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J ■-^S^S^ ei^^siSßA^
VOL.XXII
AN
(HGexi/e
Os TH€
SIE.RRAS
fully *tin.suieheil and Yuba Bill had just
polite] removed from the lips of an out
side jssenger even the cigar with which
he ha been ostentatiously exhibiting his
coolnju For it had been rumored that
the Hnon Martinez gang of “road agents"
were-aying” for us on the second grade,
and mid time the passage of our lights
acrofGalloper’s in order to intercept us in
the ’rush" beyond. If we could cross the
rid»vithout being seen, and so get through
the ush before they reached it, we were
safelf they followed, it would only be a j
eteriiase with the odds in our favor. . i
TLliuge vehicle swayed from side to |
side,'led, dipped and plunged, but Bill ;
kept track, as if, in the whispered words ;
of t expressman, he could “feel and '
sinelae road he could no longer see. We .
knewat at times we hung perilously |
over edge of slopes that eventually ;
clropp’OOO feet sheer to the tops of the !
sugar es below, but we knew that Bill
knew The half visible heads of the
horset n vn wedge-wise together by the )
tighte-eins, appeared to cleave the dark- <
iiess 1 ploughshare, held between his
rigid s. Even the hoof-beats of the
six ho.; J;l j fallen into a vague, monot
onous, . lllt rul j Then the ridge was
‘•rossedi We plunged into the still
black scurity of the brush, i
KatheFj uo longer seemed to ;
moye--. s O!ll y th e pnantom night that |
rushed , ls -phe horses might have
been st.ggd j n some swift Lethean
stream; hig but the top of the coach ■
and the b u |h o f Yuba Bill arose above
them. . veil hi that awful moment j
ii-ii s p e€ s unslackened; it. was as if
Bdl care longer to guide but only to
drive, ors the direction of this huge
maclitne determined by other hands
tJiaii his incautious whisperer haz
arded tn’alyzing suggestion of our j
meeting ( . r team.” To our great as- I
tom.dimen jj| overheard it; to our!
greater as imeut he replied; "It 'ml 1
be only a i in d neck race which would
get to h—11” he said quietly. But we
v ere reiieu,, r he had spoken. Almost
stmultaneoui ie wider turnpike began
. r -°„ ns a visible track be-
bpeiied up ide trees fell out of line,
another; we wropped off one after
out of danger,t the broader tableland,
and unpursued.apparently unperccived
Nevertheless
broke out again he conversation that
lumps and the < the relighting of the
and reminiscencemts, congratulations
changed. Yuba Bit were freely ex
tied and even reseieserved a dissatis
geuerous praise otsileiice. The most I
awok? no response, skill and courage I
was jusi spitin’ for ;<-kon the old man '
tiisappointed." said it. and is feeiin’ !
those who knew thatnassenger. But '
firtiter’s scorn for any had the true I
••oidlict were more or" l‘ly purposeless ;
watchful of him. He wi'oneerned ami I
for four or five minutes drive steadily i
knitted brows, but eyes st, thought fully ;
ant under his slouched b.'u , '' 1 ’y observ
juxing his strained attiimvCilien, re
way to a moment of impaouid give
ain t. uneasy alioiit anythin' l '- “You
vou ?' aske-l th<> expressman c.hll, are
Bill lifted his eves with a sntially.
tomptnous surprise. “Not alj" con
thing ter come. It's what lies any
that I don’t exactly sake. I dot'pened
signs of Ramon's gang ever haiee no
out at all, ami es they were out been
see why they didn't go for us." ’on't
"The simple- fact is that our rus,
11 i, ><IHI It-tl
’ i hey waited to see our I cats ot. the I l '-
mid, not seeing them, mi.-<ed u> until,
had passed. Thar - my opinion.”
"lon aint puttin' any price on that opi
you- inquired Bill, politely.
“'Dos t bar’s a comic paper in ’Frisco pars
for them things, and I ve seen worse tilings
in it.
“Como off! Bill," retorted the passenger
slightly nettle.] by the titrering of his com
panions. “Then what did y„u put out the
hghs hr?
“Well,” returned Bill, grimly, “it inout
bave been because I didn't keen to hi. ve
you chaps blazin’ away at the first bush vou
thought you saw move in your sheer, and
bringin’ down their fire on ns."
Ibe explanation, though unsatis .torr,
was by no means an improbable one, arid'
we thought it better to accept it with a
laugh. Bill, however, resumed his abstracted
manner.
"Who got in at the Summit?" he at last
asked abruptly of the expressman.
“Derrick and Simpson, of Cold Spring,
and one of the Jdxcelsior boys," responded
the expressman.
“Ami that Pike county girl from Dow's
h Flat, with hre bundles. Don't forget her,"
I added the outside passenger, ironically.
