Mission High School - Mission Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

Page 13 text:

IVell now, ef that ain't the wust yet, muttered the counter, as the sound of tI1e horse's gallop died in the distance, that old nlanis losin' his head, as sure as I'n1 standin' here. Then beating his arms over l1is breast, to keep up the circulation, he went into tl1e shanty. XVhen the lights i11 the village were extinguished and tl1e villagers them- selves were plunged i11 sleep, a llllll'IlCtl stranger rode into the main street. Ilis horse moved at an uncertain, lagging pace which betokened long travel on a hard road, and when the shearing sheds were reached, no amount of persuasion from the rider could urge the weary steed to go further. Therefore he dismounted, and looked about him at the long row of bleak, low-roofed sheds. t'tlan't stay here tonight, he mumbled, as the wind beat against his face in inlpetuous, biti11g gusts, shouldn't wonder if I couldn't find hiln at all. Thereupon he we11t to the door of the countei-'s shanty and gave the latch a. vigorous shake. In a. few moments a. sleepy, irritable voice called out, Who's breakin' thet door? t'an't leave an honest nian sleep what works all day. XVhat d'ye want, in the name of the devil? I beg your pardon, courteouslv replied the disturber, Hniy circumstances are in such a condition that I was obliged to awaken someone, tllltl it simply happened to be youf' Well, what d'ye want? again inquired the surly counter from a hole in the wall of the shanty, which served ass a. window. I must have directions to a certain ranch in this district, and a fresh horse, returned the niuiiied form, both of which I believe you can furnish, and I must have theni at once. lI'ow d'ye know I've got a horse? inquired the counter, in yet grutl'er tones. No more of this talk I blazed out the stranger, with terrible impatience. If any more time is wasted with this worthless jabber, I'll take a horse and leave you on the ,Q,'1'0ll114l with a broken skull to pay you for your uncivil treat- ment of a needy wayfarerf' The menace i11 his voice silenced the counter, who, unbolting the door, stepped forth and led the way to the barn. Lighting a dingy lantern, he made his way between piles of hay and sacks of wool to the stalls. Carefully examin- ing each beast, the stranger selected, at length, a bay. 'tHow much do you wish for l1i1n I , he inquired. The cupidity of the former stirred at the n1entio11 of pay, and he replied: Well, I reckon ninety dollars is purty cheap for him. NVithout another word the stranger paid hiin, and then turning, led his new possession into the yard. YVho's the feller you want to Bud? asked tl1e grazer, utterly conquered by the other's generosity. 'tOh, yes, returned the other, absently, tithe fellow I want to find? Feel- ing in his pocket, he drew forth an envelope, on which was traced in a delicate feminine hand the name of some person. NV hat does it say? asked tl1e counter. I ean't read. William Crompton, was the reply. 9

Page 12 text:

LIGHT - FOOT - il- llli niystir It-gi-iul of Liggllt-foot haul lwvn rift' among tho hill Indians of Minnvsota long hoforo tho shout of tht- intrt-pid Fl't'llt'll troop- vrs haul lnrokvn tht-stilhuiss of hor groat pinv ranges, and in the yt-ar ISSN, tluiy wore as ste-:ulfasti in tht- lwlivf as thvir fatlu-rs had lwrn whvn tirst TIN Palo 5laid0n had lwvvzllotl lu'1'svlf to , . V. illt'll' wild stan-in Tlu- popular vafrsion of tlu' tradition was this: XVh0n the triluts had st-ttlvd in tho lakh l't'g'ltlll, a g.fl'0ilit plagguo foll- upon tho pt-oplo, visiting 4-au-h tt-pw with its rhilly 1-lntrli. t'oi1u-idvnt with this visita- tion was that apps-aranro of a spirit, or nianiton, at tho Ullltlllllglf of tho fort-st whit-h hurt- st riking rt-srinhlaiu-o to onv ol' tht- lll2litlt'llN who had unhappily fallvll via-tim to tlu- varly I'ilV2lgfl'N ot' thu plagiut. SlIlt't' that tinul ll0l' Zl1JIN'2ll'illlt'0, to- gvtlu-r with a full, luminous nioon, was a rc-rtain prognostit-ation of innninvnt tiiN2lNi't'l'. 'Flu' wintt-r of 1895 silt in with a srant liarvrst, and an early snowfall. tlniinons fort-luuliiigggs of Li,2gl1t-t'oot', wvro nianift-st, to many of tho Indians, and hor 2llllN'tll'2lllt'tt was vxpot-toil vzufli day. Uno 1-vmiilig, as dusk was sottling, Old lVilliani, tho 1'illlt'llt'l', rodv into tho villagv of Stillwatm-r, in tlu' lulart of tho rogion wlulrv tho lt-gt-11ml had originatvd. As lu- passvd into tho vattlv yard to l t't't'lVl' roports o11 tho shearing, the senti- darkiu-ss t'0llt't'2llt'tl his stoopt-d form, but as ho drow into tho glare of tho shear- ing slu-d, thr wrinklt-s about his 1-yt-s appi-arwl to luv drawn and strailu-d, whilv tlu- vyt-s illt'lllSttlVl'N wvrv tillod with a strangt- niixturv of doubt a1ul anxivty. No nu-rv ski-tt-h of his vliarzu-tor would lui siitiirir-int to paint tho inan as lui was, tlu-rt-fow lot ns rt-pt-at, with tho grazors and IllllllN'l'lll01l, 'fTl1at llltlll has soon sorrow. Luth tonight, 1-v1m11'lw1l tho counting man, as his familiar form drow into tho onrlosurv. - 'tllzul sonu- trouhlv with tho luird, oxplainvd Nvilllillllg those now boys say tlufy saw t'l,ig,flit-foot np hy tho old pino slnirv, and thoy worn so st-arvd that that lulrd loosviu-d ont, and it took us an hour to round 'ein in againf' Did you soo it? suporstitiously inquirt-d thootlulr. uBll5S0t!llt'1'?v rvtnriuld William, with a skoptical sniilo. Lot me toll you ono thing, young follvr, I don't seo tht'lll gl't'2lS0l' ghosts, and if I did, XV0lllllll't lwliovo I had. ffthu-ss wt-'ll haw- a famine or sonu-thingy it always happens so if thoy soo anything out uv tho way, again the countvr rmnarkvd, with an irrosolutv shrug: of tho shouldc-rs. . Wouldn't Wtllltlt'l',n glooniily rotnrnvd tho cldvr 1115103 Shoop vault livt- on shavin's or pinv dust and livt- long, and tho way thom prices or runnin' I ran't 'ford to ggivo 'om nnu'h visa Tho old l'illlCll0I' turned abruptly from the shed, and mounting his Sorrel, disappvared into the night. 8

Page 14 text:

At tht- mt-lltitlll ttf this Ilillllt' tht- tft-lllltt-l' stal't't-tl Zlllll tllt-ll l-t-t-tlvt-rillggg llilll- st-lt' gavt- tht- l't-tlllirt-tl tlirt-t'titllls. Yon t-all kt-t-p my Iltbl'St',n saitl tht- strallgt-P as ht- llltllllltt-tl tht- hay. What tlt- ytlll t'all tllis tllltfr, -' '.Iilll,' I't'llll'llI'tI tllt- t-tllllltt-l'. ' Mittal-, illtxll. ytlll -lilllg gittapf' ht- t'l-it-tl, tllltl llliltltl off, up tht- l'tlatl. .xI'Il'I' Zlll Iltilll S ritlt-, tht- silt-llt-t- was lll'0Iit'll hy Zlll t',lilt'llltlfl0ll tlf Oh, ht-l-t-'s tllt- SlltlW.N IJZIIIIIIQJQ ill a ft-atllt-l-.y SllI'IllliIt', tltvwll t'Zllllt' tht- llllwt-ltft-lllu slltlw ill a tllll-l-ul' tlt' hlilltlillg wllitt-. - Alltllllttl' lllllt! tlf' t'il't'llittllls vlilllllillg lllttlllgllt him ttl a ht-lltl ill tht- l't-atl. wllt-l't-, tlll t-itllt-l' sitlt-, tht- gl-tllllltl was CIt'tlI' tlt' tl-t-t-s for hlllltlrt-tls of yartls. I wtllltlt-l' if ht-'ll ht- IIll'l't'?', ht- Elgillll saitl. 'l'his will htrltl mt- up if it kt-t-ps tlll lllIIt'Il lHIljjt'l'.., Yt-t tltlwll Cillllt- tht- slltlw, 1't-lt-lltlt-ssly illltl Sllllttlllj' t-ltlthillg tllt- ftlrt-st ill Il stillllt-ss tlt-t-p alltl whitt--yt-s, as whitt- alltl still as tlt-ath itst-lf. .Xt lt-llgtll, tlll tht- l'ig.5llt'-llalltl sitlt- tlf tllt- rtratl, ht- llt-ht-ltl a QIIIIIIIIOI' tat' light' whit-ll llt-ttlkt-llt-tl stvlllt- stll-t tlf a sllt-ltt-l'. I l'illl'f gtl tlll tlllj' i'lll'tllt-l', ht- lllllfft'I't'tI as tht- littlt- gusts tlf tlakt-s llllrit-tl fllt'lllSt'lVt'H ill his flll'-t'tlIIill't'tI t-tlat. This 1llat-t- is at lt-ast tlllt tlf tht- t-tlltl, 211141 I t'2lIlI' t-xpt-t't' lllllt'll lat-ttt-P. IIZIYIIIQL' saitl this, ht- tlll'llt-tl his horst-'s ht-atl ltlWill'tI tht- light, alltl Ptltlt- tm ill silt-llt-t-. Slltlrtillg witll tllt- illtt-1lst- t'llill, tht- slllt-lltlitl t'Ilill'g.fl'l' plt-wt-tl his way lIlI'tlllQIl tllt- llllgt' tll'it'ts which wt-re alrt-atly llilt-tl twtl ft-t-t high, alltl ill tt-ll lllilllltt-s Ill-t-llgllt tllt- l-itlt-l- IVIIIIIII a lllllltlrt-tl ft-t-t tlf tllt- htlllst-, wllit'll1ll'tll't-tl ttl ht- a tlwt-llillgg tlf llt- lllt'2lIl sizt-. I'l'1't't'IVIl1g' a light stl't-alllillg tl11'tll1g:gll tlllt- tlf tht- I'l'UlIIt willtltlws, fllt'SfI'2lllgJjl'l'tlISlll01ll1fQt'I, alltl ll1'tlt't-t-tlillg fill tht- fl'0llf tlt-or, klltlt-kt-tl I'Il'I't'l'IFV. 'IIllt'I't' ht-ing lltl l't-slltlllst-, ht- IllllJilfIt'llIIIY kit-kt-tl at tht- pant-l, alltl tlllt-t- llltlrt- waitt-tl. 'l'his tilllt- a SIIIIIIIIIIQ' ftltltstt-ll was ht-artl 2lplII'02lC'IlIllQf frtlm tllt- llllpt-l' flt-tll', illltl ill a llltlllltfllt tht- tlt-or was UlN'Ill'tI hy ntmt- tltht-1' tllilll hvllllillll, tllt- l'illlt'Ilt'I'. I llt-gg ytllll' ll2lI'tl0ll,H llt-gall the Wflj'fZll'0l', hut I ftxill' I must illlptlst- ml ,YtDlll' Qft'llt'I'USIf,V ftll' a llight's ltltlgillg. This llllt-xp-t-t-tt-tl sttll-lll has hilltlt-1't-tl II'2lVt'l, Zllltl l Zllll llttt-l-lv Sfl'2llltIt'tl.u Natl sttll-lil, l't'lll1'llt'tl William, 'pet-ring 1-ut-fully out at tht- lllilltl fIlll'l'j'. Wlly, yt-sg t-tllllt- ill. Xtllltbtlj' t-tlllltl livt- ill that lllizza1'tl. 'l'ht- twtl t-lltt-rt-tl tllt- htlllst-, XVIIIIZIIIIIIOEIQIIIIQQ tllt- way to a hat-lc rotllll whit-h st-l'vt-tl as tllt- Iilft'Ilt'Il. A sllltlllltlurillg llillf tlf 0IllIlt'l'S ill tht- sttlvt- wt-1't- spt-t-tlily rakt-tl up, Rllltl with tllt- atltlititlll of wtltltl a t7Il0t'1'fIlI lllazt- Illll'Il0tI lllt-rrily up tllt- t'IlllllIlt'j'. 'f'l'akt- yt-1' tllltls tltf alltl tIl'2lW up, saitl tht- tlltl jJQl'2lZ0l', as ht- st-t a pot tlf lltlilillgg watt-l' tm tht- sttlvt- alltl put somt- slit-t-s tlf IPR104311 illttl tllt- fryillg-pan. l'll havt- Stlllll' grub ft-1' yt- ill a. st-t:o1ltI. Stlt-ll tllt- stl'allg't-l- was t-lljt-ying tht- tlt-lit-itllls llat-tm alltl washing it tltlwll witll tht- fI'ilQI'2lIIf t'tlt'ft-t-. Ilavillggg tillisht-tl H10I't'll2lSf0fIl0Il1t'Ij' fart-. ht- l't-lllarkt-tl: Hy tllt- way, I sllpptlst- you wtllltlt-1' why I illll so ftltllish as ttl havt- Ill-011 travt-ling ill sut-h il wiltl SfUI'lIl at tllis tilllt- of night. NVt-ll, yllll st-t-, it was llt-t-t-ssity altmt- that ltl