Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-19
CHAPTER I.
In the Sage Hrush Country.


scented a remarkable appearance. even In
sengers might be forgiven for putting their
heads out of the window to look at him.
nor was 1t strange that the station agent
rolling his ouid into the other cheek, stood
at gaze. as the newcomer stepped briskly
toward him. Tall. slender. with the bend at
the shoulders which betrays the student,
the eager stoop of one who drinks thirstily
Of his books and long. intent on what he
saw, alive to his fingertips he came strfding
forward. his large. dark eyes glowing in
the pal1or of so much OF his face as showed
above the silken black beard yelling the
lower half He was clothed In clerical
black all but his hat. That was Nevada s,
the cowboys. the miners. a soft, golden
brown sombrero. giving him a brigandish
look, which ill-consorted with his large
gentle, melancholy eyes. He moved with
impetuous energy, his long black coat-tails
floating out behind, yet sedately. as one
accustomed to be noticed and approved.
Good morning" he said eheerfully; can
you tell me where can find horse to take
me to Galena?'
tate. especially when he scented a trade.
you bet" he returned cordially. Sound
and kind, stands without hitchin', leads like
a lamb" and he disappeared in the direc-
q
The stranger waited, waving his hand
to three little girls punched like flowers In
one of the car windows. They waved them
selves bodily to him and babbled inartlcu-
an Interpreter for. before their mother
could intervene and translate, the agent re-
turned dragging after him a sorry-looking
animal, ribbed like sea-washed hulk,
knock-kneed, spawned and blind in one eye.
rherer' ne announced complacently;
that's the og-gondest finest mar In these
parts. I'll sell her to we for fifteen, and
you'd have to pay ten for hire. II she's
yourn you can do as yer minter with her.
If We hired her an there was anythiR hap
pened. there might be trouble"
IN take her." said the newcomer
briefly. and slid his long brown hand deep
with coin. rs that right? he asked
The agent ran his eye over the money.
Yep" he replied contentedly. IF you
wanter give me five more I'd throw in the
; Again the long, brown hand slid into the
trousers pocket and fshed UP another gold
piece.
That fixes u.s." cried the agent delight
Ye wanter hit the south trail between them
two hills and wiggle along the foothills till
We strike the up trail. When We git inter
the canyon We can't git out"
Thank you," said the stranger, climbing
awkwardiy into the saddle and singing his
travelling satchel over the horn. The agent
watched him and elected stream Of to-
bacoo Juice with the accuracy and rapidity
of q hose company playing on fire The
little girls watched him and babbled moro
inartieulate appeals for attention. Their
mother made no attempt to explain. She
was standing staring over the childrens
heads. Every one In the car stood and
stared. The men, women and children VINO
had rushed out Of the one street Of the lit
tie town at the approach OF the train dio
the same.
Tha yonno r,anha was young I'm sptte
of his beard and his solemn ways-bore
their gaze with the utmost tranquility,
shook the reins, and spoke encouragingiy
to the horse The animal stfffly responded
At the same moment the locomotive gave
a shrek and started on its way, which lay
parallel with the street. There was ilutler
of handkerchiefs at the windows, the horse-
man lifted his hat then the train went on
and Clement Vaughan. once itinerant
preacher In Gainsborough. England, became
an atom, a speck, in the wide expanse OF
the Nevada plain, absolutely alone
He turned in the saddle to look this way
and that. Wide stretches Of gray, dusty
soil. with leprous blotches of alkal. he saw,
patches of sage brush, no other growing
thing, high mountains trimming tne horizon.
over him burned the blue of cfoudless
sky. Around him poured the Hmpid atmos-
nf,ere A curving line of willows showed
the path of the Humboldt river. Inc one
street of Battle Mountain stood out straight
and clear. All else was barren piaih' sage
brush and alkali.
Toward the two little hills between winch
ran the road the stranger urged MS Morse
but the two little hills evermore reiterated.
They were like everything else In TINS
strange. tantaiizing, new country. At last
he reached them and began to CAMP.
Sounds met him. coming forward; the rattle
of wheels, the clank Of chains. the caii OF
the driver, and between the walls OF sage
brush appeared the leaders OF q string OF
mules. They SHE'D at sight OF him, anG
the entire twenty swerved from the road.
The driver seated on the or wheel horse IN
front OF the first canyas-topped wagon.
there were two-pulled on the iron rod
which went from the bit OF one leader to
the rein of the other. and commenced 10
swear. He cursed the leaders and ne
cursed all the other mules Of the string.
calling each by name; he cursed their an
cestors and their descendants to the tnlrd
and fourth generations, backwards and for-
wards, up and down, till he was out OF
breath and then he briefly and succinctly
cursed the man IN his way, who, astonished
at the picturesqueness of the profanity, lis
tened as to something new. forgetting lts
Significance. He watched the driver gee
his train with steady pull on the rod
and haw it with two swift, strong jerks
The last wheel of the second schooner
creaked past him.
wonderful" he calculated, wonder
fuli' and logged along.
The road was rough one, mere path
In the sage brush widened by use When
the ruts had become too deep others had
been formed, to be abandoned In turn for
the first when these had been Allied with
drifting sand or washed by heavy rains.
For mile or more the road traversed the
hills. then descended into the Reese river
valley but continued to cling to the base
OF the mountains All at once they entered
the ravine. Rocks doomed on either side.
Cottonwood trees began to appear and the
thick, rank bunch grass on which cattle
fed Part of herd came tearing down
the slope directly in his path, and drank
ee gerly of a small stream trickling over
the stones into natural basin. Huge
wEd-eyed creatures they were branded on
the rump. or with cleft ears or dewlaps slit
In strings to tell who owned them. They
eyed the intruder suspiciously, swerved to
one side as they passed him and went down
the ravine with impulsive. aimless. shuf-
fling gait.
A few miles farther the traveller came
upon a deserted stamp MILL as he deemed
1t, from the red dust Of the crushed ore
covering the roof and sides.
Higher up there was another, like the
first. rough wooden structure built Into
the hill. Then the road made q sudden
turn and there, cut of from the world. on
q shelf niche, in the heart OF the noun
tain. stood q cluster of small houses, built
alike. OF rough boards, with square fronts,
doors set thick with windows and Stops
10 offset the slope OF the canyon. One of
them was larger than the rest and on its