Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-12
A QUEER SHADOW.
The Weird Story of 8 Western Mountain

The Weird Story of 8 Western Mountain" i "You couldn't stop a man from stalk ing out claim if the ground was not already covered, and so, though none of us liked the looks of this new char who came in on us at Strawberry hall, we couldn't gainsay his stalking out and putting up a rude shanty. We soon discovered that his looks did not belle him. You'd expect to find some bad men in the mines, but this man, whom we soon niclznamed Satan, was worse than any dozen of them put together. The way he would curse God and man was something awful to hear, and we sometimes wondered why the wrath of Heaven was not visited upon him. We ostracised and outlawed him, but he would not go away. Only the fear that we would string him up kept him from doing murder, for he had temper like wild beast. One day, after dinner, and after spell at cursing and revil- ing, he went down into his claim and fired blast, which blinded him for ever. Then he became worse than be- fore. His cursing and raving became so constant that we built him shanty on the rocks half mile away and led him to it. Three times a day man was sent up with his meals, and this continued for weeks and weeks. For a long time there was no change in his health or disposition. Then he began to grow thin and wan and to cease cursing, and one evening he asked of the man who brought his meal:
 "Jim, is thar trail leading up here from camp?'"
 "'No,' was the reply.
 elf anybody was comin' down the trail from Top Notch how would they hit me?'
 "'Why, strike across about forty rods above camp
 "'And the door faces that way?'
 "'Ees.' K
 "IIow's the nights now, Jim?'
 "'Full moon and bright as day.
 '"That was about all that was said, but wish to tell you here that when Satan was blinded his eyelids were closed fast. He could never open them after that, except he used his fingers. There was an injury to the muscles controlling them as well as to his vision. Day and night were alike to him. On that very night, about half an hour after midnight, a prowling wolf dis turbed our camp and routed out three or four men. They were driving the beast away, when they looked up and saw a shadow on the Top Notch trail. It was as light as day, and there was no question in their minds. I was a queer shadow. It had the shape of a little old woman bent over with age, and it foated about in an uncertain way. The three or fodr men passed from tent to tent, and before long sixty or seventy of us were out and had our eyes fastened on the queer thing. By and by it foated over the rocks and shrubs toward Satan's shanty, and every man of us followed it to the door and beyond with his eyes.
 "It's a woman-an old woman! whispered a score of men.
 "'But what can a woman be doing here?'
 "One or two suggested that somebody go up to the shanty, but no one volun- teered. There was something so queer and uncanny that nobody felt like making a closer investigation. It was ten minutes after the figure entered the shanty before it reappeared. Ii passed over the same ground, in the same peculiar way ,and as it reached the trail it halted a moment as if looking back. Our eyes followed it up the plain, broad trail until it grew fainter and fainter, and finally dissolved. "'What did it look like to you?' asked one man of another.
 "'A little old woman, bent and fee, ble,' was the reply
 "Al had seen alike. You may asl why some one didn't pursue. No man had ever seen living woman on tha trail, or expected to. This was { woman, and yet it was not. Its pres. ence cast an awe upon everybody Some of the men returned to bed, and others gathered together in groups here | and there and talked in whispers unti | daylight came. There were fifty mer l who went up in a crowd to Satan's l shantY. They found him fully dressed and seated in the door, and he had beer | dead for hours. Perhaps you expected that, but let me tell you his eyes were wide open, his vision seemed to have re turned, and he was looking across t. | Top Notch trail just as any living mar would-aye, looking and looking, ant his face had softened and a smile hat crept over it and been held there by tht fingers of death.
 '"It was the spirit of his mother! whispered the men as they looked int, the face of the dead man, and so w, have ever believed"- Y. Sun.
 FOR EVENING DRESS.
 Bright Colors and Daring Combination