J “Does anybody here know her?" con-
I tinu'jd Bill, ignoring the irony.
"loud better ask Judge Thompson; he
was mighty attentive to her; gettin’ her a
seat by tiie off window, and lookin’ after her |
bundles and things.”
“Gettin’ her a seat by the window.” re- i
peated Bill. ' ;
"Yes, she wanted to see everything, and '
wasn’t afraid of the shooting.”
"Yes,’ broke in a third passenger, “and !
he was so d-d civil that when she dropped !
her ring in the straw, he struck a match 1
agin all your rules, you know, and held it i
for her to find it. Ami it was just as we
were crossin’ though the brush, too. 1 saw I
the hull thing through the window, for I
was hanging over the wheels with my gun
ready so; action. Ami it wasn’t no fault
of Judge Thompson’s if his d <1 foolishness
hadn’t shown us up. and got us a shot from
the gat’g."
BUf gave a short grunt—but drove stead- j
ily Win without further comment or even !
turning his eyes to the speaker.
We were now not more than a mile from I
the station at the cross roads, where w<*
were to change horses. The lights already
glimmered in the distance, and there was a
• faint suggestion of the coming dawn on the
summits of the ridge to the west. We had
plunged into a belt of timber, when sud
denly a horseman emerged at a sharp can
ter from a trail that seemed to be parallel
with our own. We were till slightly started;
Yuba Bid alone preserving his jnoody calm.
‘ Hullo?" he said.
The stranger wheeled to our side as Bill
slackened his speed. He seemed to be a
“packer” or freight muleteer.
“Ye didn't get ’held tip’ on the Divide?”
continued Bill, cheerfully'.
“No,” returned the packer, with a laugh;
“I don’t carry treasure. But I see you’re
all right, too- I saw you crossing Gal
loper’s.”
“Saw us?” said Bill sharply. “We had our
lights out.”
"Yes, but there was suthin’ white —a band*
kerchief or a woman's veil, I reckon bang
in' from the window. It was ouly a movin
spot agin the hillsides, but oz 1 was lookin
out for ye I knew it was you by that. Good
cantered away. We tried to look
at each other's* faces, and at Bill’s expres
sion in the darkness, but be neither spoke
nor stirred, until he threw, down the reins
when we stopped before tie station. Ihe
passengers quickly descended from the
roof; the express man was about to fol
low, but Bill plucked his sleeve.
“I'm going to take a look over this yer
stage and these yer passengers with ye
afore we start.”
"Why, what’s up?
"Well,” said Bill, slowly disengaging
himself from one of his enormous gloves,
“when we waltzed down into the brush
up there 1 saw a man ez plain ez 1 see you,
rise up from it. 1 thought our time had
come an<l the band was goin to play, when
he sorter drew back, made a sign, and w<3
iust scooted past him.”
“Well?"
"Well,” said Bill, “it means that this
yer coach was passed through free to
night.” ,
“You don’t object to that—surely. 1
think we were deucedly lucky.
Bill slowly drew off his other glove.
“I’ve been risking m.v everlastin’ life on
this <1 -d lino three times a week,” he
said with mock humility, "and J m allmi
thankful for small mercies. But,” he
added grimly, "when it comes down to be
ing nassed free by some pal of a hoss thief
and thet called a speshal providence. 1 ,
ain’t in it! No, sir, 1 ain't in it! ’
IL . , „ ;
It was with mixed emotions that the ;
passengers heard that a delay of fifteen
minutes to lighten certain screw bolts had .
been ordered by the autocratic Bill. Some
were anxious to get their breakfast, at Su- |
gar Pino, but others wore not averse to
linger for the daylight that promised
greater safety on flic road. ’Hie express- |
man. knowing the real cause of Bill’s delay, I
was nevertheless at a loss to understand ,
the object of it. The passengers were nil ■
wol) known; any idea of complicity with
the road agents was wild and impossible,
and. even if there was a confederate of the ■
gang among them, he would have been ;
more likely to precipitate a robbery than
to cheek it. Again the discovery of such
a confederate —to whom they clearly owed
their safety—and his arrest would have
been quite against the Californian sense of j
justice, if not actually illegal. Tt seemed
evident that Rill's Quixotic, sense of hotior ;
was leading him astray.
The station consisted o fa stable, a wagon
shed, and a building containing three rooms.
