The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-07
AN INGENUE OF THE SIERRAS
BY BRET HARTE.
copyrighted 1898 by Bret Harto.l

hev you chaps blazin' away at the first
bush Won thought you saw move IN your
skeer, and bringing down their ire on
us.'
The explanation, though unsatisfactory.
was bv no means an improbable one, ana
we thought it better to accept 1t with
laugh. Bill, however, resumed his alb
stracted manner.
t1Who got in at the Summit?'' he at
( last asked abruptly of the expressman.
derrick and Simpson of Cold Spring,
and one of the Excelsior boys" respond
ed the expressman.
land that Pike county girl from Dow's
Flat, with her bundles. Don't forget
her. - added the outside passenger, iron
ically.
'sDoes anybody here know her?'' con-
tinued Bill, ignoring the irony.
ssYou'ld better ask Judge Thompson;
he was mighty attentive TO her; gettln
her seat by the off window, and lookin'
after her bundles and things"
sGettin' her a seat by the Window"
repeated Bill.
Eyes, She wanted to see everything,
and WASH afraid of the shooting
eyes, broke in a third passenger,
t'and he was so ID civil that when she
dropped her ring in the straw, he struck
match agin all your rules, you know,
and held it for her to find it. And it was
just as we were crossin' through the
brush, too. / saw the hull thing through
the window, for I was hanging over the
wheels with my gun ready for action.
And it wasn't no fault of Judge Thomp-
sons if his id foolishness didn It show
US up, and got US shot from the gang"
Bill gave short grunt-but drove
steadily on without further comment or
even turning his eyes to the speaker.
We were now not more than mile from
| fl1n faf at roads
were to change horses. The lights already
glimmered in the distance, and there was
a faint suggestion OF the coming dawn
on the SUBMITS of the ridge to the
west. We had plunged into belt
of timber, when suddenly horseman
emerged at a sharp canter from trail
that seemed to be parallel with our own.
We were all slightly started; Yuba Bill
alone preserving his moody calm.
tsHullo?'' he said.
The stranger wheeled to our side as
Bill slackened his speed. He seemed to
be 'spacker'' or freight muleteer.
"Ye didn't get held up on the Di-
vide?'' continued Bill, cheerfully.
ssNo,'' returned the packer, with a
laugh; 81 don't carry treasure. But
see you're all right, too. l saw you
crossing over Galloper's.'
'sSaw us?'' said Bill, sharply. ''We
had our lights out.''
"Yes, but there was suthin' white-a
handkerchief or a woman S veil, | reckon
-hangin' from the window. 1t was only
a movin' spot agin the hillside, but ez l
was lookin' out for We knew it was you
by that. Good night!''
He cantered away. We tried to look at
each others faces, and at Bill's express
sion in the darkness, but he neither
spoke nor stirred until he threw down the
reins when we stopped before the sta
ton. The passengers quickly descended
from the roof; the expressman was about
to follow, but Bill plucked his sleeve.
SPIN going to take look over this yer
stage and these yer passengers with We
afore we START
"Why, what's up?''
'sWell," said Bill, slowly disengaging
himself from one of his enormous gloves,
''when we waltzed down into the brush
UP there l saw a man, ez plain ez see
had come and the band was goin' TO play,
when he sorter drew back, made sign,
and we just scooted past him."
"Well?''
"Wen,'' said Bill, sit means that this
yer. coach was passed through free to-
night
think we were ducedly lucky
Bill slowly drew off his other glove.
''I've been riskin' my everlastin' life ON
this ID line three times a week. he
said with mock humility, "an' Pm allus
thankful for small mercjes. Butt he
added grimly, ''when it comes down to
being passed free by some pal of boss
thief and tibet called a speshal Provi-
dence, l amt in it No, sir, amt
in itl''
1t was with mixed emotions that the
! rd hot dolo rf
minutes to tighten certain screw bolts had
been ordered by the autocratic Bill.
Some were anxious to get their break
fast at Sugar Pine, but others were not
averse to linger for the daylight that
promised greater safety on the road. The
expressmen, knowing the real cause of
BilI's delay, was nevertheless at loss to