Evening journal., 1889-02-19
THE WHITE RABBIT.

In the winter Of 1856 | had to leave my
ranch on Eagle lake, in the mountains Of
klamath county, southern Oregon, for Yrela.
Cal. Any one who has wintercd in that
desolate region knows that the month Of
January is as uncongenial as it possibly can
be. The snow docs not come down in soft
flakes, but it falls in huge, damp clouds, and
suddenly blots from sight the entire land
scape. The ranch houses, too, were half
buried in the snow. From the mems houses
70 tho principal ranch house sort Of path
way had been cut over the frozen snow 70
the stables and a road had also been scraped
in the supposed direction of the gate, but as
posts had been found and not the gate itself,
it was presumed that the gate had been
walked over, and could also be ridden and
| driven over
II was not cheerful prospect under any
consideration, and less 50 when n long days
travel was in contemplation
II think | said to "Old Tom,n the vet
Gran stage driver Of those parts, ''that we
shall have to put Off our journey till the
weather breaks. Those clouds in the cast look
black enough for more snow, and if we do
have more don't believe the blazing on the
| trees will show
Just as you say" replied Tom, as he drew
his chair closer to the hearth, on which were
burning several logs of mountain mahogany.
1T is mighty bad weather to travel, but /
have been through such weather before. and.
dod CAST it, never lost my way nor came to
no grief neither Never had no trouble except
that time when that skunk Of a Modoc Jim
fired at me, But, though my fingers were so
blamed stiff, pulled my gun and fired and
winged him. Thank the Lord that he's under
the sod or else he might be hanging about on
the trail now.n
'Faith, and you have little to thank the
Lord for, Bom,n said Tule Jack. "YVarnt
that sneak faced partner Of his, Scarfaced
Charley, here some two or three days ago
asking for Moose, Moose and didn he ask
If Tom wasn't going to take Aft to Yreka or
Linkvillei l tell you he is after blood.n
oh, there is no harm in Scarfaced
Charley remarked. 1T is true that he
did travel with Modoc Jim, but though Jim
IS bis cousin, and these Indians hang together
like coyotes, / don't believe that Scarfaced
Charley had hand in any of his robberies
and murders, nor does he intend to kill Tom
for robbing JIM
well, = said Tom, slowly "you may think
what you like but don't believe there Is a
more murderous rascal unhung than that
same Scarfaced Charley. Now, when You
come to think Of it, it was this same Scar
faced Charley that found out what road that
Dutchman and his family were going to take
toward Redding, and you know the plaguey
Dutchman swears that when he turned the
bend in the road, just where the sunken tim
Der Is, who was standing there but Modoc
Jim, and you know as well as do that It
couldn't have been one man who packed away
all the stuff that was thrown out to him.
Betcher life, Scarface Charley was up one Of
them there pines when Modoc jim was going
through the Dutchmans wagon. And You
know that the Dutchman showed a bullet
hole in the canvas roof of his wagon while |
the parley was going on which proves that |
some one must have sent that shot from the |
rear. Scarfaced Charley fired that shot, or |
I'm an Indian myself"
We'll, well, replied, "Modoc Jim is dead |
and Scarfaced Charley, though an Internal /
thief and scoundrel, will not be attacking u.s.
for he knows that if he did and we escaped |
this ranch house would be closed to him. and
he would be shot like a coyote if found within
shooting distance
With that last remark walked over to
tho door, and, scrambling up the bank, ap-
piled my eye to the weather, and concluded
that would get Tom 70 start
may say that Tom had the mail CARRYING
contract for our part Of the country, and, as
there was no time set for the delivery of let
ters, he took as long as he chose, sometimes
not carrying any letters TO distant postofIices
for six months; sometimes in summer be
would get on what is called .iamboreen at
some friendly ranch, and then the mail was
never delivered. But, with all his many
faults and numerous failings, Tom was wen
liked by all. He was a curious creature-a
sort Of animated wooden machine.
He was hard and knotty. There was not
an ounce Of spare flesh about him. His face
was like bis frame hard as nails. He liked
whisky. II was whispered Of him that he
was noted for his gallantries, but probably
this was only satire. He seldom talked. and
when he did it was never in cheerful tone;
sometimes be would sing, and the song was
a line from the songs he had heard.
and the tune-well, tho tune-he never sung
the same snatehes to the same tune twice.
For twenty-five years and more Tom had
been stage driver-not such stage driver
as one sees from some respectable sized place,
but Toms stage was a blackboard drawn by
two understood ponies. The mail bags lay at
his feet and were securely tied on. Tom him
self looked as bleak as his stage, and when he
was arrayed in all his winter paraphernalia
he could easily have been mistaken for q
bear
Wei, II you are bound to 60, go it is"
said Tom, as he shook himself together. The
boys told him not to leave the fire, as they
would bring the stage around. He opened
the mail bag and a letter was dropped inside,
and soon we were seated in the stage.
IL was a miserable journey. Tom drove
by instinct We neither of us spoke for sew
eral miles, but took occasional pulls at the
whisky TASKS which We had with us. at
noon 1--WE had started at 10 a. M we halted
at a friendly farm house, the inmates Of
which expressed great surprise at our bold
ness, for which Tom took all the credit. and
remarked how he had kept up my
spirits. As he was speaking the grinning
face Of Scarfaced Charley presented itself at
the door,
Tom laid down the glass which be had in
his hand and, in a more emphatic than polite
manner, asked what he was doing here.
Searfaced Charley made some insolent
mumbling remark after the fashion OF the
Modoc Indians and left the room.
Now, | suppose if killed that fellow
should get-but III be switched if he don't
intend 70 kill one of us.n
We all laughed at Tom, but Tom was seri. $
Gus, and when he took his scat ia the wnsc.