The first was fitted up with “bunks” or
sleeping berths for the employes, the second
was a kitchen, and the third and larger i
apartment was the dining room, and was j
used as general waiting room for the pas- I
sengers It was not a refreshment station,
and there was no "bar.” But a mysterious ,
comn?«nd from the omnipotent I’ll! pr-idi c: d
a demijohn of whisky, with v. h.ieh he hos
pitably treated the company The seductive
influence of the liquor loosened the tongue
of gallant. Judge Thompson. He admitted
to having struck a match to enable the fair
Pike Countain to find her ring, which, how
ever, provi'd to have fallen in her lap. She
was "a fine, healthy young woman —-a type
of the far west, sir; in fact, quite a prairie
blossom! yet simple and guileless as a
child.” She was on her way to lilarys
viile, ho believed, "although she exjiected
to meet friends—a friend—in fact, later
on." It was her first visit to a largo town
in fact, tiny civilized center —since she
crossed the plains three years ago. Her
girlish curiosity was quite touching, and her
innoeense irresistible. In fact, in a coun
try whose tendency was to produce “frivol
ity and forwardness in young girls, he found
her a most interesting young person. She
was even then out in the stable yard watch
ing the horses being harnessed, “preferr
ing to indulge a pardonable healthy young
curiosity than to listen to the empty com
pliments of the young passengers."
The figure which Bill saw thus engaged,
without being otherwise distinguished, ecr
tainly seemed to justify the judge’s opinion.
She appeared to be a well-matured country
girl, whose frank gray eyes and laughing
mouth expressed a wholesome and abiding
gratification in her life and surroundings.
Sh” was watching the replacing cd luggage
in the boat. A little feminie start as one of
her own parcels, was thrown _ somewhat. I
roughly on the roof, gave Bill his opportu- !
inly. “Now. there," he growled to the help
er, ",ve pint carting stone! Lookout, will yer! i
Some of your things, miss?” ho added with
WE all
held our
breath as
the coach
rushed
t h r ough
the semi
dark ness
of Gal
loper’s
ridge .
The ve
hicle it
self was
ouly a
huge lum
boring
s h adow;
its side
light s
were care
ruff courtesy, turning to her. "Those yer I
I inks, for instance?" _ ■
• .jie smiled a pleasant assent, and Bill, '
suing aside the helper, seized a large '
• o f e trunk in his arms. But from excess ■
slitu)' or other mischance, his foot
th,?c.and he came down heavily, striking
looseni’ r ,b '‘ trun k on rhe ground and
mon lo? ts fasteungs. It was a cheap corn
ered in'i ß affair, but the accident diseov
lac >d f Pn yarninglid a quantity of white
superior ml"*' «l’inrel of an apparently
other ' Th< young lady ui.erod an
vc-is profuse forward. but Bill
the ( his ap.'ogies, himself girded
I Ins intention o? v " h a^ ri 'P> a "'l declared
( it good” to hor' : ’ v ,? ,g he '•’"•pany make
■ casually aecompri 1 ’ 1 ? /' 1 hea
waiting room, ent/' 1 , 11 , >he door of the
■ before the tiro by ,V f '”' i '"'
land most v.mth'fnl 1 ' ‘‘W 'he nearest
j viili-ir ] )V |ho coat
and. having installed ? t! iV S -?’7 W ? n ”
I ed another man who'/ sum / i b! r‘ U
I [he chimney, and, dra fi-
■ ins fuii six fee, <,f heig! 1 v?;;; ‘ t ?y
; glanced down upon his fa r , r >ssn» r 'V’
took his way bill from his , Ml( 'ket
I '.? ur Ilall ’e is down het e ls n„_ ,
| 1ms?" he said. IKS A,ul ’
' ♦h^ ie t iook, ' l | 1 >" P ’ b, ’ c:,,no swldem aware
i that she and her questioner were .. . ’
I ter of interest to the whole circle f
i KIIS « ti .e 45*
; this crowd. Its in my rights to tak, ve
aside and ask it—but that ain’t, niv sti,.'-
1m no detective. I needn’t ask it nt u
but act as es I knowed the answer oi l
might leave it to be asked by otl ■ v
needn’t ask it es ye don’t like"; yc’ve'got"
trieml over ther— Judge Thompson—who j.
a friend to ye, right or wrong, jest as aliv '
oilier man here is—as though ve'd rrml-eil
your own jury. Well, the simple qu-.«m,.
Ive got to ask ye is this Did yon signal' io
anybody. from the coach when we p :ISR( m
Gallopers an hour a s*<•>’?”
\\e all tnought that Bill's courage n n d
audacity han reached it climax here, j ,
openly and publicly accuse a "lady” before
a group ol chivalrous California ns, - and tint
laity possessing the further a; tractions „f
youth, good l inks and innocence, was liiii,,
short of desperation. There was m evi
dent movement of adhesion toward the
fair stranger, a slight muttering broke out
on the nght, but tne very boldness of the
act held them tn stupefied surprise. Jud m
Thompson, with a biand propitiatory smile
began. “Really, Bill, I n / usl protest
behalf ol this young lady—” when the fair
accused, raising her eyes to her accuser
to the consternation of everybody, a is’v.'r- i
ed with the slight, but convincing hesita- !
