The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-05
MYSTERY OF TIE MINE.

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view. and although I held the claim, and 1t
was mine all through yet lelt there were
several Jealous parties. and you know That
i.alonsy in the mines always carries re-
volver in each hip pocket, and generally
sreaks only under cover of darkness.
one dav woman arrived in camp. She
came hv the accidental stage; that Is, the
stage that came when it had passenger
aboard. and she said she was looking for
brotber-Henry Parsons as she called him.
She was the most beautiful woman l ever
saw. She was glory on sunbeam. L
know that for every time she locked at me
was in heaven.
Every evening just after sunset, when the
bows were coming back to camp, she went
ND to the foot of the great bun which hung
over our c8up. and would lie gone until
long after the darkness settled down no
one ever interfered with her on TINS par
ticular trip, and nobody ever knew When
she returned from her Irregular night Journey.
She remained for several weeks. ana often
said she had not found her pTotueI. Inc
miners generally Symp8thZed with her ana
wanted 10 lend their help, especially as she
was so beautiful; but she was so poHte, ana
kept every one at such respeciIul distance
that the fily miners in our camp simply
had to stand off and look on and wonder
what il all meant.
we had our horses and pack mules PICK
eted every night in different places around
the camp. but the feed getting scarce we
concluded 10 transfer r0rt.ou OF the stock
TO the side of the mountain on the north.
While we were doing II one OF the men said
"Why, that's where the lady goes every
night"
ranch and camp the lady DONE eat grass.
and that IS what we are after for the stock
inst at present. If you think there IS any
danger of the stock icing run OF 1 VIII
watch it myself Tonight
'sWell. It's only this" said one Of the
miners. I've watched many time, aud
when she goes of in the evening UP that
mountain side, where there isn't any human
being ever TO be found, and stays away no
BODY knows how long, and IS always smiling
next day, why IL looks TO NE Kind OF mystic
riOuS. Nobody can get acquainted with her,
she is So almighty polite and distant, but
every night she gees of at Just the same
hour. no matter whether stormy or falr and
even that cyclone TWO weeks ago dldn seem
to have any effect on her
VERY well" said I, such being the case
guess I Viii watch the stock myself To-
night"
As the sun was setting the horses and
mules were driven up he mountain side and
some three miles away from camp were duly
tetheTed. each with Al area thai would S.
cure 8 reasonable amount OF iced Tor tle
night. ] took my position under the ledge
of a projecting rock, that, while It would
protect me from the storm, would at the
same time enable me TO guard the animals
with less Inconvenience.
Then I looked for the visit Of the lady.
Soon | saw her appr aching. NOtwlthstald-
ing the stories told by the miners about her
constant visits 10 the mountain side, felt
sure no woman, especi lily the beautiful one
who was seeking brother and whom
every one In camp had reverence Tor, would
venture among the mountain fastness at
niElt, where there was nothing bat solitude
ana wild beasts.
w1s rather ENJOYING the thought Of the
return Of the morrow with the stock 10 good
order after nights feed on the new pasture
when there was a cOmmotiOn among the
tetaeCed beasts. l sDTang 10 my feet and
spoke 70 Bull" The dog responded by
bounding forward and giving a grOwl. He
then suddenly returned aud crOuched be-
hind NE. His action startled me for 1t was
inc0mpreheusibe. / had never known the
brute TO finch from anything in the form Of
either man or beast by day OF night.
-. In tie midst Of bis winnings peered into
the darkness, but could SEE nothing through
The wall Of night The horses were in a
wild state OF excitement. The sounds
they gave IN their pertuTbed and ncOmpre-
henSiOle state were appalling beyond de-
scripti0u.
/ said to the dog: "Bull, what is FTP
Seek -
He bounded into the darkness; then re-
turned and shrunk behind me. Meanwhile
the excitement among the horses and the
. mules had Increased. / heard pawings and
stsmpings, whinEyings aud Drawings, tones
of fear WHICH l had never heard from
QuadTnpeds before and which fToZe the
marrow in the bone, until it seemed as II q
perfect bedam had been let loose.
The blackuess Of the night was intense.
! had neglected the means Of providing
for a fire or a light. and in the Opaque
night l was IN peculiarly sensitive state OF
mind. Then, in the midst OF the darkness,
] recognized the fOrm-not twenty feet dis
tant-of the lady who had been the won
der of the camp for so many weeks. She
was as beautiful as ever Black as the
night was l saw her distinctly, and while
was looking she raised her two hands and
struck them together At the sound a
new disturbance was created among the
horses and mules. They were absolutely
J.: frantic.
l was In desperation. Not knowing what
was best to do l put my hand on my re-
Volxer. But | could not shoot a woman,
nd-sO, waiting and wondering, / stood lis
tening TO the sounds Of the frightened stock
and wondering what it all meant when, 10
my surprise, | saw the form Of man aD-
o.. pI0ach. During the different times have
been In Eastern cities have never seen any
Ii6 SO elegantly uIcootu d. uc 1HeIS WAS
one thing little ocular about HIM; his
: ea+s were not rounded like ordinary ears,
but ended In sharp point. His eyes were
:: keen, wonderfully keen, and black as well
as gIlstening. He moved with the graceful
!: step~of French dancing master.
:. A. singularly oppressive feeling came over
:. me, but the beauty of the woman l had
:" Known so long, In fear that she might be in
= danger, nerved me and proposed to watch
and act whenever 1t became necessary. !
= had been in too many mining rows to be
afraid OF tricks, and 1 had 20 fear Of ghostly
devils. Notwithstanding the oppressive
feeling ] endured, / observed the singular
meeting of the woman and the stranger,
whose existence had been hitherto I'M
known.
He approached, and, extending his hand,
the two greeted cordially.
At this instant terrible sound came
from the animals, such as | had never in
my life heard before and never want to hear
again. 1t seemed tOlparalyZe every atom Of
my being.
The twO-the woman and her mysterious
mpani0n-seemed to pay no attention 10
the sounds Of the frightened beasts, but
gszed into each others eyes like lovers.
Then the stranger spoke in the gentlest
manner:
"Haye they found the wealth I have
pointed OatY
"YeS, they have found il, but only one as
yet is fully aware"
81 have left the matter wholly with YOU
Embrace MIN, secure his pledge, and he is
ours. Eternity reaches from the confines OF
our shoreeSs sea TO the utmost bounds Of an
eternal chaos, on whose broad bosom all i:
ours"
The two embraced. There was crash Of
thunder; a most unearthly repetition o.
the sounds from the frightened animals
and the elegant gentleman with the pointed
ears bowed himself away in the midnigh
darkness, while the lady turned her steps
toward the camp in the valley
was appalled,. l could do nothing but
look on, and when the whole weird scene
bad passed l still waited and watched
Daylight came and l called my dog. He
did not answer, and on investigation
found him dead, with his eyes bulged out.
He died of fright. found the horses ano
mules lank and hungry. They had mo-
cropped a particle Of heritage. As fast as
-.l..on.a aLnno MI "A I'D IL -. u. -.