The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-23
for people amt often travelin' in wild

Tor people amt often trayelln In wllo
places OF nights.
''Siuce so much has been said in regard
to the ghosts of miners helm out and
about in daylight" put in Dan Davis. an
old mountain man who had been silent
listener, 1--WE got a case in pint that's
evidence TO me that Sonora seed list what
be SAID he did. an' it's Thing like 1 seed
myself"
Let's hear your 'sperience. pard," said
Omega. Il don't reckon we need ter be
ashamed of the ghosts of any OF the old
boys that's walkin' beats on the high
trails. They aint of the fool valley kind
that thinks it smart to git out in their
shrouds and skeer folks"
There being a general call for old Dams
experience with mountain spooks, he
Knocked the ashes from his pipe and clear
ing his throat with pint cup of black
coffee. told the following story:
Last fall year, bout this time. / was
dlggln, down out in the mountains on an
OLD tran that leads down from the head
waters OF the Feather. 1t was In the after
noon and hot as blazes, for l was on the
north side OF the river and close up by
wall of rock that poured more heat onto
my head than come out of the sun. At
last GOT down To big fiat and was glad
TO halt al spring in the shade of some
wllers.
Thar was some nice patches of grass
on the spring branch for my old burro,
Turk. 80 L unpacked him. turned him
loose and sat down in the shade to
LUNCH of cold slap-jacks and bacon.
I'd finished my lunch and was taking a
pull at MY pipe when / sees man coming
up the trail. 1t was an old man, with a
long. gray beard. He had on a regular
miners rig, with six-shooter slunz to his
belt. Twas kinder astonished. for hadn't
sposed thar was airy man within twenty
mile OF the spot. Howsuneve-. | con.
nlU6AU the 0ld fpllar oil yi,,t ~,
OF some party of prosDectors that were
elm BIN up to the fiat. So | sot and waited
Tor him to come up TO the shade and water.
But when he was within fifty yards of
me he halted. Then he faced about, and
looking to the north. started across the fiat.
Turk then got sight of him, stopped feedin'
ana stood gain at him, with his ears stuck
forrard.
"Out, bout the middle OF the fiat, hun
dred yards away, the old Teller stopped
ana stood looking down at the ground. l
though he was wattin' for his pards to
come up. | turned and looked down the
trail. but no one hove in sight. Turnin'
again to the old man l found him gain
straight at me. AS looked, up he lifted
his right hand and beckoned me To come
to him. What do you want?' says /.
Not word does the old teller say, but
and then could see some dirt piled up, as
If at prospect hole. Thinks l, the old
chap may have struck it rich. What is
itP l sung out.
The old feiler made no answer. but
still beckoned me to come out to him.
II concluded TO 60 and see what the old
coon wanted. AS l moved toward the old
Teller he began 10 disappear. He seemed
to be sinkin' into the ground. When lie
had sunk TO the waist l halted, for |
didn't like the looks of the business
While l stood still the old man didn't
move. but as soon as | started on down he
sank till l could only see his head and
shoulders.
Il had got up so near the old chap that
] could plainly see the stare of his cold
and ishy eyes. Cold chills run up and
down my back and my hair began to raise.
Thar was su'thn' so unwholesome in the
steady stare of the CLASSY eyes that l began
to era " fish.
Then was developed new featur. AS
l moved back foot by loot up rose the old
man. Inch by inch he come up till could
almost see the tops of his boots. Then,
hodin' on to me with his cold CLASSY eyes.
he again beckone1 me to come to him.
II was about to take to my heels when a
thought struck me. What a fool | am
says /. There's ladder in the shaft that
the old creetur is movin' up and down
upon
SIT still struck me that the old chaps
eyes were D. good. but l concluded that he
might be built that way. So 1 again moved
forraTd. Down, down went the old man
as L went toward him. but as / thought he
was on ladder | marched on.
"At the spot whar the old Teller disap-
pesred found an old shaft, but no ladder
was in it-not even nOtehed pole. 1t
looked about TWENTY-FIVE ieet deep, and
not thing was in it on which any human
bein' could have stood. At the bottom
was not thing but some loose dirt a dead
rabbit or two, and on one side little
puddle of water.
''Soon as l seed that the old man had
been dancln' up and down in the air. my
legs began to weaken, my teeth chartered
and the squeak of a mouse would have
stampeded me. l wanted to run away, but
was afeerd TO turn my back lest the old
creetur would spring out Nv the hole and
mount me.
$50 1 began to walk backwards. keepin'
nv eyes on the shaft. When had moved
back rod Or two up came the old mans
head. the eyes starin' wuSs n ever. l
shuffied backwards till the thing 81 God
waist high above the ground. then turned
tail and made the gravel fly till | was back
at the spring.
'"Turnin' toward the shaft seed the old
man of the hole standin' as if on top OF the
ground. AS | stood gain, with cold sweat
pourin' out of me, the old chap lifted his
right hand and beck0nsd to me as at first
F'No you don't. old COCK says /; 'Pve
got my dose.
"Lookin' about for old Turk, | touud
bed got sight Of the thing aud was work
in his ears and starin' at it. In less'n a
mint / had Turks pack on his back and
was raisin' dust down the trail.
"The old creetur' at the shaft followed
me with his eyes, turnin' his head like an
owl, till | got to where the trail pitched
down from the fiat into tremendous can
yon, and as l turned for last look he
raised his hand and beckoned me back.
At that moment, SO help me Moses, If nv
old burro didn't twist his head round,
stick his ears forrard al the old man at
the shaft and give rousin' yee-haw!
"'Git no, Turk, you tormented old fooll
yells /, givin' the old jack kick in the
rear. and down we dove into the shadder
Of the big canyon. And more'n once, as
we went down. at the sound OF a little
racket behind me, [ came near jumpin'
clean over my old bnrro's back
"Now. what do you make of that? Ill
wasn't sunstruck and crazy | seed list
what Pve told you. Besides old Turk saw
the same thing. and faint likely he, too,
was sunStruck."
My verdic," said Tehama, sis that
thar's rich gravel in the bottom of tina old
shaft. The ghost bein' that of an old
miner and you bein' prospector. 1t wanted
you to take up the ground. AS for your
old jack ssein' the ghost, don't doubt 1t.