[M. Floyd, A Phantom of the High Sierra, The Overland Monthly, April 1893]

 

378      A Phantom of the High Sierra.    [April,

 

A PHANTOM OF THE HIGH SIERRA.

            EVEN the most incredulous mind finds occasionally an odd thrill of fascination in stories of the unseen and supernatural, especially when heard at a time and amid surroundings in harmony with the spirit of the tale. Never were circumstances more favorable to an eery mood than those under which the following story was related to the writer. Place,—the lovely shore of Susie Lake, a pretty little sheet of water well up in the mountains behind Tahoe ; familiar, doubtless, to some readers as a fishing ground of most excellent quality. Time,— the hour of late twilight, when even to a stout heart the stillness and shadows seem to press about in menacing tangibility. Persons,— a couple of tired fishermen trudging campward, accompanied by an Indian guide, a silent little party until the guide, pointing to a low cliff, around which the trail took a seemingly unneccessary turn inland, remarked impressively : " Big haunt there ; may be boss see him tonight," and proceeded to beguile the remainder of the way with the story of The Ghost of Susie Lake.

            In early California days, before the eager search for gold had sent the white man through every nook and corner of the country, the lake was well known to neighboring Indian tribes, and every summer its solitude would be broken by fishing parties which, in spite of the cold of this upper region, camped for a week or two along its shore. For several seasons it chanced that two of these companies, seeking the place from opposite slopes of the great mountains, paid their annual visits at the same time, meetings that resulted in a mutual feeling of friendship and interest ; in something more, indeed, for one summer a little red-skinned Cupid found his way aloft to these chilly heights, and there amused his mischievous self, as Cupid will, by attending diligently to other people's business. He flitted restlessly across the lake from camp to camp, perched himself on the rough dug-outs when the men went fishing, and warmed his fingers at the fire when the women busied themselves with the rude cooking. And thus it happened that before the fishing was over, Mantua, a tall young brave whose father, Hahma, led one of the parties, had made up his mind that Taon-Tish, daughter of Ahmona, chief of the other band, was the only girl who could satisfactorily adorn his wigwam in the valley.

            He often saw her by her father's fire or on the narrow strip of stony beach ; a picture to make even the slow heart of an Indian throb with unwonted quickness. The slender grace of her figure—a beauty not too common among women of her race — could not be hidden by the scant, heavy lines of her deer skin robe, which at the waist was caught by a belt of willow bark, finely woven and splendidly colored and beaded. The dark face was dainty in outline and glowing with the radiance of soft, mild eyes ; her head was delicate and well poised ; and her voice sweet as the distant echoes from the great cascade over which the waters of the lake plunged on their way to the great river far below. Indeed, Cupid had winged his arrow with no mean charm when he aimed at Mantua's heart. Nor had he been idle in Ahmona's camp, and Taon-Tish was fully aware of the attractive graces of the handsome young Indian whom she saw so often with her father's men. Her glances in his direction were shy and few, but comprehensive, and Cupid laughed a knowing laugh when she suddenly developed

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great concern about her appearance,—spent much time over her simple gown, arranged with a coquettish touch the narrow, flat band of brilliant scarlet feathers that held back from her face the long tangle of thick black hair, and then stole pleased but bashful glimpses of the effect in the convenient mirror of a sheltered bit of water.

            An Indian's wooing is rather an undemonstrative proceeding, but this of Mantua's flourished in its way, and when the parties separated, it was with the understanding that at the close of the next season's fishing Taon-Tish should leave her father for the lodge of Mantua.

            That next meeting was a time of great interest,— not to the lovers alone, who exchanged quiet greeting, with suitable dignity on one side and becoming coyness on the other, but to the whole of Ahmona's people; for at the first encounter Hahma had wonderful news to give them. He told of strangers about his fire : beings of marvelous appearance and powers, whose faces were pale, like a worn out midday moon ; who clothed themselves in odd garments ; who talked with each other by means of magic marks and pictures, unintelligible to the wisest sign-readers in the tribe ; who could, if angry, summon thunder and lightning to their aid, with awful and deadly effect. With a strange Indian, who could speak their language and that of the tribe, the white men had come a short time before to Hahma's camp with friendly greeting and wonderful gifts. When preparations were begun for the fishing trip they had asked to visit with him the mountain lake, and now they were come, and to be seen by the curious.