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1893.
tion of conscientious truthfulness;
“I did.”
"Ahem!” interposed the judge, hastily,
“er—that is—er—you allowed your handker
chief to flutter from the window. 1 notic
ed it myself, casually—one might say even
playfully—but without any particular sig
nificance.”
The girl, regarding her apologist with a
singular mingling of pride and impatience,
returned briefly:
"1 signaled.”
"Who did you signal to?” asked Bill,
gravely.
"The young gentleman I’m going to mar
ry.”
A start, followed by a slight titter from
the younger passengers, was instantly sup
pressed by a savage glance from Bill.
"What did you signal to him for?” he
continued.
"To tell him 1 was here, and that it
all right," returned the young, girl, with a
steadily rising pride ami color.
"Wot was all right?” demanded Bill.
"That I wasn’t followed and that he
could meet, me on the road beyond Cass’s
Ridge station.” She hesitated a moment,
and then, with a still greater pride, in
which a youthful defiance was still mingled,
said: "I've run away from home to marry
him. And I mean to! No one can stop
me. Dad wanted me to marry a man I
hate and got. a lot of dresses and things to
bribe me."
“And you’re taking them in your trunk
to the other feller.” said Bill grimly.
“Yes, he's poor,” returned the girl, defi>
antly.
“Then your father’s name is Mullins?”
asked Bill.
"It's not Mullins. I—l took that name,”
she hesitated with her first exhibition of
self-consciousness.
“Wot is his name?”
"Eli Hemmings.”
A smile of relief and significance went
round the circle. The fame of Eli or
“Skinner” Hemmings, as a notorious mi
ser and usurer had passed even beyond
Galloper's Ridge.
"The step that you are taking, Miss
Mullins. I need not tell you. is one of great
gravity,” said Judge Thompson with a
certain paternal seriousness of manner, in
which, however, we were glad to detect
a glaring affectation, "and I trust that
you and your atlianced have fully weighed
it. Far be it from me to interfere with or
question the natural affections of two
young people, but may T ask you what you
know of the—er—young gentleman for
whom you are sacrificing so much, and,
perhaps, imperiling your whole future?
For instance, have you known him long?"
The slightly troubled air of trying to un
derstand—not unlike the vain wonderment
of childhood—with which Miss Mullins had
received the beginning of this exordium,
changed to a relieved smile of comprehen-
H / ////
3
—— —j
DRAWING RIMSELF UP TO DIS FULL SIX FEET OF HEIOIJTIi IN FRONT OF TIER
sion as she said quickly’, "Oh, yes, nearly I
a whole year.’’
"And," said the judge, smiling, "has he 1
a vocation is he in business?"
"< th, yes," she returned, "he’s a collec
tor.”
"A collector?"
“Yes, he collects bills, you know, mon
ey,” she went on. with childish eagerness,
"not for himself he never has any money,
poor ('barley hut for his firm. It's dread
ful hard work. too. keeps him out for days i
and nights, over bad roads and baddest j
weather. Sometimes, when he's stole over j
to the ranch just, to see me, he's been so
bail he could scarcely keep his seat, in the
saddle, much less stand. And he’s got to
take mighty big risks, too. 'Times the
folks are cross with him, and won't pay;
once they gfiot him in the arm, and bo came
to me, ami 1 helped do it up for Ir.m. But
Ire don't mind. lie's real brave, jest as
brave as he's good.” 'There was such a
wholesome ring of truth in this pretty
praise that we xvere touched in syTnpathy
with the speaker
‘‘What firm does he collect for ? ’ asked
the judge, gently.
"1 don't know exactly—he won t tell me
—but 1 think it’s a Spanish firm. You
see—” she took us all into her confidence
xvith a sweeping smile of innocent yet half
mischievous artfulness—"! only know be
cause 1 peened over a letter he once got
from his firm, telling him he must hustle
UP and be ready fi. r the road the next .lay
but I think the name was Martinez— yes,
Hamon Martinez.'
In the .lead silence that ensued—a silence
so profound that we could hear the horses
in the distant stableyard rattling ’heir
harness—one of the younger “laxe els " ,r
boys burst into a hysteric laugh, but the
iie’rce eye of Yuba Bill was down upon him.
ami seemed to instantly stiffen mm into a
silent, grinning mask. The young girl,
hewever. look no note of it; following om.
with lover-like diffusiveness, the renums
se.mecs thus awakened, she went on:
"Yes, it's mighty hard work, but he ;
uivs it’s all for mo, ami as s f), m « 1S w . ( ‘ I . t - |
Harried he'll quit. He might have quit it
Wore, but he won't take no money of me. ,
mr wlrnt I t ’ld him I could gel out, ot ,
• ltd! That ain’t his style. Iles mi't.’”’
