The morning times., 1895-08-11
BY BRET HARTE,
Author OF the Luck OF Roaring Camp,
1.-TWO Men OF Sandy Bar, &c
Copyright, 1895, by Bret Harte
CHAPTER I

creasing. The last gust had been preceded
by an ominous roaring down the whole
mountain side, which continued for some
time after the trees in the little valley
had Iapsed into silence. The air wa S filled
with faint, cool, sodden odor-as OF
stirred forest depths. In those intervals
OF silence the darkness seemed to increase
in proportion and grow almost paipa be.
Yet out OF this sightless and soundless void
now came the tinkle OF a spurs rowels,
the dry cracking Of saddle feathers, md
the muffled plunge of hoof in the thick
carpet of dust and desicCated leaves.
Then a voice, which, in spite OF its matter
of-fact reality, the obScurity lent certain
mystery to, said:
II can't make out anythingl Where the
devil have we got to, anyway? It's as
black as Tophet here ahead!'
'strike a light and make a flare with
something" returned second voice.
Look where you're showing to-now-keep
your horse off, win ye?''
There was more murfled plunging, q ST.
lence, the rustic OF paper, the quick spurt
OF a match, and then the uplifting Of
Pickering flame. But il revealed only the
heads and shoulders OF three horSemen
framed within a nebulous ring OF light
that stin left their horses and even their
lower figures sinimpenetrableshad Then
the flame leaped up and died out with
few zigZagging sparks that were falling
TO the ground, when third yoice-that was
low but somewhat pleasant in its cadence
said:
''Be careful where you throw that. You
were careless last time. With this wind
and the leaves like tinder you might send
q furnace blast through the woods"
'sThen at least we'd see where We We're"
Nevertheless he moved his horse, whose
trampIing hoofs beat cut tie last fallen
spark. Complete darkness and silence fol-
lowed. Presently the first speaker con-
tinued:
II reckon wen have TO wait here till the
next squaI clears away the scud from the
sky. He,lol what's that?'
Outof the obscurity before them appeared
faint light-a dim, but perfectly defined
square Of radiance-whic5, however, did
not appear TO illuminate anything around
it. Suddenly it disappeared
That's a house-its light in win
dow, said the second voice.
House nothiug!" retorted the first
speaker. "a house with a window on
GaIloper's Ridge, fifteen miles from any
where? You're crazyr'
Nevertheless from The muffled plunging
and tinkling that followed they seemed
20 be moving in the direction where the
light had appeared. Then there was pause.
There's nothing but rocky outcrop
here. where a house couldn't stand, and
were off The trail again. said the first
sepaker. impauently.
'StOpl-theTe il is again.
The same square OF light appeared once
more, but the horsemen had evidently di-
verged Ia the darkness, for itseenled to bein a
different direction. But it was more dis
tinct. aud as they gazed shadow appeared
upon its radiant surface-the outlined
profile Of a human face. Then the light
suddenly went out and the face vanished
with it.
1T is a window, and ther-was some one
behind it," said the second speaker, en-
phaucally. =
"It was a woman's face" said the pleas
ant voice.
whoever it is, just hail them, so that
we can get our bearings. Sing out. Al
togetherl"
The three voices rose in q prolonged
Shout, in which, however, the distinguishing
quality Of the pleasant voice was sustained
But there was no rcsponsefr the darkness
beyond. The shooting was repeated aftei
an interval, with the same result; the 81
lence and obscurity remained unchanged.
Let's get out OF this" said the firs
speaker, angrily; house or no house, MAJ
or woman; We're not wanted, and Wei
make nothing waltzing round herep'
''HushI" SAID the second voice. SSH
ListenI"
The leaves OF the nearest trees were trill
ing audibly. Then came a sudden gus
that swept the fronds OF the taller fern!
into their faces, and laid the thin, nth'
whips OF alder ever their horses flank!
sharply. IL vas followed by the distan
Eea-like roaring OF the mountain side.
That's little more like it," said th'
first speaker, Joyfully. Another blow
like that and were oil right. Look
There's a lightenin' up over the tran VI
came by"
There was indeed a faint glow in that di
rection, like the first suffusion of dawn
permitting the huge shoulder OF the noun
taia, along whose flanks they had bee
journeying TO be distinctly seen. The sod
den breath OF the stirred forest depth
was slightly tainted with acrid fume.
That's the match you threw ava,
two hours ago." said the pleasant voice
deliberately Its caught the dry brus
IN the traf round the bend"
Anyhow hits given US our hearing
boys" said the first speaker, with salts
fed accents. Were all right now. An
the winds lifting the sky ahead there
Forward, now, all together, and let's &c
out OF this hell-hole while we can"
1t was so much lighter that the bulk G
each horsenlan could be seen as they moves
forward together. But there was ID
thinning Of the obscurity on either side @
them. Nevertheless the profile OF tn
horseman with the pleasant voice SCENE
TO be occasionally turned backward, an
he suddenly checked his horse.
There's the window again." he SAX
'Iook-there! it's gone sgainl"
Let it CO." returned the leader, "conl
on" They spurred forward in silence
1t was not long before the waysjde tree
began TO dinily show spaces between then
and the ferns TO give way TO lower, thicl
set shrubs. which in turn yielded To
velvety moss, with long, quiet interva
OF netted and tangled grasses. The regI
lar fall of the horses feet became mor
rhythmic throbbing. Then suddenly
single hOof rang out sharply on stone, an
the fIrst speaker refined in slightly.
THANK the Lord, we're on the ridg
now, and the rest is easy. Tell you wha
though, boys, now we're all right, don
mind saying that didn't take no stock !
that blamed corpse light down there
there ever was will-o'-the-wisp on
square-up nlountain-that was one
wasn't no window. Some of ye though
ye saw a face, too, ch?'
"Yes, and a rather pretty one" sal
the pleasant voice, meditatively.
s'That's the way they'd build that sol
of thing, OF course It's lucky ye had I
satisfy yourself with lookingi Goshi
feel creepy yit. thinking OF ii! What al
YOU looking back for, now7 Blamed if
don't think that face bewitched ye."
II was only thinking about that fiji
You started" returned the other quietl.