Bret Harte Union High School - Sierra Vista Yearbook (Angels Camp, CA)

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C4 44 44 Tales of 'Town and Trail lust Another Story Down the narrow deserted street of a picturesque, little old mining town, two small children raced to the stone steps leading to the quaint hotel which still retained the iron doors and shuttered windows of its early mining days. Here an old man sat smoking a pipe and gazing dreamily at the abandoned buildings surrounding him, with their air of desolation marked b'y the closely barred doors and windows, col- lapsing roofs and cover of thick dust. The old fellow, Uncle Jeff, as he was fondly called by the natives of this little ghost mining town, was rudely interrupted from his reverie by the shouts of the sun- tanned youngsters who threw themselves at his feet and called for a story. You will tell us a story, won't you? begged Sally looking up into his face withga pair of bright blue eyes, sparking with eagerness, while six-year old Tommy grasped the back of Uncle Jeff's chair with a grimy hand and waited for him to begin. It was Uncle jeff's pastime to reminisce on the romantic days, which he once knew, for the chil- dren he loved so well. So, with a feeble hand held up to silence the earnest cries of his little listeners, he slowly replied: I reckon I've told you just about all the stories I know, but- Oh, tell us about bandits an' holdups,'l Tommy exclaimed, jump- ing up and down excitedly. Uncle Jeff smiled at the little fellow and kindly said, Well, Tommy, you can have your bandit, and this time it will be Joaquin Murietta. I have told you about this bad man before, but today I will tell you about the excitement he caused when he visited this, our own town. He paused for a few seconds, silently puffing on his pipe. Right here in this town P Sally's eyes flew open with amazement. Uncle Jeff continued, Yes, Joaquin wandered through this coun- try quite often and just when folks wasn't expectin' him. He had a way of slippin' into places and gettin' out as quick as he came and. then laughed because he had fooled the Americans, 'gringos' as he called them. Again he stopped and pointed a trembling finger down the street to a dilapidated- building whose faded bronze-plated sign indicated that it had once been a saloon. There's the place he came to one night and upset the whole town. Oh, tell us more, Sally pleaded. -..gf 34 jg..