prmd, if he is poor—is .< ’ha?
that's all ma's money winch she let. urn
in he savin’s bank that I wanted to draw
out-for I had the right -and give d to him,
but he wouldn't hear of ill ' ’’
wouldn't take one of the things 1 ve got
with me. if 'io kner» it. And so he goes ,
on ri.lin’ and ridin'. here and there and ;
every w.-ere, and gettin’ more and niare
played out and sad. and thin awl pate as |
a spirit, and always so uneasy about Ins j
business, and startin' up at times when |
we’re mootin' out in the south woods or [
in the far clearin’, and sayin’: ‘I must bo
goin’ now, Polly,’ and yet always tryin’
to be chiflle and chipper afore me. Why,
he must have rid miles and miles to have
watched for me thar in the brush at the
foot of Galloper’s tonight, jest to see if all
was safe, and Lordy! I’d had given him
the signal and showed a light if I’d died for
it the next minit. There! That's what
I know of Charley—that’s what I’m run
ning away from home so what
I'm running to him for. and I don't care
who knows it! And I only wish I’d done
it afore —and I would —if —if —if—he’d only
asked me! There now!” She stopped,
panted and choked. Then one of the sud
den transitions of youthful emotion over
took the eager, laughing face: it clouded up
with the swift change of childhood, a light
ning quiver of expression broke over it —
and—then came the rain!
I think this simple act compelled our
utter demoralization! We smiled feebly
at each other with the assumption of mas
culine superiority which is miserably con
scious of its own helplessness at such
moments. We looked out of the window,
blew our noses, said: “Eh —what ? and
“I say,” vaguely to each other, and were
greatly relieved and were apparently as
tonished when Yuba Bill, who had turned
his back upon the fair speaker, and was
kicking the logs in the fireplace, suddenly
he swept down upon us and bundled us all
into the road, leaving Miss Mullins alone.
Then he walked aside with Judge Thomp
son for a few moments; returned to us,
autocratically demanded of the party a
complete reticence towards Miss Mullins
on the subject matters under dise.ussion, re
entered the station, reappeared with the
young ladv, suppressed a faint, idiotic cheer
which broke from us at. the spectacle of her
innocent face once more cleared and rosy,
climbed the box. and in another moment
we were under way.
"Then she don’t know what her lover is
yee?” asked the expressman, eagerly.
“No.”
“Are you certain it is one of the gang?"
"Can’t say for sure. It mout be a
young chap from Yolo who bucked agin ;
the tiger* at Saeramtnto, got. regularly I
cleaned out and busted, and joined the
gang for a tier. They say thar was a j
new hand in that job over at Keeley’s— '
And a mighty gang, too—and ez there
was some buckshot onload that trip, he I
might h<w got, his share, and that, would i
tally with what the girl said about his I
arm. Eee! Es that's the man, I’ve hoered
he was the son of some big preacher in
the states, and a college sharp Io boot, who
r;tp wild in 'Frisco, and played himself for
all be was worth. They’re the wust kind
to: kick when they once get a foot over
the traces. For stiddy. comf'ble kem
ptUny." added Bill reflectively, "give me the
son of a man that was hanged!"
“But what, are you going to do about
this?"
"That depends upon the fellow who
comes to meet her."
"But you ain’t going to try to take him?
That would be playing it pretty low down
on them both."
"Keep your hair on. Jimmy! The judge
and me are only going to rastle with the
spirit of that gay young galoot, when lie
drops down for his girl- and exhort him
pow’ful! Isf he allows he’s convicted of
sinand will find the Lord, we'll marry him
and the gal off hand at the next, station,
and the judge will officiate himself for noth
in’. YYe're goin’ to have this elopement
done on the square—and our waybill clean
—you bet!”
"But yon don't suppose he’ll trust him
self in your hands?”
"Polly will signal to him that it’s all
square.”
"Ah!" said the expressman. Neverthe
less in those few moments the men seemed
to have changed dispositions. The express
man looked doubtfully, critically, and even
cynically before him. Bill's face had re
laxed, and something like a bland smile
beamed across it, as he drove confidently
awl unhesitatingly forward.
Day, meantime, although full blown and
radiant on the mountain summits around
tis, was yet nebulous and uncertain in the
valley into which we are plunging. Light's
stdl glimmered in the cabins and few ranch
buildings which began to indicate the thick
er settlements. And the shadows are heav
iest in a little copse, where a. note from
Judge 'Thompson in the coach was handed
up to Yuba Bill, who at once slowly began
to draw up his horses. The coach stopped
finally near the junction of a small cross
road. At the same moment Miss Mullins
slipped down from the vehicle, and. with a
parting wave of her hand to the judge,
who had assisted her from the steps, tripped
down the cross road and disappeared in its
semiobseurity. 'To our surprise the stage
waited. Bill holding the reins listlessly in
,h:s hands. Five minutes passed—an eter
nity of expectation, and—as there was that
in Y'uba Bill’s face which forbade idle ques
tioning—an aching void of silence also! This
v. as at hist broken b.v a strange voice from
the road:
"Go on—we’ll follow.”