            It is needless to say that the appearance of white men created a stir of excitement and interest among the Indians, and it was not entirely distasteful to the Spaniards — for such they were —to pose before the wondering natives as beings from a distant and superior world. There were six or seven of them, led by one Don Casa de Marlo, whose fearless, adventurous spirit was responsible for the wild excursion. It was with lazy good nature that the travelers allowed themselves to be gazed at by the admiring but dignified men from Ahmona's camp, who hastened to see the wonderful strangers. De Marlo, to their amazement, responded to their greeting brokenly but intelligibly in their own tongue ; a quick ear for language having enabled him to acquire not a little of the limited vocabulary of his entertainers.

            Even the women came across the lake to see the white men, and in a softly chattering, laughing group watched from a modest distance the marvelous performance of gun and pistol. Among them was Taon-Tish, and once as Don Casa's glance strayed carelessly in that direction, it was caught and held by the beauty of her face and the grace of her figure. The Spaniard had a critical eye for a pretty woman, and it was long since one had gladdened his sight ; so he stared at the girl till, becoming conscious of his gaze, she moved uneasily away. The discovery was a pleasant one, and as he dwelt on it ideas, vague but attractive, of an interesting episode before him flitted through his mind. It would be entertaining to watch the operation upon her of his cultivated charms. He had little doubt as to their effect, for he was a magnificently handsome man, and after the manner of handsome men, placed unlimited faith in his powers of fascination.

            But surely, never were circumstances so against a flirtation, for the chances he found to practice his arts were few and far between. Indian girls are absurdly shy, and Taon-Tish, true to this characteristic and endowed with unusual individual dignity, was even more difficult to reach than a Spanish beauty, guarded by the ever-present duenna. Still, De Marlo was not easily discouraged, and felt confident of finally overcoming all obstacles. So he spent much

380      A Phantom of the High Sierra.    [April,

time in Ahmona's camp, for he quickly worked himself into the Indian's good graces, and was a visitor always welcome to share his meals and enjoy his fire. But although continually on the watch for a word or tête-a-tête with the daughter, he could scarcely get speech of her.

            Yet, in spite of this, he sometimes hoped that affairs were about to take a favorable turn, for certain gifts that he ventured to send through the father were accepted, and he had the satisfaction of seeing her wear some showy jewelry and a most gorgeous red sash —vanities of his own elaborate wardrobe — with which he strove to gain her favor. Once or twice he succeeded in meeting her alone, as she busied herself about the work, bringing water from the lake or gathering wood for the fire ; but even then he could make little impression on her indifference. She received without response the courtly gesture of his greeting. His tender glances were quite wasted, as she would scarcely lift her eyes to his face, and the speech he tried to make so winning stumbled and tripped hopelessly in the unfamiliar language. The necessity for caution also handicapped him in all his proceedings, for should his designs be discovered he might expect summary vengeance at the hand of her jealous lover.

            But all the difficulties only made the Spaniard more determined, and seemed to fan the idle fancy that first attracted him to Taon-Tish into a passion that gained strength at each rebuff. His pride, too, was roused, and his self-esteem wounded. He felt outraged and insulted that, with all the power of those charms which had been fatal to the peace of many a Castilian beauty, he should be unable to win a smile from this barbarian. He was unaccustomed to be balked in his wishes, and he vowed to himself that he would not endure it now.

            Perhaps certain deep potations in which he had been indulging added to his excitement on one particular evening, as, sitting by Ahmona's campfire, he brooded over the matter ; and possibly, they had something to do with his sudden decision that hitherto he had pursued an entirely wrong course. Authority, he declared to himself, and fierceness, not tenderness, were needed to subdue the savage. Taon-Tish should love him, whether or no, and a mighty oath registered this fierce determination.

