinguishable above the storm. Then
came hull, and a mysterious voice from the
road shouted the parting adjuration
"Try Miggles'."
We caught glimpse of our leaders as the
vehicle slowly turned, of horseman van
ishing through the rain, and we were evil
IDENTITY 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 splashing
through tangled by-road, scarcely wide
enough for the stage and we drew up be-
fore barred and boarded gate in a 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 Miggles I"
"Migg ellis! You Miggles!" continued the
driver, with rising wrath.
"Migglesyw joined the expressman, per
suasively. 30 Miggy Mig ri
But no reply came from: the apparently
lnsensate Miggles. The judge, who had
finally got the window down, put his head
out and propounded series of questions.
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 Hibernian fellow passenger from
the roof called for ''Maygells X whereat we
all laughed. While we were laughing the |
driver cried: "Shoor'
We listened. To our infinite amazement |
the chorus of "Miggles" was repeated from
the other side of the wall, even to the final |
and supplemental "Maygells"
Extraordinary echo" said the Judge
Extraordinary id skunk ~ rOared the
driver, contemptuously. Come out of that.
Miggles, and show yourself, Be man.
Miggles. Don't hide in the dark; wouldn't
if ! were you, Miggles," continued Yuba
Bill, now dancing about in an excess of
fury.
"Miggles," continued the voice, "Oh,
Miggles "
"My good man, Mr.. Myghail," said the
Judge, softening the asperities of the name
as much as possible. Consider the inhos-
pitality of refusing shelter from the inclen-
ency. of the weather to helpless females.
Really, my dear sir" But succession of
Miggles," ending in burst of laughter |
drowned his voice
Yuba Bill hesitated no longer. Taking a
heavy stone from the road he battered
1own the gate and, with the expressman. !
entered the inclosure. We followed. No
BODY was to be seen. In the gathering
darkness all that we could distinguish was
hat we were in garden, from the rose
bushes that scattered over us a minute I
pray from the dripping leaves, and before c
/ long, rambling wooden building.
DO You know this Miggles p asked the
Judge of Yuba Bill. l
''No, nor don't want to-" said Bill, shortly. t
VINO feit the Pioneer Stage Company in S
ulted in his person by the contumacious il
diggles. \
But, my dear SIR" expostulated the .
Judge, as he thought of the barred gate. c
''L0Okee here" said Yuba Bill. with fine d
rOny, hadn't you better go back and sit in ! T
he coach till yer introduced? Pm going f;
a." and he pushed open the door Of the t
building. l.
A long room lighted only by the embers b
i fire that was dying on the large hearth II
t its further extremity; the walls curiously d
apered. and the Pickering freight bring t
az out its grotesque pattern; somebody q
lifting in large armchair by the fireplace. b
III this we saw as we crowded into the g
DOM, after the driver and expressman a
"Hello, be yen Miggles!' said Yuba Bill to I
ne solitary occupant. j
The figure neither spoke nor stirred. | d
,uba Bill walked wrathfully toward it.
nd turned the eye of his coach lantern
pom its face. II was mans face, prema- v
lrely old and wrinkled, with very large h
yes, in which there was that expression of
erfectly gratuitous solemnity which had Ii
'metimes seen in an OWLS. The large Il
yes wandered from Bills face to the W
lntern, and finally fixed their gaze on Sc
hat luminous object, without further re
ec0gnition. h,
"Miggles Be you dealt You amt OF
umb, anyhow, you know" and Yuba "
I'LL shook the insensate figure by the I'll
boulder. h
To our great dismay, as Bill removed his ii
and, the venerable stranger apparently 81
into half his size and an CT
ndistinguishable heap of clothing. OF
"Well, dern my skim" said Bill, looking
ppealingly at us, and hopelessly retiring I'll
'om the contest. II
The judge now stepped forward, and we n
fled the mysterious invertebrate back into fir
is original position. Bill was dismissed bC
18th the lantern to reconnoitre outside. for a
was evident that from the helplessness of O,
lis solitary man there must be attendants ell
EAR at hand, and we all drew around the fe
e. The judge, who had regained his az
thority, and had never lost his CONVERSE
nal amiability,. standing before lis with b,
back to the hearth, charged us as an II
ginary jury, as follows:
t is evident that either our distin- of