Tiie coach started forward. Presently
we heard the sound of other wheels behind
us. We all craned om- nocks backward
to get a view of the unknown, but by the
growing light we could only see that ’we
■were followed at a distaneo b.v a buggy
with two figures in it. Evidently Polly
Mullins and her lover! We Imp ><l that they
should pass us. Put the vehicle, though
drawn by a fast horse, preserved its dis
tance always, and it was plain that its
< river had no desire to satisfy our cnrlos-
•i. e., Gambled at faro. ,
ity. The expressman had recourse to
Bill.
"Is it the man you thought of?” he asked
eagerly.
' “I reckon,” said Bill briefly.
“But.,” continued the expressman, return
ing to his former skepticism, "what’s to
keep them both from levanting together
now?”
Bill jerked his hand toward the boot
with a. grim smile.
"Their baggage.”
“Oh!" said the expressman.
"Yes,” continued Bill. "W’ll hang on
to that gal’s little frills and fixin's until this
yer job's settled and the ceremony’s over,
jest as es we waz her own father. And
what's more, young man," he added, sud
denly turning to the expressman, "you'll
express them trunks of hers through to
Sacramento with your kempany’s labels
and hand her the receipts and checks for
them, so she can get ’em there. That’ll
keep 'em out o’ temptation and the reach
of the gang, until they get away among
white men and civilization again. When
your hoary-headed old grandfather—or, to
speak plainer—that partikier old -.bisky
soaker known as Yuba Bill, who sits on
this box,” he continued with :i diabolical
wink at the expressman—"waltzes in to
pervide for a young couple jest startin' in
life thar’s nothin' mean about this stylo,
you bet. He fills the bill every time.
Speshul providence takes a back seat when
he’s around.”
When the station hotel and the straggling
settlement of Sugar Fine, now distinct and
clear in the growing light, at. last, rose
within rifleshot on the plateau, the buggy
suddenly darted swiftly by us—so swiftly
that the faces of the tow occupants were
barely distinguishtable as they passed—
and keeping the lead by a dozen lengths,
reached the door of the hotel. The young
girl and her companion leaped down and
vanished within as we drew up. They had
evidently determined to elude our curios
ity. and were successful.
But. the material appetites of Ihe pas
sengers, sharpened b.v the keen mountain
air, weiyy_moro potent than their curiosity,
and, as the breakfast bell rang out at. the
moment the stage stopped, a majority of
them rushed into the dining room ami scram
bled for places without, giving much heed
to the vanished couple or to the judge
.'Hid Yuba Bill, who had disappeared also.
The through coach to Marysville and Sac
ramento was likewise waiting, for Sugar
Pine was the limit of Bill’s ministration,
and the coach which we had just left went
no further. In the course of twenty min
utes. however, there was a slight and
somewhat ceremonious bustling in the hall
and on the veranda, and Yuba Bill and
the judge reappeared. The latter was load
ing, with some elaboration of manner ami
detail the shapely figure of Miss Mullins,
and Yuba Bill was accompanying her com
panion to the buggy. We all rushed to the
windows* to get a good view of the myste
rious stranger and probable ex-brigand
whose life was now linked with our fair
follow passenger. lam afraid, however,
that wo all participated in a certain impres
sion of disappointment ami doubt. Hand
some and even cultivated looking, he assur
edly was—young and vigorous in appear
anee. But. there was a '.".m ha'f-shamed,
half-defiant suggestion it, his expression, yer,
coupled with a watchful lurking uneasiness
xvltieh was not pleasant and hardly becoming
in a bridegroom- and the possessor of such
a bride. But the frank, joyous, innocent
face of Polly Mullins, resplendent with a
simple, happy confidence, melted our hearts
again, and condoned the fellow’s shortcom
ings. We waved our hands: I think we
would have given throe rousing cheers as
they drove away if the omnipotent eye of
Yuba Bill had not been upon us. Tt was
well, for the next moment we were summon
ed to the presence of that soft-hearted auto
cra t.
We found him alone with the judge in a
private sitting room, standing before a table
on which there was a decanter and glasses.
As we filed expectantly into the room and
the door closed behind us, he cast a
glance of hesitating tolerance over the
group.
