The mirror., 1915-11-25

porlum, opposite the depot when got off the train
you will know what the town is like. There is
something about the passing of train that inevita-
lily draws the populace of town from which life
has departed which life has not vet come. Per-
haps it the potent iveness of the train itself which
wakens pleasant memories, or stirs half wakened
hopes; or it may be but sluggish curiosity on the
part of those who have grown out of the wavs of
energy, and come gaze in sort of wonder at 80
much hustle and hurry
As l crossed the street to the hotel cauoht a
curously furtive look of apprisal on the faces of
several OF the louneers; and the crowd followed me
20 the desk silently arranging themselves with eab-
crate unconcern we'll within hearing distance of any
conversation l might enter into with the clerk 7
had no desire TO make secret of the cause of nv
visit, So asked at once for Professor Pierce Atmv
query the assembled company dropped the effort at
lndlfference and crowded close about me- lyon
are from the University, too and haven't heard
about him! He is in the lookup, under the care of
the doctor, the clerk answered. This didn't sound
as II the RECORDS story faxed. nor did the
commandment OF questions from the assembled men
that followed it. l explained that l was not from
the University. and all knew of the professor was
what had read in the RECORD account; that the
letter had interested me, and 1 was desirous of
learning more about the | wont try to tell
II you as they told 1T to me- interrupting one an
other In their eagerness to enghten a stranger
about the greatest sensation Gold Hill had ever
known. But 1t appeared that the printed story was
true, and much more.
DEVILS Galch was the name of a blind ravi,e
situated several miles back in lonely section of tho
mountains. 1t got its name from superstition.
handed down from the nativa indiana nbo Lo1;.-1
1t to be the abode of Waugha-the Evil Spirit-and
had always been avoided by the superstitious min
ers and ranchmen until few months previous.
when free gold had been discovered in small ouan
titles in the locality. Hope of striking rich find
had outweighed the superstlous dread with soma of
the bolder characters and party formed to ex-
plore the Guch. More free gold, Indicating a rich
lode somewhere by, had been found the first
day, but as night drew the party decided to leave
lhe Gulch and pitch camp some distance away. re-
turning to the search again the next day.
Did you ever notice that superstition is most
frequent and strongest among people who live much
ontdoors or whose work brings them in close touch
with nature! These men, rough ranch-hands and
miners, afraid of that Gulch, just from the
Indian stories about it, that with every evidence
that it was very asure-house. they hadn't the
courage to sleep in it the first night.
All except two men, These two, with bottle
of whskey to bolster up their courage decided to
stick by the gold, and the others departed Well,
along in the night sometimeone of the party claim
ed that he looked his watch and it was Just mid
nieht-a sudden electrical storm broke over the
mountains; of those quick, fierce storms that
common where arid region reaches right up
to the hills with heavy downpour of rain lasting
only few minutes; lightning so close you could al
touch it, and thunder like the pit of hell in
eruption. I've seen many of them in different parts
of the world the whole thing seldom lasts more
than fifteen minutes The men in the camp were
used to such storms nearly every day. and paid it
attention. Next morning they started back to
the Guch, but they never entered it, Near the
mouth of the Gulch they came upon one of the men
they had left there the night before He lay sprawl
ed face downward, in little patch of mesquit; the
sand about his head stained dark brown in the
clear morning sunlight. and when they turned him
over, sand was caked in the dry blood on his lips
and tongue. The face was drawn and livd. the
from their sockets the whole countenance stamped
with look of ineffable fear He had died from a
hemorrhage induced by fright
The prospector did not stop to search for his
companion, AT sight of that nd-caked. protrud-
ing eyed spectre of horror their supersious fear of
Devils Gulch returned upon them and they beat
hasty retreat to Gold Hill and stimulants Their
story received with varying degrees of lncredul-
ity by Gold Hill. Another party formed to 90