Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-05-21
Selette0 Storp.
A GHOST OF THE SIERRAS.
By BRET HARTE.

1t was a vast silence of pines, redolen
with balsamic breath, and muffled will
the dry dust of balsamic bark and matteC
mosses. Lying on our backs, We looked
lpN.rd ,hrough hundred ieet OF clear
unUrokvu in,erval, TO the first laters
branches Ihat formed the fiat canopy
above US. Hr,e aud there the ierco sun,
from whose active persecution We had
just escaped. searched for Us through the
woods, but its clean blade was dulled and
turned aside by intercos,al boughs and
iis brightness dlssipated in nebulous msts
through the roofing of the dim brown
aisles around us. We were in another
atmosphere, under another sky, indeed
in another world than the dazzling one
We had just Quilted. The grave silence
seemed so much a part OF the grateful
cooIuess that we hesitaled 10 speak, and
for some m'ments lay quietly outslreich-
/ cd on the pine tassels where we had first
thrown ourselves. Finally a voice broke
the silence.
ASK the old Major; he knows all
shout iIw The person here alluded to.
under that military title, was myself. !
hardly need explain TO any Californian
that it by no means followed that was
d Major or that was "old. " or that
knew anything about "ii." or indeed.
what III referred 10. The whole re-
mark was merely Que of the usual con-
venliouai leelers to conyersalion-a kind
OF socia preamble. quite common TO our
slangy camp intercourse. Nevertheless,
as was alwais known as the major,
perhaps for no better reason than that
the speaker, an old journalist, was Away 5
called doctor. l recog lied the lsci SO iar
ss TO kick aside sn intervening saddle so
that could see the speakers face On a
level win my own. and said no,hin.
About ghosts. said the doctor. after
pause which nobody oke OF was ex
pected to break. "Ghosl! 81. That's
what we want TO knsw. Wbal are we
ping here in this blank old maasoleum
OF Calaveras couuty-ii it isn't TO Ind
out something aboul EN-, eh ?
Nobody replied.
There's that hsuu'ed house at Cave
City. Can't be more than a mile or two
away, any how. Used to be just off the
trail"
A dead silence.
The doctor addressing space geuer-
allY):
"Yes sir, il lcGS mighty queer story y
Sill the same reroNeful indiherer &c.
We all knew the doctor : skill as rdc0n-
teur; we all knew rs, a sjory was com-
ing; and We all knew that auy interrrp p
ton would be fatal. Time and line
again. in oar prospsc,iog experience, bad
word OF po'ile encop-s sgemeni, rash
expression OF interest, even too eager
sttit1de OF silent expectancy, brough,
the doctor to sudden change of subject
time and time agsin had we seen the un-
wary stranger stand smazed end bewil-
dered between our own Indifference and
the sudden termination OF q promising
anecdo.e, through his own unlucky
/ interference So we said nothing
The Judge instance OF arbit-
rary uomenclature-pretended to sleep
JACK began TO twist cigdTTitto. Thorn
ton bit eff the ends OF pine needles re-
fectively.
Yes sir continued the doctor, coolly,
resting the back OF his head on the palms
of his hands. "it toaS rather curious. Al
except the murder. That's what get:
me. for the murder had no new points
no fancy touches, no sentiment, no mys
cry. Was Just one OF the old style, 'sut
head paragraphs. Old fashioned minel
scrubs along on hard tack and beans, and
saves up a little money to go home anc
see relations. Old fashioned ASSASSIN
shsrpens up knife, old style, loads ole
flint lock. brass mounted pistol; walks
out on old fashioned miner one darl
night, sends him home to his relation:
way back to several generations, anc
walks off with the swsg. No mystery
there nothing TO clear up subsequent
revelations only impertiuence. Nothing
for sny ghosts to do-who meant busi
ness. More than that, over forty mur
ders-same kind. committed every veal
in Calaveras. and no spiritual post obit!
coming due every anniversary; no as
sessment made on the peace and quiet o
the surviving community. tell yor
what, boys, Eve always been inclined to
throw off on the Cave City ghost for tbs
alone. It's bad precedent, sir. Ii tina
kind o. thing is going TO obtain IN the
Foot Hill we'll have the trails full o
chaps formerly knocked over by Mexi
cans and road agents; every little CAMP
and grocery will have stock enough oil
hand to go into business, aud where
there any security for surviving life ant
property, eh? What's your opinion judge
as fair minded legislstorP'
OF course there was no response. Ye
il was q part OF the doctors system o
sggraystion to become discusive at ihes