The record-union., 1895-01-26

ana would he care to pass night in Hi
Llttle's shanty In company with a gen.
tleman and brandy bottle?" Washing
ton Sutter, while en- route, no doubt took
advantage OF both time and opportunity
TO speculate with the piece of silver | had
given him, for he did not return until my
supper had been dispatched, and, as /
paid in advance, digestion was we'll un-
der way. When he did return and in
form me that MIR. Blaktit would be along
presently, it was with such a forlorn.
wobegone countenance, that I more
than half suspected he had not cornered
the market
Mr.. Blaktit came. He was a STOPPING.
heavy man, past the prime of life. His
hair was long and fell in ringlets upon
MS shoulders. A long, sparse moustache
partially shaded his mouth and a
slouched hat covered a broad brow, be-
meath which his eyes twinkled like stars.
lie was typical forty-niner
Ihe sun had sank 10 rest in his copper
colored bed behind the apparently high
range which skirts the Pacific, and all
the splendor OF a midsummer night had
fallen across the valley, blotting out the
prospect, when Mr.. Blaktit and myself
lett the hospitable roof Of the garrulous
landlady for the tum bledown pile that had
once been the abode OF Hi Little.
The shanty had been hastily construct
eel with rough pine boards, more with a
than the storms OF winter. A single
window, without glass, rough door.
held IN place by a leather hinge, the mate
Of which had bowed and broken long
ago, unable to stand the fogs of winter.
while the former seemed thoroughly dis
heartened at the Inconsistency of its
companion in misery, and only awaited
an opportunity to throw Off it's double
allotment of useless toll; a pine table,
lacking a leg, still bore traces OF the ba-
con and hapjacks long ago spread upon it
by Hi Little himself; couple of stools.
each with single peg stuck in the bot
tom; slab bench, bark down, and a
board laid upon two pins drove horizon
tally into the wall, cOmpriZed the iurni-
ture of the room. x lizard scurried
from its place before the old Fireplace.
as we entered; a tarantula sullenly re-
tired to its lair IN one corner, casting
looks of defiant hatred towards US, and a
cenIpede OF unnatural length slipped
from the bench and attempted to wriggle
itself to safety, but was crushed beneath
the ample foot Of Mr.. Blaktit before it
had accomplished halfthe journey. From
somewhere underneath the loose boards
OF the floor rattler awOke from pleas
ant dreams, and sleepily gave notice that
1t resented the invasion. The east wind
had risen, and upon It's wings was borne
the howl of a poverty-stricken coyote.
L
determined TO take advantage OF any
creature more cowardly than itself and
dine like king upon its carcass.
The depressing squeak of Chinese
fdddIe, the manipulation of which sue
ceedeu in producing u variety OF three
separate notes IN as many octayes, chang
ing them at trequeuG and entirely uneX-
pected moments, came up from the quar-
ters OF the followers of Confucius, caus-
Ing cool streaks to creep along the spine,
while many weary white, his sense of
hearing outraged by the unearthly racket,
tossed upon his sIeepless couch and vowed
to enlist in the tlrsJ crusade that might
be organized to drive out the neathen
music and the still more heathen per-
former.
An owl, following the instinct of it's
species, and having supped, sounded It's
note or success, informing the owl king
dom that its hunger had been appeased,
and that 1t proposed to hoot at humanity
Tor its own edihcation, and their, no
doubt, qualification, until dawn. Nu-
merous cracks in the roof allowed stray
moonbeams to filter through, by the
light OF which a cricket and beetle were
uncommonly cheerful. vieing each with
the other as TO which could outdo its OPP
pOnent, regarding both the volume and
quantity OF their chirping.
These noises beseiged nv ears while
Mr.. Blakht was engaged in rummaging
one pocket alter the other in his search
for candle, the light of which was in
tended to disperse the thickening gloom.
After repeatedly declaring that be must
have forgotten it at the last moment, it
turned up unexpectedly from an obscure
corner. much TO his relief. The same
process, on an enlarged scale, was gone
through before match was fshed up
with which to light the candle, and after
his efforts in the latter direction had been
crowned with success, it was with a sigh
redolent with satisfaction than he seated
himself upon one of the single-legged
stools; hIled his black pipe with tobacco
taken from a mysterious box which
opened at his will and at that OF no one
else, and pufted clouds OF smoke, IN
which the odor of tallow might be de-
tected-he having used the candle in
stead Of match-preparatory to paying
his respects to the visible supply of
brandy. He emitted another sigh, evil
IDENTIFY one of relief, as the fiery liquor
passed down his throat, smacked his
lips, and then held the bottle between
himself and the candle to ''observe the
bead'' before passing it tenderly towards
my side OF the table. His every action
was that OF a connoisseur. Alter my
draught had been swallowed, he, watch
ing me closely the while, concluded that
he might unrou himself without compro-
missing his dignity, satisfied, as no tears
came into my eyes, that his companion
was no tenderfoot who needed a glass OF
water to drive stiff horn OF brandy TO
its proper destination.
II suppose, SIR" observed Mr. Blakfit,
as he settled himself comfortably, with
his elbows upon the safe side of the
table, and calmly surveyed me in the po-
slilon l had taken upon the bench, with
my back 20 the corner furthest from the
rattler, which reptile was not yet satisfied
as TO the rank and condition of its yisi-
tors. II suppose, sir, that the iandlady
has given you the story of Hi Little and
his gold, from every point of the com
pass? For my part, mind you, l don't
believe everything [ hear, but if half the
the tales circulated regarding that nearly
mythical individual be true, it is at very
best, strange. Yes, sir, strange.n
At this point MIR. Blakfit again paid his
respects 10 the brandy bottle, and after
wiping his mouth upon his sleeve, con-
tinued:
The curious tales told in these dig
glngs relative to Iii Little reminds me of
an incident that happened IN the days OF
my youth back in Ohio.'
L attempted to rivet my attention upon
the, no doubt. interesting recital, but.
owing probably TO the ''native'' of the
landlady, combined with the effects OF
the brandy. my mind wandered from the
matter, and have but an indistinct rec
election OF a tall, wiry Ohian turning
sommersaults lnnumerable, chased by
red bull Que very dark night, the sun
shining brightly the while, an undefina-
bic something decked out in snowy raj
ments, which was possessed of a supreme
contempt for the tall Ohian, who was
firmly persuaded that the red bull was
IN some manner, responsible for the
murder Of Hi Little. Then followed an
unintelligible tumble Of words from
which my attention was completely