The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
a PAIR OF MAHATMAS.

way here and there through the 'cninklng
of the cabin and lay in miniature drifts upon
the floor. the fine. dry crystals sparkling in
the freight. We were fairly warm and
comfortable where we sat on our rolls of
blankets placed upon the rudely-laid, rough
hearthstones, but ten feet back from the fire
the air was bitterly raw and cold
Tired though we all were from the days
rough journey, there was but little tempta-
ton to leave the comparative comfort of the
fireside for the hard, draughty hunks which
awaited us, and Calkins and I still sat
drowsily listening to the Theosophist as he
discoursed monotonously of reincarnation,
Karma-Loca, and kindred topics. He was
a fidgety, clean-shaven little man, with
weak eyes, long iron-gray hair. and pasty
complexion. He spoke in confidential
half whisper, lest he should awaken his I'M
sympathetic friend the professor, rolled in
his blankets near by. and provoke contro-
versy.
"a Mahatma," he said, hesitatingly, In
answer to my inquiry, 'is a being difficult
Of exact or satisfactory definition to mind
unfamiliar with at least the elements of
esoteric philosophy and unattuned to the
harmonies of Oriental Thought. He has
been tersely, but inadequately, described
as 'one who by intense self-absorption has
attained supernatural powers and faculties
He is of the illuminate of the Brothers.
an Adept in the occult sense. Developed
and perfected by spiritual asceticism, he
finds himself able to read natures occult
laws, to pass unhindered from one distant
place to another in the twinkling of an eye,
to melt from view and reappear at pleasure,
to surround himself with phantoms-"
What do you call 'em what does all
this?" queried Calkins, with awakening in
terest.
"Mahatmas," rather snappishly replied the
Theosophst, not relishing the interruption.
ST run against pair Of EN-, once, way
out on the desert east of old Woman's
Springs and 1 recollect well how they done
nee. That's why 1 asked" explained Calk-
"A pair of Mahatmas! Done you! Impos-
sible!" exclaimed the Theosophist.
well, if you say it's impossible, reckon
that settles it! said Calkins, and he spat
aggressively into the white ashes IN the
But, my dear sir" demonstrated the
Theosophist, in a conciliatory tone, II did
not, of course, intend to suggest any doubt
But the idea of your having actually met
two phenomenally gifted beings, and of
me for the moment, you know-the merely
for the moment-as-well-as certainly most
remarkable!'
softened. TT was as you say the remarka-
blest racket, considered all round, I was
ever in, and Til allow I've seen more as
Would you mind giving US the particulars
of your experience, Mr.. Calkins?' urged the
Theosophist with genuine interest.
pause, and with the tone and air of over
coming reluctance to speak further on
the subject, with a man who didn't know
had %l7aT cnTal0i CT hot
ing for the first time-"and hadn't the learn
in and understanding to tackle such mat
tiers, I'm free to allow, I'd hesitate to give
EN- this account. But with you it seems
different, somehow. You'll see the bearin's
of it, as p'raps some wouldn't.
IT had a claim about forty miles south
was a rock tank within mile where I
could get water for camp use. I'd rugged
up an arastra neal. the tank, and had been
packin' ore down from the claim with the
one mule had, and then turned him into
harness to run the arastra, but 1T made
the work hard and slow. both for me and
him. So after I'd made one pretty good
run out of about a ton and a quarter-I
got three balls of amalgam, which, when
ia roasted and hammered EN-, weighed Ins1
the desert, cash my bullion and buy some
burros to pack with. 1t was well into No
ed to come in, and the nights was gettin'
too sharp for sleeping out with any COM
fort. / planned to make Higgins Wells
cabin there, half built into the side hill,
without much roof, to be sure, but fur
nishin some cover ard givin' a shelter
well, I cached my tools and powder,
and Strengthened things out at camp be-
fore leavin'. and so didn't get started until
hours steady hustlin' to get to the Wells,
but 1 knew I had moon to travel with,
hurried, though the days was gettin' short.
About shutdown it grew raw right away,
and then the mountains to the east and
with a chilly dead light on 'em, like they
was gettin' purple with cold There wasn't
a cloud nowhere to be seen, nor breath Of
be a still, pinchin', frosty night, and 1
buttoned my coat up tight, and, for the
first time on the trip, began to hurry up
sharp night IS the lonesomest time to be
travelin' on the desert when you're by your
self. With the dusk comm on and the red
like evrything in the world but just you
and your mule, had been stone dead for
hundred years, and feeln' that way your
animal gets to be great company. When
the moon come up, it was some cheerfuler,
but I felt glad enough when I seen the
butte where the Wells and the stone cabin
was, and thought of a fire and blankets.
when I'd got to within p'raps quarter
mile of the cabin I see somethin' I never
seen before, and couldn't no ways account
for. 1t was like a long, wavy line of mist
comm in from the east, movin' through
the air just above the ground and maxim
for the butte EASTERN a locomotive and
straight's a bee flies. 1t didn't look like
mist exactly neither, but more like a
string of misty figures, with long, white
streamers BLOWN. out behind 'em on the
wind. scarcely had time to spec late what
it was, when just by the cabin it melted
away and disappeared altogether. The air
was clear and as dry as a bone, so / knew
it couldn't be just a flynn vapor I'd seen
and besides. there was nary breath of wind
to drive IL.
while was wonderin' at all this. light
broke out of the cabin and through the
little window, like some one had just started
a fire inside. Then next 7 see a Camp fire
flame up, just down the hill by the Wells,
and men and animals movin' about near by
l thought it was queer / hadn't seen 'em
till just that minute, for the country was
open all round and up to now there hadn't
been a sign Of life about the place Then
/ says to myself: Most likely it's a pros
pectin party, and they was hid by the will
lows CROWN round the Wells' but some
how this explanation didn't satisfy me- and
I rode up toward the cabin. feelin' glad
at the prospect of company, but still won
dern considerable The place had got to he
sort of public property ever since old man
Higgins died. and didn't feel no kind of
delicacy in ridin right up to the door, ever
If there was some one ahead of me- So
dlsmounts unsaddles, and, after hobblin'
the mule, steps in.
''TH never forget how all struck stiff I
was by the sort of old man I see standin'
by the fire. and just startin' to come toward
me. with both hands stretched ont and
smile like he'd