The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-04-14
SNOW-CAPPED SHASTA.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.


Soda Springs, after the battle of Castle
Rocks, AMI there had the services of an
italian doctor, who quite healed NV
wounds and sci me once more upon nv
feet. We became greatly attached, and
this new friend OF the Old World
seemed resolved to be my friend indeed.
He had cabin and a mining claim near
Shasta City. and was counted rich In
gold dust. In this cabin he established
me, set me to reading all kinds of good
books, and began to teach me Italian
and Spanish. But my heart was not al
ways III that cabin or with my books.
Often and often | climbed the highest
mountains looking away toward Mount
Shasta to the north. Somebody was
waiting up there, [ knew. / knew that
two dark eyes were peering through the
dense wood toward the south; two soft.
brown hands parting the green foliage,
looking out the way that l should come.
certain that | would come at last. Nv
friend and benefactor had furnished me
with fine horse and the finest saddle
that the place could furnish; besides. he
had armed me like brigand, clad me in
rich, wild fashion and filed my purse
with gold dast Great plans he had for
our future-going to the Cid World and
resting all the years IN Italy. [ was not
quite strong enough or yet quite con-
tent enough to work much, and so was
often absent, riding, dreaming, planning
how to get back to the north and not
hurt the kind heart of my new friend.
One night when | was absent thus he
and his partner were both murdered in
their cabin and robbed of their gold.
When [ returned the cabin was cold and
empty as the dead mems hands.
As the spring came tripping by from
the south over the chaparral hills of the
Shasta, leaving flowers In every footprint
as she passed, [ set my face for Mount
Shasta, the lightest-hearted lad that
ever mounted horse. A hard DAYS ride
brought me to Portuguese Flat, the last
new mining camp and the nearest town
to my beloved Mount Shasta. Here /
found my former partner in the Sofa
Springs property, Mountain joe But
Mountain Joe was on a great drunk. as
usual, and was the butt of the camp.
Whaley, then about the widest youth IL
the land, but now a leading state senator
IN Oregon and one of the richest men of
Portland, had arranged a sham duel, and
poor drunken little old Mountain Joe
was II desperate state. Ny heart
went out to him In this plight, for We
had slept under The same blanket, been
hungry together, had stood together and
bled together IN fights and so / took
HIM out of all his drunken trouble, got
him sober, and, SO far as my few hun
dred dollars went, set him fairly on his
feet once more at dear old Soda Springs
But he could not pay me back, and 50 [
found myself once more tied to Soda
Springs. Yet this was not so sad as one
might think. For here / was, within a
short days ride of the two dark ewes.
which | think had never, as vet, looked
upon any white mans face but nv own
i did not stay much at SOFA Springs.
As winter came on Mountain Joe took
IN another partner, one Reese, an inso-
Lent, grasplng Yankee, who made it nm
pleasant for me, and so far as | was con-
cerned he soon became master of Soda
Springs. The Indian chief, Black beard.
had given me a beautiful little valley,
then known as Now-ow-wa, but now
called by the euphonious (?) name of
Squaw Valley, and had built cabin
there. As the winter settled down and
the snow fell deep ard fast, however,
the Indians all retreated down from ont
the spurs of Mount Shasta and took re-
fuge on the banks of the McClcud Riv-
er. nailed up my cabin and on snow
shoes recrossed the fifteen miles of steep
and stupendOus mountains and got down
TO winter "a my home with Mountain
Joe. But the new Yankee partner had
got his grasp about the throat of things
there, and instead of pitching him out
into the snow, | determined to give it all
up and set my face where / left my
heart, once more, finally and forever,
with the Indians. Loaded down with
arms and ammunition, one clear, frosty
morning III December [ climbed up the
spur of Mount Shasta, which Law be
tween me and my little valley of snow,
and left the last vasti9e of civilization
behind me. 1t was etc p, hard climb
ing. Sometimes ] would sink into
the snow to my waist. Sometimes the
snow would slide down the mountain and
bear me back half buried to the place I
had started from half an hour before. \
marvel that [ kept on. But there was
hatred behind, love before-elements
that have built cities and founded en-
pires. AS the setting sun gilded the
snowy pines with gold [ stood on the
lofty summit, looking down into my IN
peopled world of snow.
An hour of glorious gliding, darting,
shooting on my snowshoes and / stood
on the steep bluff that girt above and
about my little valley. y great, strange
light, like silver, enveloped the land
Across the valley, on the brow of the
mountain beyond, the curved moon, new
ana white and bright, daHned before me
like drawn cimeter to drive me back.
Down III the valley under me busy little
foxes moved and shuttlecocked across
the level sea of snow. But / heard no
sound nor saw any other sign of life.
The solitude, the desolation. the silence
was so vast, so actual, that l could feel
It-hear it. A strange terror came upon
me there. And, oh, l wished-hOw de-
youtly | wished l never shall forget
that had never yentured on this mad
enterprise. But had turned my ship.
1t had been rs impossible for me to re-
turn, tired, hungry, heartsick as | then
was, rs 1t had been for me to lay hold of
the bright. cold moon before me. With
sigh | frightened my belt, took up my
rifle, which [ had leaned against a pine,
aud once more shot ahead. Breaking
open my cabin door. took OFF my snow
shoes and crept down the steep wall of
snow, and soon had a roaring fire from
the understanding piue wood that lag
heaped in cords against the walls.
Seven days | rested there, as lone as the
moon In the clear blue above. Queer
days! Queer thoughts [ had there then.
Those days left their impression clearly,
as strange creatures Of another age had
left their footprints in the plastic clay
that has now become solid stone. When
the mind is so void queer thoughts get
into ones head; and they come, and es-
tablish themselves and stay. had some
books and read them all through. Here
began to write. Ny mother in Oregon
laa % 4, lcc-.