            Later in the evening, catching sight of her in the dusk, going toward the lake, he rose and followed, finding her as he hoped quite alone. There, acting on his new principle, he suddenly addressed her with imperious vehemence, and his caution quite forgotten, declared his passionate love and fiercely demanded hers in return.

            The startled girl, comprehending his meaning more by his tone and gesture than by his speech, in which Spanish and Indian were mixed, shrank from him ; but the angle of the bank in which they stood hemmed her in save in his direction, making flight impossible. De Marto saw and understood her quick glance as she took in the situation, and this, with the repulsion she so clearly manifested, enraged him, till losing all self-control he tried to seize her in his arms. But this passed the girl's endurance, and with a swift, well-aimed blow, that for the moment dazed her tormentor, she darted by him and so escaped.

            It was not long before De Marto perceived that instead of improving he had well nigh ruined whatever chances he might have had ; for Taon-Tish from that time on never left the protecting presence of the other women. She ceased also to wear his gifts. The red sash disappeared from her waist, and to the Spaniard's intense disgust, he once or twice saw it adorning the well knit frame of his rival.

            How elaborately and plentifully he

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cursed Mantua for his luck ! Don Casa had heard that at the end of the season Taon-Tish was to become his wife, and this intelligence had anything but a soothing effect, especially as he knew that the time for departure was drawing near.

            At last he heard with a shock of consternation that on the next day but one Ahmona expected to return to the valley. With a passion that surprised him, De Marlo realized that his game was hopeless, and the prize fairly within his rival's hand.

            But before the last day was over, news came to him that suggested a way in which he might still lead a forlorn hope. There had been a bitter quarrel — about the rights of which he knew little and cared less — over the ownership of a dugout, causing the parties but lately so friendly to part in the fiercest hatred ; a state of affairs entirely fatal to Mantua's matrimonial prospects.

            The quick brain of the Spaniard instantly conceived a daring plan : namely, to leave with his men Hahma's company, and betake themselves to the enemy. Once established in Ahmona's camp with the field to himself, Don Casa felt that he might yet be able to overcome the girl's anger, and ingratiate himself with her. This accomplished, he could boldly ask her hand from her father. Such unions he had found not uncommon in many parts of the country, and this could lightly be shaken off when he pleased. It was a chance, and he resolved to try it.

            Feeling the necessity for caution in the matter, De Marlo secretly sent the interpreter to Ahmona, bidding him say that the white men, weary of the company of one so base as Hahma, no longer desired to remain with him, and begged permission to attach themselves to such a respected chief as himself. He was to arrange with the Indians to send canoes after dark to a certain point of the shore, where the Spaniards, leaving camp one by one, so as to excite no suspicion, would assemble and be carried across the lake, departing early the next morning with their new hosts. Judicious gifts were to be offered, and a smoke signal could report the fortune of the errand.

            When, in the afternoon, Don Casa saw the thin wreath that announced success, he felt that victory might still be his. The men were cautioned to observe the greatest secrecy in their movements ; and the night promised to aid the enterprise, for before sunset black clouds began rolling over the mountains and gathering thickly in the east ; while a sullen wind swept sighing along the lake, and from time to time the dim, heavy rumble of thunder shook all the air.

            As the hour for the rendezvous approached, De Marlo, engaged in entertaining the Indians by the fire, was conscious that, one by one, his men were slipping away ; and he exerted himself to the utmost to hold the attention of the group about him. A test had been undertaken of the skill with which they could hurl an arrow at a mark, and he his dagger,— a slender, gleaming bit of steel, ending in a delicately wrought and brightly jeweled hilt, the admiration of the camp. In the dusk, lighted only by the flickering fire, keen eyesight as well as a steady hand was needed for successful aim, yet so dexterous was De Marlo that his competitors had hard work to equal him ; but they would not abandon the sport till several purposely false throws on his part gave them the palm. It was then some time before he could make an unobserved departure ; but at last he succeeded, and hurried along the shore a full half hour behind the last of his party.

