Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-03-13
"wHe Was nj QUIET FRIESs ."
BY BERT HARTE.

BY BERT HARTE.
stranger !" The voice was no: loud
but clear and penetrating. 1 looked
vainiy up and down the narrow darken'
ing trail. No one in the fringe Of alder
ahead no Que on the quilted slope be-
hind:
%! stranger
This time little impatiently. The
California vocative, o. always means
business.
looked up and perceived for the first
time, on the ledge, thirty feet above me,
another trail parallel with my own,
looking down on me through the buck
eve bushes a small man on a black
horse. wfEa gs.r
Five things to be here noted by The
circumspcct mountaineer. First, the
locality-lonely and inaccessible and
away from the regular faring OF team
sters and miners. Secondly. the stran-
gers superior knowledge of the road
from the facts that the other trail was
unknown to the ordinary traveller
Thirdly. that he Was well armed and
equipped. Forthly. that any distrust
or timdity arising from the contempla-
ton Of these facts hal better be kept to
oneself. - t > -'
All this passed rapidly through my
mind as | returned his salutahon.
Got any tobacco?' be asked.
had. and significd the fact, holding
up the pouch inquiringly.
All right, III come down. Ride on.
I'll iine yc on the slide
The slide:' Here was a new geo
graphical discovery as odd as the second
trail. had ridden over the trail doz-
On time, and seen no communication be-
tween the ledge and the trail. Never
theless went hundred yards or so,
when there was a sharp cracking in the
trail, and my friend plunged through
the bushes to my side down a grade that
I should scarcely haye dared to lead my
horse. There was no doubt he was an
accomplished rlder-another fact TO be
noted.
AS he ranged beside me found l was
not mistaken as to his size; he was quite
under the medium height, and but for
pair of cold grey eyes was rather COM
monplace in features.
You've got good horse there !
suggested.
He was filing his pipe from mypouch
and looked up little surprised. and
said. OF course lie then pulled away
with the nervous eagerness OF mar
long deprived of that sedative Finally,
between the puffs, he asked me whence
l came.
Ireplied from Lagrange, - ~ q
He looked at me for a few moments
curiously. but on my adding that I had
only halted there few hours be said
L thought knew every man between
Lagrange and Indian Spring, but some
how sorter disremembsr your face
and your name
Not particularly caring that he should
remember either, replied, half laugh
ingly. that as | lived the other side o.
Indian Spring, it was quite natural. He
took the rebuf'-if such it was-se qui.
etly. that as an act Of mere perfunctory
peliteuess, asked him where he came
from
lagrange
And are you going to
We'll! that depends pretty much or
how things can pan out, and whether
can make the rifle He let his hant
rest quite unconsciossy Oh the leathel
bolster Of his dragoon revolver, yet will
a strong suggestion to me of his ABILITY
to make the rifle if he wanted TO, anc
added; But just now | was reck'nin
On taking little pa,ear with you
There was nething offensive in hi
speech, save its familiarity and the re
Election, perhaps, that whether | object
ed or not, he was quite able to do as h
said. only replied that if our pasea
was prolonged beyond Heavytree Hill,
should have to borrow his beast. To m.
surprise he replied quietly. That's SO,
adding that the horse was at my disposa
I when he wasn't using it, and half of j
when he was, Dick has carried doubl
many atlme before this; when youf mus
tang gives out, III give you lift, an
room 10 spare
Il could not help smiling at the lde'
ofappearing before the boys at Re
Gulch en- croups with the stranger; bu
neither could 1 help being oddly affecte
by the suggestion that hi, horse ha
done double duty before. On what oC
. casion, and why p was a question keI
to myself. We were ascending the heay
flank of the Divide; the narrowness {
the trail obliged US to go slowly and il
= file, so that there was lite chance, 10
conversation, had he bees disposed K
I satisfy my curiosity. II ~ I
We teiled on in silence, the buckley
giving place to elimisai, the wesser
sun reflected again from the bank wal
beside US. binding our eyes with
glare. The pines In the canon belo
!: were olive gulfs Of hsat, over whic
n here and there a hawk drifted iszily..
rising to our level, cast a weird and
Z gantic shadow OF slowly moving vim