The sun., 1897-09-05
THE sEMAPHoRE MAN
BY BRET H HARTE.
copyrtOAG 1897, ~ Brs' Harts.

m the early days Of the Californian inmisra-
49,. an the e1tromest point Of the sandy penin-
III. ub.re tho bay Of San Francisco debouohes
80 ,h. Pacific, there stood semaphore tels-
n.",h Tossing its black arms against the sky
18th ,ts back to the Colder Gate and that vast
.,non.e Of sea whose nearest shore was Japan
u ,,rnined to another semaphoro further in
,.nd tho "ries'' Of incoming vessels, by certain
ancou,h signs, which wore again passed on to
T.,praph Hill, San Francisco, whsro they ro-
.nrnared on third somaphore, and read to the
,nItIsted; "schooner, brig. "ship," or steam
a." But all homesiok San Francisoo had
i.arned the last sign, and on certain days Of
the month every eye was turned to welcome
those aaunt arms widely extended at right
..nc,es which meant "side-wheel steamer (the
orIv steamer which carried the mails) and ''lot-
ters from home" In the joyful reception ac-
corded to that herald Of glad tidings, very fow
thought OF the oney watcher on the sand dunes
Who despatched them, or even know Of that
desolate station.
For dcsolato It was beyond description. The
presidlo, with Its voiceloss, dismounted cannon
and empty embrasuros hidden in q hollow. and
the mission Dolores, with its crumbling walls
and belfry tower lost In another, mado the ul-
c1i6 House and Fort Point did not then exist;
from Black Point the ourving line Of ehore Of
.Yorba Buena"-or San Francisco-showed
enly a stretch of glittering wind.swept sand
dunes, interspersed with struggling gullies of
h,lf.buried black scrub oak" Tho long six
months summer sun fercely beat upon 1t from
The cloudless sky above; tho long six months
trade winds hercely beat upon 1t from
the west; the monotonous roll call Of tho long
Pacific surges regularly beat upon It from the
sea. Almost impossible to face by day through
aiding sands and buffeting winds, at night It
vasimpracticable through the dense sea fog that
gtole softly through the Golden Gate ut sunset.
Thence until morning sea and shore were
trackless waste, bounded only by the warming
thunders OF the unseen sea. The station ITSELF
q rudely built cabin, with two windows-one
furnished with q telescope-looked like heap
Of driftwood. or . stranded wreck left by the re-
firing sea; the semaphore-the only object for
lcagues-lifted above tho undulating dunes
took upon itself various shapes moro or less
gloomy. according to tho hour or weather.
blasted tree, the masts and clinging spars Of
beachcd ship q dismAntled gallows; or with tho
background Of a golden sunset across tho Gate
and its arms were extended at right angles, to
0 more hopeful fancy 1t might have seemed tho
missionary Cross, which tho enthusiast Poriala
lifted on that heathen shore o hundred years
before.
Not that Dick Jsrman, tho solitary station
keeper ever induleed this fancy. An escaped
convict from one Of her Britannia Majesty Q
penal colonies, "stowaway'' in the hold Of an
Australian ship he had landed penniless in
ean Francisco, fearful of contact with his moro
honest countrymen already there and liable
to detection at any moment. Luckily for him,
the English immigration consisted mainly Of
gold seekers en- route to Sacramento and tho
southern mines. He was prudent enough to
resist the temptation to follow them, and ac-
cepted the post Of semaphore keeper, the first
work offered him, which the meanest immi-
grant, filed with dreams Of gold, would have
scorned. His employers asked him no ques-
tions. and demanded no references; his post
could be scarcely doomed ono Of trust-there
was no property for him to abscond with but
the telescope; he was removed from tempta-
ton and evil company In his lonely waste. His
duties were as mechanical as the instrument he
worked, and interruption OF them would be In
Stantly known at San Francisco. For this he
would receive his board and lodging and S75 a
mon.h-a sum to be ridiculed in those flush
days,' but which seemed to the broken spirited
and haiffamished stowaway a princely inde-
pence.
And then there was rest and security. He
was FREQ from that torturing anxiety and fear
Of detection which had haunted him night and
dAy for three months. The ceaseless vigilance
and watchful dread he had known since his
escape be could lay aside now. The rude
cabin on the sand oune was to him as the long.
sought cave to some hunted animal. 1t seemed
impossible that any would seek him there.
he was spared alike the contact OF his enemies
or the shame OF recognizing even q friendly face
until BY each he would be forgotten. From
bis coffin Of vantage on that desolate waste and
With the aid OF his telescope. no stranger could
approach within two or three miles OF his cabin
without undergoing his scrutiny. And at the
worst. If he was pursued here, before him was
the trackless shore aud the boundless sea-
And at times there was a certain satisfaction
decks Of passing ships. With the aid OF ms
Eiass he could mingle again with the world
iIoin which be was debarred. and gloOmily won
oer who among those passengers knew their
loEiafy watcher; or had heard OF his deeds. 1t
mhiSht mig have made him gloomier had he known
that In those eager faces turned toward the
goiden haven there was little thought OF any
thing but, themselves. He tried to read In
record OF Of iheip sncc no ne" tb 9nb.gong snips the
a,hey were returning, home. Home! For some
s1out :eld9m-he thought OF his own home
sna MS past II was a miserable past OF for.
eery and embeZz!ement that had eliminated a
career Of youthful dissipation and self-indul.
gsnce, and shut him out forever from the 81 aid
ga English cathedral town where he was born.
ne knew that his relations believed and wished
MN dead; He thought of this past with little
pleasure. but with little remorse. Like most OF
hlo stamp, he believed IL was i'll luck, chance
somebody else's fault-but never his own re.
sponsi6ie action. He would not repent; he
hken-alive.
Two or three months passed in this monoto.
hoas duty, In which he partly recovered his
strength and his nerves. He lost his furtive
.essiess, watchful look. Tho bracing sea air
sna the burning sun put into his face the
aeTathy tan and the uplifted frankness of a
siI.or. His eyes grew keener from long scan
nng OF the horizon; he knew where to look for
NNus' from tho creeping coastwise' schooner to
Te iar,,rounding merchantman from Cape
an haOn lie knew the faint line OF haze that IN
Scsied the steamer long before her masts and
tunnels became visible. lie saw no soul ex
Jt me solitary boatman of the little "piunger
snN "ao landed his weekly provisions at the small
inshard i've hard 6y. The bOutman thought his secret
nehess r'ts and rcticence only the surlness OF his
satuoh and cared little for man who never
iseea lot The news and to whom no brought nc
Sntets The long nights which wrapped the
Son Io N sea fog, and at first seemed to heighteI
ave, ve e1iies sense OF security, by degrees, how
nsII.camc oecamc monofonous, and melted an odd
NTiiegsshes,, which he was wont to oppose by
WSils allowed as part Of his stores, which
ncrse ,Ie u dul!ed his sensibilities, he, however
H. permitted to interfere with his duties.