            The clouds hung black over the sky, and he was forced almost to grope his way aided only by the lightning, which occasionally flashed brilliantly and threateningly from the dark mass above.

382      A Phantom of the High Sierra.    [April,

The air had grown still and heavy with the approaching storm, but the restless lake sent uneasy little waves along the beach, or threw them with sullen petulance against the rocks.

            The rendezvous was to be on the further side of a little cove, sheltered by a small island from any possible view of the camp,— a precaution that a clear night might have rendered necessary. When De Marlo reached the place, he was appalled to find it deserted : neither dug-out, red man, nor Spaniard, to be seen. Quick. horrified thoughts of treachery and murder chilled his blood in a moment, and he recoiled with a smothered oath as a flash showed him a dark object, horribly suggestive of a prostrate man, lying almost at his feet.

            When he gathered courage to approach it, he was relieved to find only an empty cloak, which, as he held it in the darkness, gave out the sharp rustle of paper fastened to the inside. Here, then, was a message ; one that must be read. Thankful for the screen of the island, he struck a light ; and by the aid of a burning wisp of grass deciphered the scrawl, which told him that the Indians, fearing to be on the water after the breaking of the storm, insisted on an immediate departure, either, with the Spaniards or without. In this case his men had decided to go, and promised to send some one around the lake on foot to meet their leader and escort him to camp.

            Angry though he was at this desertion, there was but one course to be pursued, and De Marlo hurried on, struggling with the fierce gusts that suddenly began to sweep across the water, giving warning of the near approach of the storm. He was panting when he reached the top of a little rise, —a cliff, the lake side falling steeply down to the water below,—and he stood there for a moment to recover his breath.

            Above, the wind moaned and sighed through the branches of a lonely pine, — a landmark conspicuous all along the lake for its height above the low, scrubby growth of the trees around. As he waited, a dead branch, torn away by the wind, broke with a sharp crack and whirled almost to his feet, bearing with it something that seemed like a long streamer. Curious, he stooped to look closer, but started up amazed as by a sudden glare of lightning he recognized his red sash.

            How came it there ? Like a flash rose the remembrance of seeing it in Mantua's possession. He must have tied it to the branch with a purpose, for it was firmly fastened,—and that very day, for the silk had been wet by no night dews.

            What was its object ? A signal undoubtedly to Taon-Tish ! For a tryst, perhaps under that very tree ; perhaps — cursed thought — it was already kept elsewhere, and his game had slipped through his fingers after all ; for, once together, he could not hope that the lovers would again part.,

            But would the girl on such a night venture across the lake to the meeting ? Incredible ! If she came by land, and the appointment was for the, great pine, he could possibly meet and intercept her. He would hurry on.

            But first, springing to the edge of the cliff, he strained his eyes, peering over the water, if, perchance, by the fitful glare of the lightning anything could be seen there. The storm had burst. Rain fell in torrents, and the wind, howling as if with the voice of frenzied demons, swept in great gusts up the lake, while the thunder, with a roar made continuous by the echoes, growled around the circle of the hills, and crashed with deafening detonations overhead. By the incessant lightning he caught glimpses of the white lake below ; lashed and torn into a mass of struggling, tossing waves. No canoe could live in such a sea. But—what was that—there—near the shore ? Ah ! Santa Maria have

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mercy ! there had been a dark, pitching something. Would the next flash never come ? A log perhaps,—a torn branch ! Ah ! now ! Great God in heaven ! a canoe, driving helpless, in that raging hell ; capsized or not, there had been no time to see. There—again ! Yes, it is upright ; can it hold so ?

