Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-26


From the New York Sun.
You couldn't stop man from stalking out a
claim IL the ground was not already covered,
and so, though none of us liked the looks Of
this new chap who came in on us at Strawberry
Hill, We couldn't gainsay his stalking out and
putting up 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 nicknamed Satan, was worse
than any dozen of them put together. The wav
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 would
string him up kept him from doing murder, for
he had temper like wild beast.
One day. after dinner, and after a spell at
cursing and reviling, he went down into his
claim and fired blast. which blinded him for
ever. Then he became worse than before His
cursing and raving became SO constant that we
buit 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 con-
tinued 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.
"If anybody was comm down the trail from
Top Notch how would they hit me?"
why, strike across about forty rods above
camp"
''And the door faces that wsy?"
"Yes."
"How's the Mghts 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 fin
gers. There was an injury to the muscles
controlling them as we'll as to his vision. Day
and night were alike to him. On that very
night. about half an hour after midnight. q
prowling wolf disturbed 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
A. day and there was no question in their
minds. 1t was queer shadow. 1t had the
shape OF little old woman bent over with age,
and 1t hoated about in an uncertain way. The
three or four men passed from tent to tent,
and before long sixty or seventy Of US we're out
and had our eyes fastened on the queer thing
By and by It hoated over the rocks and shrubs
toward Satan's shanty, and every man OF us fol-
lowed 1t to the door and beyond with his eyes.
''It's woman-an old womanr' whispered o
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 volunteered. There was
something SO queer and uncanny that nobody
felt like making closer investigation. 1t was
perhaps ten minutes after the figure entered
the shanty before 1t reappeared. II passed over
the same ground in the same peculiar way, and
as 1T reached the trail it halted for a moment as
IL looking back. Our eyes followed it up the
plain. broad trail until 1t grew fainter and
fainter and finally dissolved.
What did it look like to you?" asked one man
Of another.
IA little old woman, bent and feeble" was
the reply.
All had seen alike You may ask why some
one didn't pursue. No man had ever seen
living woman on that trail, or expected to.
This was . woman, and yet IL was not. Its
presence cast an awe upon everybody. Some
OF the men returned to bed, and others gath
cred in groups and talked In whispers until
daylight came. There were fifty men who went
up in o crowd to satan's shanty. They found
him fully dressed and seated in the door, and
he had been dead for hours. Perhaps you sx-
pected that. but let me tell you his eyes were
wide open, his vision seemed TO have returned,
and be was looking across to Top Notch trail
Just ~ living man would-aye. looking and
looking, and his face had softened and smile
had crept over II and been held there by the
fingers q death.
at was the spirit Of his mothsf!' whispered
the men . they looked into the face Of the dead
man, and 20 We have ever believed.