Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1878-03-30
A GHOST OF THE SIERRAS.
BY BRET HARTE.


with balsamic breath, and muffled with
the dry dust of dead bark and matted
moses. Lying on our backs, we looked
upward through hundred feet of clear,
unbroken interval to the first lateral
branches that formed the fat canopy
above us. Here and there the fierce sun,
from whose active persecution we had
Just escaped, searched for US through the
woods, but its keen blade was duDled and
turned aside by intercOstal boughs, and
its brightness dissipated In tlebulous
mists throughout the roofing of the dim
brown aisles around us. We were in
another atmosphere, under another sky,
indeed in another world than the dsz-
zliDg one we had just quilted. The grave
silence seemed 80 much a part of the
grateful coolness that we hesitated to
speak, and for some moments lay quietly
outstretched on the pine tassels where
we had first thrown ourselves. Finally,
a voice broke the silence.
"Ask the old major; he knows all
about itw
The person here alluded to, under that
military title, was myself. l hardly
need explain to any Californian that it
by no means followed that | was a
Major" or that / was "old, or that l
knew any thing about "it," or indeed
what cit" referred to. The whole re-
mark was merely one of the usual cons
ventional feelers to Conversations kind
of social preamble, quite common to our
slangy camp intercourse. Nevertheless,
as | was always known as the major,
perhaps for no better reason than that
the speaker, an old journalist, was
always called doctor, l recognized the
fact so far as to kick aside an intervening
saddle so that | could see the speakers
face on a level with my own, and said
nothing.
About Ghosts" said the doctor, after
pause. which nobody broke or was
expected to break "Ghosts sir. That's
what we want to know. What are we
doing here in this blank old mausoleum
OF Calaveras county, if it isn't to find out
something about 'em, eh"
Nobody replied.
"Thar's that haunted house at Cave
City. Can't be mOre than mile or two
away, anyhow. Used to be just of the
trail"
A dead silence.
The doctor addressing space gener.
ally: Yes, sir it was mighty queer
story"
Still the same reposetul Indifference.
We all knew the doctors skill rs racon'
teU; we all knew that story was COM
ing; and we all knew that any interrup-
ton would fatal, Time and time again,
in our prospecting experience, had 4
word OF polite encouragement, rash ex'
preston of interest, even a too eager
attitude OF silent expectancy, brought
the doctor to sudden change of subject
time and time again had we seen the
unwary stranger stand amazed and be-
wildered between our own indifference
and the sudden termination of prOmis'
ing anecdote, through his own uniucky
interference. So we said nothing. The
Judge --another instance of arbitrary
nomenclature pretended to sleep, Jacl
began to twist a cigrrrttO. Thornton bi
off the ends of pine needles rehectively
Yes, sir" said the doctor, coolly
resting the back of his head on thu
palms of bis hands, sit was rather cuIi
Gus. All except the murder. That
what gets me, for the murder had nj
new points, no fancy touches, no senti
ment, no mystery. Was just one of tn
old style, 'subhead' paragraphs. Oh
fashioned miner scrubs along on har'
: tack and beans, and saves up a littl
money TO 90 home and see relations
Old fashioned assassin sharpens up knife
old style, loads old hintlock, brass
| mounted pistol; walks in old fashione
, miner one dark night, sends him home t
his relations away back to several gene
rations, and walks off with the swag. \
mystery there; nothing to clear up
subsequent revelations only impert
nence. Nothing fer any ghost to do
, who meant business, More than thai
over forty murders, same old kline
committed every year in Calverat
and no spiritual post obits comm
g, due every anniversary no assess
ments made on the peace and quiet {
/ the surviving community. tell yo
} what, boys, I've always been incline
l to throw off on the Gave City ghost fC
that alone. It's a bad precedent, si
It that kind O. thing is going to Obtai
! in the Foet Hills, we'll have the ira
full of chaps formerly knocked over b
> Mexicans and road agents; every littl
camp and grocery will have stock enoug
r on hand to 90 into business, and where
shere any security for surviving life an
! property, Ell? What's your opinion
Judge, as a fair minded legislator"
e OF course there was no response. "
7 it was part of the doctors system
aggravation to become discursive at the
= moments, in the hope of interruption
and he continued for some moments
dwell on the terrible possibility OF a sta
n of affairs in which gentleman could I
n longer settle dispute with an enem
n without being subjected to succeedir
o spiritual embarrassment But all th
= = depression fell upon apparently ina
4 tentive ears.
"Well, sir, after the murder, the cab
n stood for long time deserted ar
g tenantless. Popular opinion was again
n n it. One day ragged prospectOr, savai
~ with hard labor and harder luck, can
8 to the camp, looking for place to Ii
:, and a chance to prospect, After Il
}. boys had taken his measure, they co
!, clnded that he'd already tackled so nut
l. in the way of difficulties that gho
'e more or less wouldn't be Of much q
count. So they sent him TO the haunt'
p cabin. He had a big yellow dog wi
him, about as ugly and assavage as hir
q. self, and the boys sort of congratulate
q themselves, from practical view poir
4. that while they were giving the O
e ruffian a shelter, they were helping
e the cause of christianity against gho'
II and goblins. They had little faith in t
- :, old man, but went their whole pile
i. that dog. That's where they were m
$, tlken.
n "The house stood almost thIeehundr
le feet from the nearest cave, and on DIS
le nights, being in hollow, was as lonely
"a If It had been on the top Of Shasta.
u u YOU ever saw the spot when there was j.
moon enough to bring out the little 81