            The wind was driving it inland, but there was only a tiny stretch of beach, then the cruel rocks, and then,— De Marto covered his eyes in the darkness at the vision of what would come if it struck there. For one instant only ; then he was straining them again, and as a flash that seemed the opening of heaven itself streamed through the sky, he saw the canoe again ; saw a woman crouching low, but still with a hold on the paddle as the frail bark, rising on the crest of a wave tore shoreward, — toward the beach, thank God ! toward the beach ! Then his heart seemed to stop beating ; his veins chilled into ice ; he felt as if turned to marble, save for a thunder that roared through his brain, deafening him to the crash of the elements without ; and time was not, but eternity rolled upon him as he waited.

            The flash, when it came, seemed to snap the fibers of his being, and he staggered back against the tree with a long, trembling sob of relief ; for, standing on the sand below him, he had seen Taon-Tish, her face still towards the water, where the dugout, caught from beneath her very feet as she sprang to the shore, and whirled back to destruction, was drifting rapidly away.

            Unnerved entirely, and vainly attempting to still the wild beatings of his heart, which in the reaction from the horrible suspense seemed to tear him asunder, De Marto leaned panting against the pine. The nerves of the Indian must have steadied themselves more easily, for presently he became conscious of her approach. At the same moment she caught sight of his figure, and with a glad little exclamation took a step nearer. In an instant he had sprung to her, and the reality of all earthly things, —storms and raging waters, treacherous Indians, lost companions, danger, death, faded from him, as he clasped in a fierce embrace the form that for so many days had haunted him, felt her breath on his cheek, and crushed his very soul into hers in a long, passionate kiss.

            His recall to earth was immediate, as the girl, cruelly undeceived as to who it was, attempted to free herself from his grasp. But he held her fast, and pressed her unwilling lips again and again. "Ah !" he cried ; "you shall hear me now ; you cannot run away this time, for I have you fast ! You shall hear me and promise the love I want,— I will not take no !" and he went on in a breathless stream, entreating, commanding, promising, using every plea and motive he could call up ; till, spent with his eagerness he paused and waited for a reply, loosening his hold a trifle to allow her to speak.

            The girl drew herself back as far as possible, anger and dignity in every motion. " Taon-Tish love Mantua ! hate white man ! always !" And the depth of scorn in her tone left no room for doubt as to the truth of her words. Suddenly, with a quick movement, she wrenched herself free, and would have darted away, in the darkness but the man once more caught her tightly in his arms

            As he did so she gave a wild, strange cry, that seemed to pierce even the din of the storm, and to his consternation Casa was sure that he heard an answering call borne on the wind from the direction of the camp.

            " Curse it !" he muttered, " the dog of an Indian has heard. He will be here and make short work of me, if I stay. I shall lose her yet ! " and the idea of defeat turning all his passion to fury, he hissed to the girl, gasping under the gagging weight of his hand :—

384      A Phantom of the High Sierra.    [April,

            " Fool ! I heard him too. Your lover may be coming, but he cannot save you. Never shall you be his, I swear it by all the powers of heaven and hell ! Sooner will I kill you with my own hand " ; and he loosened the poniard at his belt. " Choose the love or the dagger of Casa de Marlo ? "

            He lifted his hand to allow an answer, when Taon-Tish, summoning all her strength, sent forth her very soul in a great cry : " Mantua! Man-tu-a !" It rang wild above the crash of the thunder, and the wind caught it and carried it far on,—a long wail that sobbed itself away far among the distant hills. The swan's death song ; for the next instant the Spaniard's dagger was buried deep in her breast.

            A moment's pause,—a heavier splash of the waves on the rocks below,—and then the next flash shone on the cliff, deserted save by the tall pine that still sighed and moaned in the gale.

            Morning dawned clear and beautiful as if storms had never raged over the glistening lake, which laughed and sparkled under Mantua's eyes, as he stood looking out from the elevation of the cliff. No smoke rose from the deserted camp of Ahmona opposite him : save for this, everything was the same as yesterday. Only the great pine lay shattered by an angry bolt ; and grating on the shore a little distance away floated a capsized and battered dugout, while on the strip of sandy beach near the cliff he had found a water-soaked band of red feathers. These,—and the echo of a cry ! The little waves splashed merrily against the rocks below, and ran mockingly up to him. They were saying to each other that in the deep water beneath, with something gleaming in her breast, lay a still form held down by a cruel stone bound about her with a long red scarf.

