Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-22
THE SELF-EXLED.
A California Man Who Was Hermit
for a Sufficient Ranann

A California Man Who Was a Hermit
for Sufficient Reason.
Leaving log cabin school house in San
Luis Obispo county about ten years ago,
says San Francisco letter, saddIed up
my wild brown brOncho for a ride north
ward through the passes of the hills to
the old stage road. l lost my way before
nighttall in the widest portion of the
headwaters of the Naciemiento river. the
boundary line between Monterey and San
Luis ObispO counties. When, late in the
afternoon, rode into narrow raYine and
found signs of occupancy. great was my
rejoicing. There seemed to be narrow
path trOdden IN the tall, dry wild oats,
leading to spring set low in the bank,
and little further, in an open space, at
the head of the gulCh, with cliffs behind
it, was a rude cabin. Something about it
thrilled me with strange feeling of
dread. There was curious sickening
OdOr that came from it on the breeze, and
startled me into wondering whether any
one lay there dying of fever or disease.
know now what that odor was, but l did
not know then. A great liYe-Oak tree stood
by the path near the spring, and as rode
past it saw board nailed to it, and on
that board rudely painted in weak and
wayering letters was the sentence: "For
Gods sake come no nearer"
L Thought moment slowly; / was
young and foolish; l rode on, past the
sentence, ready to turn and gallon off at
any sign OF danger. On the slope of the
canyon rod of garden lay, brush-fenced
and Watered; quail traps were piled by
the door; this hermit had focd in abun-
dance. A harsh, cracked voice called
out to me from the cabin door, Il hand pro-
jecting closed it, and then, speaking
through the crevice, L heard in good Eng
lIsh words like these: "YOu must 70
away; it is death to stay here. / am
accused. The air is poison" / asked
the way. "Climb that mountain,o nc
cried; ''go, 90 at once" The words were
spoken with intense earnestness and
with an indescribable quality Of super
human agony, if the phrase may be par
dOned. For hours after l had left the
place kept finding new meanings in that
harsh, painful cry.
A mile from the cabin bit of white
fluttered in the grass. | dismounted and
examined it. A fragment Of a letter it
was; most of the words illegible, and the
handwriting delicate and feminine, the
paper of the costliest. Had it belonged
to that poor leper, crouching in his loath-
some cabin crying ''uncleanp That is
one of the secrets for the hereafter to re-
veal. Before dark was on the hilltop,
and saw the shining course of the great
river, the great peaks, height after height
in vast ridges of pine and spruce, the
Pacific lying low along the western hOri-
zon. l found a cattle trail, and followed
it to pioneers cabin, some time about
midnight, finding food and a blanket ON
the haystack for the rest of the night. but
of the hermit in the mountains | said not
a word.
Five years later local journal men,
toned the fact that cabin had been
found in the mountains, at the head
waters of the NaciemientO, and in il
mans skeleton lay. Some refugee from
justice, it was thought, had perished at
his own hands there, or died of disease. I
met one of the cattle owners of that region
and questioned him concerning it. Yes.
they had seen board by the spring, but
the writing was faded. No books, papers
or clothing; all had been burned in the
fireplace. They raked the ashes over and
could tell there had been Bible, a photo
graph album, ana packages of letters; but
really it was no consequence, they said.
He was sheep herder, or lunatic, or a
stage robber, they believed. But / knew
that had seen and spoken with a SELF
eXiled leper, and that his torture mad
come to an end, because flesh and blood
could bear no more.