"Gentlemen,” he said slowly, "you Were
all present at the beginning of a little game,
this mornin’, and the judge thar thinks that
you oughter be let at. the finish. I don't
see that it's any of your d- d business, so
to speak, but ez the judge hero allows you’re
all in the secret. I've called you in to take
a partin’ drink to the health of Mr. ami
Mrs. Charley Byng—ez is now comf’ably
off on their bridal tower. YVhat you
know or what you suspects of the young ga
loot that's married the gal ain't worth
shucks to anybody, and I wouldn’t give it
to a yallor pup to play with, but. the judge
thinks you ought all to promise right here
that, you'll keep it dark. Thai's his opin
ion. Ez far ns my opinion goes, gen’le
men,” continued Bill, with greater blandness
and apparent cordiality. “I wantm* simply
remark in a keerless, offhand, gin'ral way,
that es I ketch any God forsaken, lop-eared,
chuckle-headed, biat.herin’ idjet airing’ his
opinion—” •
“One moment. Bill.” interposed Judge
Thompson with a grave smile, "let. me ex
plain. You iiuderstaiid gentlemen," he
said, turning to us. "the singular, and I
may say affecting, situation which our good
hearted friend has done so much to bring
to what we hope to be a happy termina
tion. 1 want to give here, as my profes
sional opinion, that there is nothing in his
request which, in your capacity as good
citizens and law-abiding men. you may not
grant. 1 want to tell you also, that you are
condoning no offense against the statutes;
that there is not a particle of legal evidence
before us of the criminal antecedents of
Charles Byng, except that which has been
told you i>y the innocent lips of his be
trothed, which the law of the land has now
sealed forever in the mouth of his wife;
and that our own actual experience of his
acts have been in the main exculpatory of
any previous irregularity—if not incompati
ble with it. Briefly, no judge would charge,
no jury convict, on such evidence. M hen
I add that the young girl is of legal age.
that there is no evidence of
any previous undue influence, but
rather of the reverse, on the
parr of the bridegroom, and that. I was con
tent. as a magistrate, to perform the cere
mony, I think you will be satisfied to give
your promise, for the snke of the ,bri<le,
and drink a happy life to tlicm both."
1 need not. say that we did this cheerful
ly, and even extorted from Bill a grunt of
satisfaction. The majority of the company,
however, who wre going with the through
coach to Sacremento. then took their leave,
and, as we accompanied them to the ver
anda, we could see that Miss Polly Mul
lins's trunks were already transferred to
tt-e other vehicle under the protecting seals
and labels of the all-potent express com
pany. Then the whip cracked, the coach
rolled away, and the last traces of the ad
venturous young couple disappeared in the
banging r.-il dust of its wheels.
Bih Yuba Bill's grim satisfaction at the
happy issue of the episode seemed to suf
fer no abatement. He exceeded his
usual deliberately well regulated pota
tions. and. standing comfort >idy with his
back to the center of the now deserted bar
room. was more than usually louuacious
with the expressman. “You see,” he said,
in bland reminiscence, "when your old
Uncle Bill takes hold of a job like this, he
nuts it straight through without changin’
bosses. Yet thar was a moment, young
feller, when I thought I was stompt! It
•was when we'd made up our mind to
make that chap tell the gal fust all what
PRICE 5 CENTS
he was! Es she'd rared or kicked in tho
traces, or hung back only ez much ez that,
we’d hev given him just five minits' law tr»
gee up and get and leave her. and we r d
hev toted that gal ami her fixin’s back tn
her dad again! But she jest gave a little
scream and start, and then went off inter
hysterics, right on his buzzum, laughing
and er.vin’ and sayin' that nothin’ should
part ’em. Gosh! if 1 didn't think he woz
more cut up than she about, it —a minit it
looked as es he didn’t allow to marry her
arter all. but that passed, and they were
married hard and fast—you bet! J reckon
he's hail enough of stayin’ out nights to
last him, and if the valley settlements
hevn’t got hold of a very shining member,
at least the foothills hev got shut of one
more of the Ramon Martinez gang.”
"What's that about the Ramson .Martinez
gang?” said a quiet potential voice.
Bill turned quickly. It was the voice
of the divisional superintendent of the ex
press company—a man of eccentric deter
mination of character, and one of the few
whom the autocratic Bill recognized as an
equal—who had just entered the barroom.
llis dusty pongee cloak and soft hat indi
cated that he had that morning arrived on
a round of inspection.
_ Don t care if I do, Bill,” he continued,
in response to Bill’s invitatory gesture,
walking to the bar. “It’s a little raw out
on the road Well, what, were you saying
about, the Ramen Martinez gang? Yon
haven t, come across one of ’em, have you?”
No, said Bill, with a slight blinking
of his eye, as he ostentatiously lifted his
glass to the light.