 

            FIVE years had sent their snows and rains on the hills around, before Mantua again visited the lake ; but at last he came, and one summer afternoon his canoe floated quietly around the foot of the cliff. He sat very still for a time, looking up at the knoll above, and out over the water. The familiar scenes brought back, as if but yesterday he had seen her, the graceful figure of Taon-Tish, and her clear eye and soft voice again answered his own, as in their last meeting. Only the tall trunk of the blasted pine, bleached already by the weather, rose above him to show the years that had passed since that day ; those long years that still left a large part of his heart under the water of the lake, with the drowned girl, lost in that awful storm.

            Presently he took up the fishing spear that lay beside him, and bent his gaze on the water below. The sudden gleam of a fish flashed beneath, and the slender rod cut through the water in pursuit. But what monster could it be that so taxed his strength to draw it to the surface ? Then, as he gave a quick tug, the resistance gave way with a suddenness that almost sent him from the canoe.

            Clinging to the barb he found a dark fragment,— a piece of dressed deer skin, water-soaked and rotten. He regarded it quietly for a while, then with the spear again in his hand, pushed the dugout farther from shore, and resumed his fishing.

            When at last he neared camp, the full moon was rising over the sharp edges of the eastern mountains, sending long lances of white light against the upper slopes of the opposite hillsides. Mantua turned and watched the soft radiance spreading and descending, over the scattered snow banks, that all the year linger in the hollows around ; over the black, scrubby trees ; flying lower and lower, till the line must be just above the little knoll.

            But what is the thing that the touch of the moonlight has called forth ? — something huge and white, standing

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clearly defined against the dark background of hills, on the crest of the rise ? With startled, straining eyes Mantua gazed at it,— the figure of a woman, of unearthly height, but graceful proportions ; her white garments falling about her like a veil, but beneath, plainly visible, the delicate curves of head, neck, and shoulder. With outstretched arm she pointed to the lake below,— stood thus for an instant, and was gone ; a birth of the moonlight and his disordered fancy. But as she vanished there breathed through the air the faint echo of a weird note,— a long-drawn sigh, " Mantua! Mantua! "

            " It is her spirit," murmured the Indian in an awed tone. " Taon-Tish is calling for me ! I will come ! "

            The next day Mantua's dug-out was again beneath the cliff, the owner gazing far down, as if trying to pierce the depths below. Then he fastened the canoe to a branch that hung out over the water, and taking a full breath, dived into the lake,— an icy bath. His lungs must have been deep, for it was long before he reappeared ; but at last he rose,—stamped on his face the hate and passion of a demon, clasped in his hand the silver-hilted dagger of Casa de Marlo.

            That night he returned to the place from which he had seen the vision, and with eyes fixed on the hill awaited with feverish impatience the hour of moon-rising. Again he saw the noiseless, rapid spread of the light, and again before his wondering eyes there flashed into sight the phantom, huge, and pale, and still. Then Mantua, the dagger in his outstretched hand, swore to the spirit one oath of vengeance, strong with the hate and determination of an Indian, whom no obstacle of time or distance will balk of his victim.

 

            ONE evening in early summer a small company of white men made camp under a grove of tall pines growing close to the shore of Lake Tahoe. The setting sun lit up with a tender pinkish radiance the summit of the southern mountains, while below purple shadows began to creep shyly from the protecting shelter of cove and cañon, where for some hours they had been lurking, gathered here and there, and stole swiftly out over the water, up to the heights above, wrapping earth and sky in a filmy, ethereal veil, through which the stars sparkled down.

            But the beauty growing about did not for a moment hold the attention of the group now drawn close around the fire in earnest conversation, turning often to their Indian guide, who moved back and forth, busy in preparations for the night. At last he appeared to grow impatient of their constant questioning, and stopping in their midst -remarked : "Señors, tomorrow you shall see all for yourselves. The gold is but a day's journey farther up. How much ?' Enough. It lies among the stones ; larger pieces than those," pointing to some small yellow bits, nuggets of pure metal, which lay in the hand of one who seemed the leader.

