Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-22

come familarly known. Ny wife's objec-
|. tions were not so easily overcome; its
presence in our wagon made her uneasy,
and it was only by representing to her that
possible damage would render him value
less as trade commodity that she at last
put away her scruples. | rugged up a
chair-shaped seat at the after part of the
wagon, in which placed the mummy, SO
that by keeping the sitting posture. his
liability to fracture by the jolting he
would have to put up with over the rough
tracks became greatly minimized AT
night l drew curtain in front, so as to
shut him off from Norah's view when she
turned in" for the night, and SO comforta-
bly, had | quartered him that after the
first week of our return trip never heard
a word raised against his presence. /
must admit there were at times express
sions of wonderment as to whence came
certain noises that we heard. but these
lost force after a time.
One bright moonlight night we had out
spanned at the edge of pan of splendid
water the oxen, having had long track
during the day, had grazed and watered
to their content, and were now quietly
resting at the wagons; the boys, too, hay
ing feasted well off hartebeeste meat, were
inharmoniously vieing with each other in
nasal music. Norah and myself were fast
asleep-at least was-when | was awak-
ened by Norah shrieking and clutching me
tightly.
"Oh, Geofl Geof he is aliver
"What the deuce is the matter, little
woman ?'' 1 asked, and raising myself up
on one arm, looked at her. She was
CHASTITY pale and apparently horribly
startled.
ooh, Geof! he is alive-lookr' and
pointing to the mummy q had omitted to
draw the curtain) said, 'look don't you
see that he moves"
l couldn't say that did, but when No
rah admitted that she had been lying
awake-watching the moonbeams play on
Inkose's face-I expressed an opinion that
her Imagination was most to blame.
She was, however, much upset, and it
was long ere | could soothe her. AT last
she dropped off to sleep, and I prepared to
do likewise. couldn't sleep; | kept glar-
ing at the wretched mummy. | was tired.
very tired, yet sleep would not come to
me-
"Hullo what's up now" l said to N.Y.
self; surely, Pm not going off my head,
too-did that mummy nod his head ?" L
could almost have sworn he did. watched
| for a second movement. Not the least
move in life. l was wide awake now, and,
feeling generally uncomfortable, got out
of the blankets, and filling my pipe, began
to smoke. In few minutes the pleasant
weed produced the desired effect. was
Just about to return to the wagon when
again a shrek from Noah startled the
night. Rushing to her, found her in the
extremity of distress, SPECIFICS and shiv-
ering from head to foot.
To comfort her as best might was all
1 could do. Not word could l get from
her. After waiting some time she recov-
cred little, seeming to see the necessity
for some explanation.
Pointing with her finger she directed
my glance to the mummy, and 10! l saw
that it was headless. Again followed
the direction in which she pointed.
No wonder the poor girl had been
frightened. Her two experiments that
night might well have scared drawer
heart The head had broken off and
rolled right up to where she lay.
picked up the severed Uranium and placed
it on one side, then slipped into the
blanket again, and slept till coffee time.
We were glad enough when morning
broke, and it was only after a cup of hot
coffee that we felt equal to venturing upon
the events of the previous night.
On examining the head L found that
the tendons which had held it to the
trunk had been eaten asunder, one by one
and the dried skin of the neck had broken
| f1a, o1rvbt I,a Hor
lost its gristly part had separated without
difficulty and let the skull go rolling
down on the sleeping Nora, whose brain.
| already full of fevered fancies, conjured
up some much worse catastrophe.
And now comes the queerest bit of the
whole business. We had made tolerable
breakfast, and were preparing for inspan-
ningh when Norah, who was already in
the wagon, said:
"Pm over my fright now, Geof What
do you think Pm going to do ?"
81 give it up my DEAR" replied, "you
women folk are too many for me-"
"Geof, am going to try and fix Inkose
Mummi's head on again p
| She had no sooner said the words, when
Just such another shrek as she had given
in the night came from her lips, followed
| Immediately by ringing, merry laugh
and the words:
'Oh. Geof! I've found out all about it.
A mouse has done the whole business, and
| look here if there isn't whole family
one, two, three, four-oh, goodness, what
| lotw
And sure enough, when l got up to look,
there was nest of young mice in the in
terror of the skull. The parent mouse, no
doubt, had played the headsman's part and
given Norah the scare of the previous
night. The mice met the fate of mice
without a murmur. This act of righteous
judgment over, proceeded to clear the
skull of the odd assortment of grass, hair.
and other staples which formed the nest.
Having done so, l looked through the
mousehole behind the ear, and saw some
thing resting in the cavity formed by the
mouth, and which ratified whenever l
shock the skull.
"Whatever can it be-" said my wife.
'Oh, | suppose it is some charm or
fetch, put in the fellows mouth to keep
away bad spirits. l mean to have it out
though; at least, it will be curio."
then made a hole neatly under the
chin, when the charm fell cut into my
hand. 1t was wrapped up In what looked
like piece of skin; upon removing this
another covering was disclosed, and again
another and another, each piece of skin
being thinner and softer than the preced-
ing one.
A Chinese puzzle is a fool to what that
charm appeared to me to be then, but at
last l got the innermost covering off, and
found the so-called charm lump of gum.
ooh, what sell, Geof after all that
careful wrapping, too; bit Of dirty
looking brown gum. Well, 1 never p
Over our next meal that day We sat
talking about the mummy and the charm,
both Of which were rapidly depreciating in
our eyes. Personally, if | had spoken
what was in my mind, I think should
have confessed to desire to be rid of my
veteran passenger. For shame's sake |