And you won t.’ added the superintend
ent. leisurely sipping his liquor. "For the
fact is, the gang is about played out. Not
from want of a job now'and then, but
from the difficulty of disposing of the re
sults of their work. Since the new in
structions to the agents to identify and trace
fill dust and bullion offered to them went
into force, you see, they can't get rid of
their swag. All the gang are spotted at
the offices, and it costs too much for them
to pay a fence or middleman of good stand
ing. Why, all that flaky river gold they
took from the Excelsior Company can be
identified as easy as if it was stamped with
the company’s mark. They can’t melt it
down themselves: they can't get others to
do it, for them; they can’t ship it to the
B int or assay oflices in Marysville and
'Frisco, for they won't take it without xyir
certificate and seals and we don't take
any undeclared freight within the lines that
we've drawn around their beat, except
from people and agents known. Why, you
know that well enough, Jim.” he said, sud
denly appealing to the expressman, “don’t
you ?”
Possibly the suddenness of the appeal
caused the expressman to swallow his liq
uor in the wrong way, for he was overtaken
with a fit of coughing, and stammered has
tily as he laid down his glass, "Yes—of
course—certainly.”
“No, sir,” returned the superintendent
cheerfully, “they're pretty well plac'd
out. And the best proof of it is that
they’ve lately been robbing ordinary pas
sengers’-trunks. There was a freight wag
on ‘held up’ near Dow’s Flat the other
day, and a lot of baggage gone through.
I had to go down there to look into it.
Darned if they hadn’t, lifted a lot o' wo
man’s wedding things from that rich couple
who got married the other day out at Ma
rysville. Looks as if they were playing
it rather low down, don't it? Coming down
to hard pan and the bedrock —eh?”
The expressman's face was turned anx
iously toward Bill, who, after a hurried
gulp of his remaining liquor still stood star
ing at the window. Then he slowly drew
on one of his large gloves. “Ye didn't,”
he said, with a slow, drawling, but perfect
ly distinct articulation, “happen to Know
old ‘Skinner’ Hemmings when you were
over there?”
“Yes.”
“And his daughter?”
“He hasn’t any.”
“A sort o’ mild, innocent, guileless child
of nature?” persisted Bill, with a yellow
face, a deadly calm and satanic delibera
tion.
"No. I tell yon he hasn't any daughter.
Old man Hemmings is a confirmed old
bachelor. He’s too mean to support more
than one.”
“And you didn’t happen to know any o’
that gang, did ye?” continued Bill, with
indefinite protraction.
"Yes. Knew ’em all. There was French
Pete, Cherokee Bob, Kanaka Joe, One
eyed Stillson. Softy Brown, Spanish Jack,
and two or_three greasers.”
“And ye didn't know a man by the name
of Charley Byng?”
"No.” returned the superintendent with
a slight suggestion of weariness and a dis
traught glance toward the door.
"A dark, stylish chap, with shifty black
eves an ! curled up mustache?” continued
Bill, with dry. colorless persistence.
“No. Look here. Bill. I'm in a little bit
of a hurry but suppose you must have
your little ioke before we part. Now, what
is your little game?”
“Wot you moan?” demanded Bill, with
sudden hrusQuoness.
“Mean? Well, old man. you know as
well as I do. You’re giving me the rerv
description of Ramon Martinez himself,
ha! ha! No—Bill! you didn’t play me this
time You are mighty sprv and clever, but
you didn’t catch on just then!”
He nodded and! moved away with a
light, laugh. Bill turm»d a stony face to
the expressman. Suddenly a gleam of
mirth came into his gloomy eyes. He bent
over the young man, and said in a hoarse,
chuckling whisper:
“But 1 got even after all!”
“How ?”
“He’s tied un to that lying little she-devik
hard and fast!”
Copyright 1893, by Bret Harte.,
A UGUST.
A day of torpor in the sullen heat
Os stnnmnr’s passion: In the sluggish streanj
The panting cattle lave their lazy feet
With drowsy eyes, and dream.
Long since the winds have died, and In the
sky
There lives no cloud to hint of nature’ frief;
The sun glares over, like an evil <ye,
And withers flower and leaf.
Upon the gleaming harvest Teld remote
The thresher lies deserted like some old
Dismantled galleon that hangs afloat
Upon a sea of gold.
And through the hazy veil, the atmosphere
lias draped about the gloaming face of daj!
The sifted glances of the sun appear
In spliuteriugs of spray.
*••«•••
And down across the valley’s drooping sweep
Withdrawn to farthest limit of the glade,
The forest stands in silence, drinking deep
Its purple wino of shade.
• »**»••
Till throbbing on and on the pulse of heat
Increases -reaches—passes fever's height
And Day sinks into slumber cool aud sweet
Within the arms of Night.
—James Whitcomb Riley.
It Won’t Make Him Reckless, Will It.
From lite Kansas City Journal.
Mayor Matteson, of Abilene drew thre*
years’ salary before retiring from office Fxi.
day. He received $3. . , .