            What is bringing him here into the mountains again ? The eager glow in his eyes, his fierce clutch of the gold, are sufficient answer. And the Indian ? It is Mantua, changed almost past recognition by a deep scar across his face, and in this aspect, under the name of Pedro, stirring no memories in the Spaniard's mind.

            "And shall we see the ghost, too,—your great white spirit that guards the mine ?" asked one of the men, with a laugh that rang a little uneasily in spite of would-be bravado.

            "That I know not. Tomorrow will show. Buenos noches, señors," and turning to where his blanket lay, the Indian wrapped himself in it and soon seemed asleep.

            The Spaniards lingered for a time, discussing the rich prospects ahead, then, one by one, followed his example.

386      A Phantom of the High Sierra.    [April,

            The fire slowly burned away to a glowing heap of smoldering ashes ; the pines whispered gently overhead ; on the beach, tiny waves lapped softly, with a monotonous, sleepy voice ; while a full moon, glorious in the eastern heavens, flooded all the world with her tranquil light. In awful contrast to the peace and beauty without, there raged a fire in the heart of Mantua, who long lay awake, clutching beneath his blanket a silver-hilted dagger, and muttering exultantly, "Tomorrow!"

            The next day's trip was a hard one for the sturdy little horses that carried the party. At first across a stretch of sandy flats, thinly covered with scattering pines ; then by a narrow, winding lake,—"Fallen Leaf " the guide called it. After that up and up, around the spur of mighty, snow-crowned Mount Tallac. At noon they rested in a little level, green and cool with rank grass, where Pedro showed them a cold spring, refreshing and invigorating, with a pleasant mineral sparkle. Then up again, by the side of a foaming stream, the way growing steeper at every step, the country wilder and grander. They were indeed in the heart of the mountains. Great rugged cliffs towered about them and chasms of awful depth yawned beneath,—a very fastness of the gods.

            Don Casa De Marlo rode along in startled amazement, for the way had grown suddenly familiar,— the outlines of the crags ; the bends of the creeks ; the little patches of marshy land. What strange chance was leading him here again ? He grew uneasy as he pondered, but it was too late for retreat, and even should their goal be the lake he knew, it would be a remarkable coincidence, nothing more. The place was known to all the Indians in the country round. He would allow no thoughts of the past to trouble him, while the future glowed in so golden a light ahead.

            It was late evening when the party, ascending the last divide, caught the glimmer of water below, and then in a few moments they were making camp on the very spot where old Hahma's fire had burned. Don Casa felt a strange thrill as he realized it, but he resolutely turned from unpleasant memories, and fixed his mind on the affairs of the moment.

            As soon as supper had satisfied their hunger, the men sought Pedro, eager to question him, some as to the exact location of the gold, some about the possible appearance of the spirit. They found him a few rods away, gazing intently up the lake, which was dark, untouched as yet by the beams of the tardy moon, which just began to glisten on the hill-crests above. Paying no attention to their presence, he continued his watch, till the eyes of all involuntarily followed his own. " Ah," he suddenly cried, "look !" and a quick, icy shudder seized them, as a huge white figure loomed above the shore, hovered there for a moment, and was gone.

            The Indian turned toward them : "Now," he exclaimed mockingly, " is the heart of the white man still strong to brave the wrath of the spirit and rob her of her gold ? Let him return to the valley and the daylight !"

            " But the spirit,— what is it ? " almost gasped De Marlo, who had felt a great wave of horror sweep over him at the apparition.

            " Ask the wise men, and the old women. I have not learned magic. So? does the señor fear ? " — for Casa was shaking as if with an ague.

            He moved angrily away, and followed by the rest, hurried back to camp, where they attempted, with boisterous merriment and frequent recourse to their flasks, to steady their nerves after the late unpleasant excitement.

            The men turned in late that night, and De Marlo fell asleep quickly, only to waken with a start, disturbed by a light touch on his shoulder. It was Pedro, who, with a gesture of silence,

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 whispered to him to arise and come out of ear-shot of the others.

            " Señor," he said, " listen to my speech ! Your men are many and greedy. Tonight I hear them talk low ; they think Indian asleep, and they plan murder,—your murder, señor,—that so they may have more of the gold, your share and theirs. They are cowards, but a coward can strike a brave man from behind, and you are but one."

            The Spaniard was physically a brave man, but his face grew white in the moonlight at this revelation.

            Mantua continued : "Señor, this is my word : go now, while they sleep, and gather what you can, only leave enough so that the others may not know. Then take an equal share with the rest, and none can envy you."

            The proposal seemed to suggest the only way in which De Marlo could defeat the treachery of his companions, and after a moment's hesitation he consented.

            Noiselessly and quickly they took their way up the shore, the Spaniard needing all his energies to keep pace with his guide, and too absorbed in present necessities 'for thoughts of the past. Thus they hurried on by well-remembered landmarks,— the great rocks ; the bay with its island ; the smooth beach,— and finally stood on the little hill, beneath the ruins of the pine tree.

            The Indian was quivering with excitement ; his eyes blazed like fires in the darkness, as he whispered, " There ! All around ! Look close !" and stooping, handed his companion something that glimmered yellow.

            De Marlo's eyes searched in vain for other nuggets, and he was about to turn with anger to his companion, when suddenly, giving not a moment's notice, with the lithe spring of a tiger Mantua was upon him, choking him, bearing him backwards to the earth.

            The Spaniard was strong, and struggled manfully, but in vain, against his enemy's immense advantage, and the deadly grasp never for a moment left his throat. He fought, and writhed, and twisted, till he could do no more, and lay helplessly staring into the face above him. Then the Indian spoke : —

            "Spaniard, listen ! you are almost through, and the spirit of Taon-Tish will be at rest. So ? You know me now ? No ! there is no use,—you are helpless ; Mantua has you fast. As she died, you shall die. The Spirit took me to her, far below the water where you cast her, and when I drew your dagger from her breast I swore that at this very place I would plunge it into yours. So I left my people to find you, and for two years wandered up and down, till I came on your track and followed it as a hound the deer trail ; till I ran you down. And now I have brought you here, fool that you were ! I lied to you with gold stolen from a Mexican. There is none here ! No, be quiet. And now the dagger is thirsty, it has waited long. There ! "

            The Indian sprang to his feet and regarded his work. It satisfied him, and with a long, wild yell he plunged among the trees and disappeared. His vengeance was complete.

            Don Casa de Marlo was found by his horror-stricken men,— whose treachery was a mere invention to lure him to his death,—and buried on the knoll beneath the blasted pine. Then they attempted as best they could, unaided, to make the dangerous descent of the mountains ; but only two or three ever reached the valley to tell the shocking story.

 

            THE tale was finished as we neared camp, and a common impulse turned us both to look in the direction of the little hill. Lo ! as we stood the moon peered above the mountains, sending her milky flood across the lake to the slopes above us. We watched the light creep downward, gleaming on the snow banks, throwing out the black shadows of the stunted trees ; and then at the instant

388      In Ross Valley.              [April,

it struck the white trunk of the blasted pine, which to this day crowns the little knoll, before our incredulous eyes there rose and hovered for an instant an heroic ghostly figure : a woman veiled in graceful draperies, which left distinct the outline of a well poised head and outstretched arm.

            Then the light changed. Sweeping lower it caught first, the crest of a single wave, and in another moment the whole surface of the lake flashed into glorious silver, dancing and sparkling under the soft night breeze. But we felt a chill as it sighed by, for borne on its wings we seemed to hear a long-drawn breath, a low, weird, sobbing cry,—" Man-tu-a ! Man-tu-a!"

M. Floyd.